Our Team
Chapter Director
Lindsay Shields
Lindsay Shields is currently the Chapter Director for NY Thespians, after having served as Outreach/Website chair in prior years. They are also the proud Troupe Director for Troupe #89792 at Fort Hamilton High School's theater, where they work as TD. They are originally a Kansas Thespian, Troupe #5773, where they led as Troupe President and STO, achieving International Honor Thespian ranking. They love to go canoeing, hike rugged terrain, and write stories. Lindsay's main goal as Chapter Director is to provide opportunities and resources that benefit theater students and teachers. Lindsay hopes to connect with urban, suburban, and rural schools across the state to better understand the needs of the diverse theatrical communities in New York. One of their favorite shows they were involved in was their high school Black Box production of 'Crewd,' a one-act they wrote and directed, where the crew takes over a production, complete with a prop weapon battle set to Beethoven's 5th.
Marie Iachetta
Partnership
A Native New Yorker, Marie was a founding member of her Thespian Troupe 7892 back in high school. She has served as a chaperone for them during their Building Emily Warren journey to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018. She is thrilled to now serve on the NY Thespian Board as the Partnership Liaison having previously served as the STO Coordinator working with the State Thespian Officers student leaders since 2018. Marie works in the Legal and Compliance field where she puts her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice to good use. Theater credits include performing, directing, and producing. Just off of a successful runs of directing A Diseased Feeling, winner of The Audience Award a part of the DUAF 2024 season at Theatre Row and Paradise Lynched at the Chain Theatre One Act Festival. She has successfully moderated EdTA Thespians: From the Classroom to Broadway at BroadwayCon. Marie proudly represents NY Thespians everywhere she goes. You can continue to follow her drama queen adventures on Instagram @thetangomarieee
Erin Moughon
Treasurer
Erin Moughon is a drama teacher at the Bronx Academy of Letters and a playwright with an MFA from Columbia whose plays have been produced across the USA and internationally.
Plays: Snow White Padded Room (BBTF, 14th St Y), Survived By (New Plays Now, 3LD), Slip Her a Mickey (Schapiro Theatre), Pretend That You Owe Me… (Schapiro Theatre). Short plays include “In Memory of Calvinball” and “Out of Body/On a Train”. See her Instagram: @erinplaywright for more. Erin has been a semi-finalist for both the Princess Grace award (‘10) and the National Playwrights Conference (‘12 and ‘14) She completed 31 Plays in 31 Days every year and participated in 365 Women a Year every year so far. She is published in The Best Ten Minute Plays of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. Erin is a proud member of the Dramatist Guild.
Sandy Qiu
Sandy is excited to be part of the Thespian Board! Throughout high school she has been involved in its theatre troupe 7892 where she mainly worked across crew, with a focus on lights and publicity. After graduating, she continues to stay in theatre by volunteering for the NY Thespian Festival as well as being part of the Thespians Board. She is very excited to be involved in planning events and helping to grow the NY chapter!
Website
Suzy Qiu
Suzy is excited to be part of the Thespian Board as Social Media Chair! In high school she participated in her school productions as a sound designer and marketer, which led to her passion for marketing. She continues to participate in theater-related events by volunteering for the NY Thespian Festival, and worked with her friend to put on Angels in the Sky for the SummerFest Theater Festival. Suzy is excited to be a part of the NY Thespian Board and continue her passion for the arts.
Social Media
Diversity & Inclusivity
Brandon Williamson
Brandon Williamson is a Storyteller, Creativity Consultant, innovation specialist, and founder of the internationally recognized Pure Ink Poetry organization in Buffalo, NY. He is also a member of the Ujima Theatre Company. He has performed in Ujima productions such as RUINED, SPUNK, and THE GREEN PASTURES. Brandon is also an internationally acclaimed and awarded spoken word artist who has graced stages across the US, Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Brandon was brought up in theater under the mentorship of Lorna C. Hill and the Ujima Theatre company. He holds a bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts from SUNY Fredonia, and a masters degree in Creativity from the International Center for Studies in Creativity.
Hugh Fletcher
Outreach
TBA
Jason Fernandez
Alumni
TBA
Courtney Allen
I have been a theatre teacher for the past 16 years. I earned my masters degree in educational theatre at NYU and have been teaching ever since. I direct four shows every year at my school, one of which is an original student written performance. I was a part of thespians as a high school student in Tampa, Florida. Thespian events and competitions became a place of sharing and acceptance for me as a student. I knew that I wanted to share that feeling with other young people and started a troupe at my school. I then applied to be part of the board last year, specifically focusing on middle school. As a board member, I hope to support educators in building a space of creativity, acceptance of each other and safety for all students and educators. My favorite theatre activities usually revolve around working with students to create a script and improvisation. Both activities start with building support and trust with people to then be able to create. My most favorite time in theatre as a child was attending mainstage performances at the State Thespian competitions. I was always so impressed with the people performing. When I am not teaching I enjoying traveling with my family.
Junior Thespians
Berkeley Rousseau
Outreach & Advocacy
Berkeley Rousseau is a director, music director, and performer originally from California, with a diverse background in theatre on both coasts. He has contributed to numerous productions both onstage and behind the scenes. One of his most meaningful experiences was performing in The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, a production that helped frame his views of acting and storytelling.
Berkeley currently serves as a music and theatre teacher at William Floyd High School, Thespian Troupe 956. Outside of the arts, he enjoys hiking, reading, and traveling. As a Board Member, Berkeley is dedicated to building collaboration across the state, supporting theatre programs of all sizes, and ensuring that fellow educators feel heard, valued, and inspired in their work.
Toni Margaret Nemazi
Alumni
I grew up in Long Island participating in any and all creative outlets that were available to me through elementary, middle, and high school. My public school having these programs in place helped me discover that performing and being an educator (non-negotiably) will be a part of my future. In High School, I acted on the NYS Student thespian board as a chairperson and I am currently a student at Pace University in the Acting International Performance Ensemble major. Through what I have learned and continue to learn about the power of the arts in high school and at Pace, I see a need for advocacy for these programs and their value. I hope to work with the NYS Thespian Board to expand on events already taking place and to create new ones as well. Especially being in New York, Broadway is in these high schools’ backyard. A theatre and music program shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be available to everyone.
Joseph Grosso
Speakers, Workshops, and Events
MR. JOSEPH GROSSO is delighted to join The New York Chapter of the International Thespian Society as an Adult Board Member. Mr. Grosso currently works as the Program Manager for Theater with Success Academy Charter Schools where he oversees 30+ Theater programs across K-12 schools as well as manages the Network Thespian Troupe. He received his Musical Theatre degrees from Florida School of the Arts and Manhattan School of Music. His experience in theatre extends from professional theatrical performances to public school teaching and even work as a drag artist. Credits include Kristen Chenoweth: Love Letter to Broadway, A New Reading at NYCC, Nathan Lane: The Broadway Gala, and more. Mr. Grosso has worked as a teaching artist, administrator, International Thespian Society Member, and theatrical educator for over a decade; even earning the prestigious award of Teacher of the Year from Pasco County Schools. When he is not at work he likes to read trashy novels, rewatch the Star Wars saga, visit with marine life, or travel to new places. Florida is where he is from, but New York is home.
Mr. Grosso strives to create inclusive and accessible theater to all school-aged children across New York State and beyond. His hope is to create a welcoming, yet rigorous environment for Thespians to engage in theatrical opportunities. As a leader, Mr. Grosso strives to work with and develop adults who can create excellent outcomes with scholars of all backgrounds, ages, and abilities that are prepared to share their knowledge with the world regardless of whether they end up working in Theater or not. He is also a highly collaborative Theater practitioner who thrives on discourse, healthy competition, and engaging conversations that work to quell inefficiencies and maximize productivity to create excellent artistry within the theater community. On a personal note, Mr. Grosso's favorite role he has played so far was Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof, a fantastic show and a powerful character whose message is more relevant today than ever.
Our Committee
Zoey Mercado
Performance
As a Board Member a goal I have is to make sure that everyone’s words have a time to be said. I want to be the type of leader/listener that anyone can come to with anything students want to make a difference with. I strive to work hard in this field and make our voices louder for theatre education and its importance for the next generation. My involvement in theater has been filled over the years with on stage and backstage work. As a previous member of troupe 7892 in the Thespian society with Director Lindsay Shields, I learned how to build a show together creating a custom musical from scratch “Building Emily Warren” bringing it all the way to The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland to perform! My favorite show I’ve ever been a part of was at Queens College playing the role of “Ocean” in Ride The Cyclone directed by Galia Backal. One non-theater hobby I am involved in would be a video gaming group that competes online for fun and for the win!
Shaila Seth
Shaila Seth is a proud inducted Thespian who served as an International Thespian Officer for two years. She’s a passionate advocate for arts education with a
goal of making theatre accessible for all students. Shaila is a Stage Manager with a love for coordinating the beautiful chaos behind the scenes of live theatre. She cherishes the opportunity to immerse herself in the vibrant NYC theatre scene. Beyond the arts, Shaila cares deeply for animals and enjoys making homemade pet treats and teaching her cat new tricks!