Kandace Cleland has 35 years of experience in teaching theater, musical theater and English literature. She graduated from Kent State University in 1998 with a BA in theater and an MAT in education and taught Theatre in the public school setting in Canfield, Ohio. She continues to write one act musicals  and original holiday shows for Stage Left Players, and as a newly retired teacher, has fully immersed herself in teaching after school workshops in acting and design.

Jacob provides design insight and support to the Stage Left Players

team. A native of Kensington, Ohio, Jacob has grown up at SLP since he was six years old, and has served on the creative teams for many of our

productions including Stage Left Player's annual youth theatre summer

camp. Jacob received a BA in both Art and Theatre from the University of

Mount Union with a focus in K-12 arts education. After graduating, he spent

a four-month clinical experience teaching Kindergarten through eighth grade art in Chicago, IL and currently teaches Visual Art and Digital Photography at Clearview High School in Lorain, OH.

Jodine Pilmer has more than 45 years experience as a teacher and music director. She graduated from Westminster College with a Bachelor's in music and did graduate work at the University of Michigan. Ms. Pilmer writes the music for the Stage Left original series of childrens' musicals. She also serves as church organist and music director for the New Lisbon Presbyterian Church.

Paige first joined the Stage Left family at age nine, and grew up on stage at the Trinity Playhouse. She received a BS in both Psychology and Human Development & Family Studies, as well as a minor in Rehabilitation and Human Services from The Pennsylvania State University. Paige completed her senior capstone experience as the Assistant Director of Youth Programming and worked to bring community theatre to a virtual platform for kids in the Tri-County area during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Each summer, she serves as a mentor and coordinator to the high school volunteers for the summer program. Currently, Paige is pursuing a PhD in School Psychology with a dual licences in Child Clinical Psychology from Duquesne University. Paige’s emphasis is on expanding psychological services to children in rural areas and has a background in working with children with autism.

Christine Martin has over 25 years of experience in teaching dance professionally in studio, theater and school settings. She studied ballet with Inna Stabrova, and holds several dance certifications, including Acrobatic Arts, Hip Hop Experience, Relative Motion Experience, and DancemED (health and injury prevention for dancers). Christine served in youth ministry for several years, before turning her full energies to her dance studio, Leap of Faith Dance. She has experience teaching multiple styles of dance to all ages, including ballet, tap, jazz, acro, baton, lyrical, hip hop, Irish step, and ballroom. She also has extensive experience in inclusive dance, teaching dancers of all abilities, including wheelchair dance and Special Olympics gymnastics. In addition to operating the studio. Christine serves as advisor for the United High School flag line and the choreographer for UHS spring musicals, and is thrilled to be joining Stage Left!

Stage Left's Master Teacher, Paul Dahman, began dabbling in the ancient art of improv comedy after watching just one too many episodes of "Whose Line is it Anyway?" He started training seriously at the tender age of 19. He trained with Mainstage Improv in Columbus, before leading and training young padawans of his own for two years. 

Paul interned with Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in NYC, a comedy school created, in part, by Amy Poehler. He trained more (because you always continue to learn) with Good Ghosts Improv in NYC. They performed exclusively at the COW Theatre in 2015. Moving back to Youngstown in 2016, he got involved in community theatre. In 2017 he joined and began to help teach improv to the members of The Dinner Theatre Rejects, the area's premier comedy group and talented padawans.

Daniel Huston is a professional lighting designer and production manager based out of New York City. He has worked extensively in NYC and throughout the Midwest, designing and managing companies ranging from opera and theatre to dance and retail. Some highlights of his career include: Production Manager for J2 Spotlight Musical Theatre (off-Broadway), Production Manager and Resident Lighting Designer for the Ohio Light Opera, Lighting Designer for Spaeth Designs Inc. where he has designed display windows for most of the major department stores in NYC, and Resident Lighting Designer for Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theatre (NYC). In addition to his work professionally, he has taught at several colleges and universities across the country.

Will made his stage debut in fourth grade. Since then he's made audiences laugh at his jokes in Phoenix, Tempe, Arizona, New York and Northeast Ohio. And stand-up comedy is just his hobby.

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Will has spent much of his career in media, working with some of the most notable news organizations in the world as a digital strategist, SEO and an audience engagement specialist.

During the COVID lockdown of 2020 he produced, directed and wrote for a comedy news show which was filmed entirely remotely. 

Will studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Kent State University, helped coach young poets with the Wick Poetry Center and has guest taught for several multimedia and writing classes at Arizona State University.