Teaching Artists
Meet our amazing Teaching Artists!
Sean Cooney
Teaching Artist
Sean started acting in 2017 when his school decided to open their drama season with an improv production instead of a scripted show. This was also the year he began training to be a counselor at Camp Kiwanilong (it turns out that knowing how to hold an audience is pretty useful for camp!).
Sean found that improv was the perfect starting point because all he had to do was be himself. The style of acting he practiced in school taught him how to act from another character’s perspective while still feeling like himself at the core. All of his past roles as of joining KMT (save for a couple of scene studies) have been comedic, but he does hope to branch out and pretend to be serious for a change. He’s more recently taken to writing comedy in his spare time and hopes to share it someday.
Deanna Duplechain
Teaching Artist
Deanna has taught at community centers, colleges, universities, and theatre companies all around the United States to students ranging in age from 5 to 82.
She has directed over 50 theatre productions, most recently Gramercy Ghost at the Coaster Theatre in Cannon Beach. Her directing career includes a season as Assistant Director on Broadway at Circle in the Square and serving as the artistic director for two theatre companies – Women’s Workshop in NYC and the Nevada Theatre Company in Las Vegas. During her years in Nevada she was named an Artist-in-Residence, creating community theatre projects in under-served communities throughout the state.
Loving to learn almost as much as she loves to teach, she holds a BFA in theatre from Cornish Conservatory for the Arts in Seattle, an MFA in directing from University of Virginia, and an MFA in creative writing from Eastern Washington University.
In 2019, she made her home on the North Coast in a little cabin in the great forest, where she lives with her partner Tod, who is fond of wearing overalls, and high- leaping cattle dog, Abby. At low tide, you may find her at Haystack Rock sharing information on the bird and marine life with the City of Cannon Beach/Haystack Rock Awareness Program.
Sam Dinkowitz
Teaching Artist
Sam is a proud Oregonian and a recent Astorian transplant. Since receiving his BFA in Performance from Southern Oregon University in 2009, Sam has been working professionally as an actor, director, properties designer, songwriter, juggler and fight choreographer.
Sam’s first introduction to theatre was training in a Teen Theatre troupe developed by that nationally renowned Dramatherapist, Bobbi Kidder. The healing nature of theatre is a cornerstone of Sam’s teaching approach: he always strives to share the joyful medicine of performance. Sam has worked with Portland Public Schools to bring stage combat training to high schoolers, and he directs a theater summer camp every July in his hometown, Grants Pass. Sam is thrilled to be a part of Kids Make Theatre and eager to get involved in the creative community of the north coast.
Jennifer Mikel
Teaching Artist
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Costume Design from the University of Wyoming and has a Masters in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University. She has worked with the IATSE local 28 Stagehands Union for the past 15 years doing everything from laying the flooring for big dinosaur shows, to dressing principal characters in touring Broadway shows, and working exclusively with Disney, and so much more.
She’s also worked with local Oregon companies, such as Portland Opera, Broadway Across America, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and White Bird Dance. She has been involved with ticket sales, subscription management, house management, and being a backstage runner.
In Jen’s spare time, she loves hanging out with her son, building LEGO, putting puzzles together and snuggling with her two cats. She is currently a 6th grade Language Arts teacher at Astoria Middle School. She loves every aspect of theatre and dance and is happy she’s been given the opportunity to incorporate that love to inspire and teach your kids during classes.