Mission: Stage Artistry Studios’ mission is to provide the highest caliber of performing arts education to students of all ages and abilities, and to foster individual growth in a caring, supportive artistic community.
In order to accomplish this mission, Stage Artistry Studios:
- Provides a warm, safe environment where students feel encouraged to take risks and grow.
- Surrounds students with expert, conservatory trained teachers who have extensive high level professional credits to serve both as teachers and mentors who encourage students to reach for high standards and their personal best.
- Creates a positive, fun environment where friendships and love for the arts grow and flourish.
- Builds each student's self confidence on and off stage.
- Carefully places each individual student in classes appropriate to his or her age, level, and experience.
- Designs customized courses of study to meet a student's individual needs and goals.
- Builds a framework for students to develop focus, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.
- Fosters a sense of community and teamwork in a non-competitive environment where people strive to do their best while encouraging and supporting their peers.
- Provides a variety of unique performance opportunities for students to demonstrate the new skills they have mastered.
- Celebrates the growth and accomplishments of all students.
Meet the Team
Our teachers have all been conservatory trained and/or professionals in the performing arts industry. Fueled by the passion they have for their craft, they bring their knowledge and experiences to Stage Artistry Studios.
Mary Elizabeth Rich
Founder & Teacher
Mary Elizabeth Rich is originally from New Jersey and has been an industry professional for over twenty five years. She has performed in Broadway National Tours, European tours, countless regional productions, and Las Vegas, as well as in television and film. She did her undergraduate studies at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and completed her graduate work in theatre at Circle In The Square in New York City where she was a recipient of the American Theatre Wing Award. Mary is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA and is delighted to be a working professional in the entertainment industry. She has worked with such stage legends as Ben Vereen, Chita Rivera, Lee Roy Reams, Chet Walker and Dorothy Louden. She has taught voice and acting for over 10 years. She created her version of Triple Threat Training to help young performers bridge the gap that exists between singing, acting and dance. This training helps students marry all the important elements of becoming a well-rounded performer in an extremely competitive field. Mary is a big believer in embracing the uniqueness and worth of each individual student while helping them develop their vocal, dance, and acting skills, as well as their overall curiosity of the theatre. She now resides in Lakeville, Massachusetts with her husband and 5 year-old son.
Ian Lewis
Founder & Teacher
Ian has worked in the show production industry for over twenty years. From a young age, Ian knew that he had a passion for recording and audio production. He started working at the local radio station and a few recording studios where he was encouraged and mentored by industry professionals. Ian attended Full Sail University and graduated top of his class with a degree in Show Production and Touring. His career took him all around the United States and the world working for several production companies and finally for Princess Cruise Line where he met his wife Mary. Together with his wife Mary, Ian hopes to impart his knowledge and mentor students in the way that gave him the excitement and dream of producing shows.
Brianna Davis - Broadway Babies, Intro to Dance, Kids Ballet, Tap, Jazz
Brianna is a graduate from Rhode Island College with a B.S. in Community Health and Wellness (with a concentration in Movement Studies) as well as a minor in Dance Performance. As a member of the RIC Dance Company, she was afforded the opportunity to work with several artists and choreographers from across the Nation. She performed as an ensemble member in several RIC Musical Theatre Performances, including Beauty and the Beast, Seussical the Musical, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and performed with The Providence Ballet Theatre for their Christmas Performance of Twas the Night Before Christmas from 2014-2018.
Right after college, Brianna dove into the science field to learn more about the movement of the human body. She has worked within Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is now developing an assisted stretch and corrective exercise program with a muscular therapy Facility in MA. Brianna's goal is to combine her science and injury prevention knowledge with her passion for dance to help the future generation of performers reach their dreams safely, strongly and with a smile! She is thrilled to be a part of the Stage Artistry Team and is excited to continue to learn and grow with her students each week.
Tiffany Pinaretta - Broadway Babies, Kids Acting Musical Theatre, Group Voice
Peter-Henry DaSilva is a proud New Bedford native and graduate of Salem State University with a BFA in Acting/Performance. He previously taught acting and directed children’s musicals for seven years at I’ve Got Rhythm Dance Center in North Dartmouth. As a member of the SAS staff, he specializes in scene study and monologue technique/preparation as well as introduction to musical theatre for children. Regional performance credits include thirteen productions with New Bedford Festival Theatre at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center, most recently as Potiphar/Levi in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as well as The Fantasticks (El Gallo), Into the Woods (Baker), Ragtime (Tateh), Les Misérables (Marius), Titanic (Frederick Fleet) for Little Theatre of Fall River, The Story of My Life (Thomas Weaver) and A Chorus Line (Paul). When not teaching or performing, Peter works in Corporate Management at Brown University Health in Providence, RI and loves family time with his wife and three boys. Peter strongly believes theatre provides the tools children need to create a better world for the future. Stage Artistry Studios does just that by building empathy, understanding, and inclusion through the performing arts.
Matt Ban - Private Voice, Acting Musical Theatre
Matt is thrilled to be joining the SAS team. After spending 15 years working professionally in NYC, Matt and his family are so happy to call the South Coast their home. As a performer, Matt is most recognized as Dennis DuPree in ROCK OF AGES (Broadway, off-Broadway Revival, National Tour). Other theater credits include MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT (National Tour), MATILDA (Miss Trunchbull, Regional Premier), NEXT TO NORMAL, OKLAHOMA and many more. On both his National tours, Matt was lucky enough to make a stop right here in New Bedford for performances at the historic Zeiterion. TV: "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix, series finale), "Madam Secretary" (CBS), "Crashing" (HBO/Max), Deadly Devotions (ID). Matt is also an accomplished voiceover artist having been featured on numerous cartoons, commercials, and guided tours across the world. Matt and his wife have also developed a successful cabaret act and have sold out shows in NYC and across the Northeast including right here in New Bedford. He is a proud graduate of Wagner College where he earned a B.A. in Theatre and Speech. As an educator, Matt has worked with students from Kindergarten up through college. Matt has directed educational productions, taught youth acting, improv and musical performance. He also worked for many years in NYC as a private audition and career coach. But, above all these accomplishments, Matt is proudest to be husband to the amazing Erin and Dad to current SAS students and soon to be triple threats, Ruby and Claire.
Tiffany Pinaretta - Broadway Babies, Kids Acting Musical Theatre, Group Voice
Tiffany started dancing at the age of three and began her journey as a competitive dancer at the age of seven. Her love of dance turned into a love for all the theatre arts, which led her to start performing in musicals her freshmen year of high school and hasn't stopped since. Tiffany has a degree in Musical Theatre and continues to train. She has starred in shows throughout the community such as Pippin (Leading Player), Grease (Jan, Rizzo), Into the Woods (The Witch), Young Frankenstein (Frau Blucher), Little Shop of Horrors, (Ronnette), and many more. She has had the opportunity to choreograph for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Theatre Company, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, and several community theatres in her area. She has also had the pleasure to direct shows such as Newsies (YMTC) and Heathers (UMASS Dartmouth). Tiffany works with New Bedford Festival Theatre as a directing intern and is also the NBFT’s Administrative Assistant.
Jo Patrick - Master Class Instructor, Musical Theater Dance
Jo graduated from The Baltimore School For The Arts, and performed at King’s Dominion, Opryland, and Walt Disney World. In 1985 he became a principal dancer with the international renowned Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for 15 years. Jo was a lead singer/dancer in the 1st National Tour of Fosse, and a featured performer in A New Day starring Celine Dion at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. His Regional Theatre credits include: Cats (Mistoffelees), Brigadoon (Harry Beaton), Carousel, Oklahoma (Dream Curly), and countless other productions. Jo also traveled the world for 4 years as a guest entertainer for Princess Cruises. He directed and choreographed productions of West Side Story and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying at the Conservatory for the Performing Arts in Jupiter, Florida. In 2017, he choreographed Young Frankenstein for Super Summer Theatre at Spring Mountain Ranch. He's been teaching Fosse workshops all over the US and here in Las Vegas for Cirque Du Soleil shows “O”, Zarkana, and “KA”. He is currently a certified BeMoved instructor as well.
Dawn O'Connor - Master Class Instructor, Technical
Dawn has been working in the technical side of theater for the past twenty years as a stage manager and producer. Some of her favorite regional theater credits include Hello Dolly!, Carnival!, Diary of Anne Frank, A Midsummer Night's Dream (Paper Mill Playhouse), Hamlet (McCarter Theatre) Pirates of Penzance (Goodspeed Musicals), Miracle on 34th Street the Musical, Hairspray, and many others. She also worked on the Samuel French Off Broadway Play Festival, and the Goodspeed Annual Festival of New Musicals 2007-2010 where she worked with upcoming Broadway playwrights and students from The Hartt School at Univ. of Hartford and The Boston Conservatory. Dawn has also worked for Royal Caribbean Cruises Live Show & Entertainment division, and has assisted in producing many corporate theatrical events including NYC Fashion Week. Currently, Dawn is an evaluator for Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards, a statewide competition of NJ high school musicals. She holds an MFA in Theater and Stage Management from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, a BA in English Literature from Montclair State University, and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.
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