Dean Hiatt (Artistic Director) was born in Mt. Airy, NC and raised in Memphis, TN. He graduated from the
University of Memphis with a BFA in Theater Performance, and also studied for a year at the Dance Theater Workshop in
Chattanooga, TN. He performed with various regional theater companies, off-Broadway, Resorts International in Atlantic
City, was part of a traveling musical show, and lead singer in a club band. He gave up performing in the early 1980’s to
pursue ministry at the Rhema Bible School in Tulsa, OK. During and after Bible school, Dean was involved as leadership in
ex-gay ministry (he has since renounced those ministries and his work in them), and moved back to NYC where he became
Creative Arts Director at Christian Cultural Center in Queens, and worked as an executive/personal assistant for a number
of corporations (his favorite - a music entertainment law firm with clients including N’Sync, Salt-n-Pepa, INXS, Sanctuary
Records, Radio City Music Hall, etc.). He returned to performing as a resident actor in an Off-Broadway theater company,
as well as a member of its artistic board, from 1992-94. Some of his favorite roles include Lewis Brady in BUNKERS, Benny
Southstreet in GUYS AND DOLLS, Frederick in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Hysterium in A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, Oliver Webb in ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, James Anderson in SHENANDOAH, Thurio in TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, and Mortimer Brewster in ARSENIC AND OLD LACE. In July 2003, Dean contracted full-blown AIDS was admitted into a hospital with PCP pneumonia where he was put on life support and not expected to live (both lungs being inoperable). After a week and a half in a coma, he was taken off life support but experienced a miracle and pulled through. He was then expected to be in a rehabilitation hospital for 3-5 years, but through another miracle was out 10 months later. A year later he met his partner, Robby. They eventually purchased a house and moved to the Poconos where they currently reside with three Jack Russells (George, Geezer & Trixie) and a cat, Flash. He credits his second chance at life (“The first time around was a real bitch!”) to the grace of God from whom ALL of his blessings flow, and is also grateful for a second chance at “what I think I was born to do - perform”.
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John Schaff (Lighting & Sound Design) was born and raised in Jersey City, New
Jersey and moved to Allentown in 2006. He received a BA from Rutgers University, as well as studying TV production at
Montclair State University and earning a Certificate in Digital Film Making from New York University. John was lighting
designer for our premiere fundraiser in May, “MCCLV Presents…” He was director of lighting and scenic design for stage
productions of WIZARD OF OZ, CINDERELLA and BABE IN ARMS. John has also worked in independent and contract film productions
on NJ Public Television, the Odessey Network, the US State Department Web Site, and on the 2006 feature documentary, “Life
is a Dream in Cinema: Pola Negri”. He resides in Allentown with his wife, Normana, and their cat, Taz. They both attend
MCCLV, and they have two grown children, Deborah and Christiaan.
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Steven Rosenblum (Company Stage Manager) is a native of Long Island, New York, moving to Emmaus, PA in 2006
due to relocation of his job at Olympus as Operations Coordinator for their financial services department. Steven has always loved the theatre, and has worked behind
the scenes in numerous theatres in NYC, as well as at Civic Theater and PA Playhouse in Allentown - often ushering and operating lights. He has also operated lights
and sound for most of the Rainbow Players productions, as well as at MCCLV.
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Brian McDermott (Director of Advertising & Marketing) has been acting, directing and
writing for the stage since high school. He has had his plays produced at the Pennsylvania Playhouse (including his 2006 holiday play, Tidings), Theater Outlet,
Lebanon Community Theater and the York Little Theater (where he won the original play-writing competition two years in a row), as well as having stage readings of his
works in Maryland and Pennsylvania. His original play Say Uncle will be premiered at Rainbow Players at the end of their 2010-2011 season (directed by his very
talented friend Ralph Montesano) and his original musical Living In Vulgarville will open their 2011-2012 season. He has, to date, over 30 original plays in his
portfolio. As director he has directed several of his own one acts and served as assistant director on productions in upstate New York and at the Pennsylvania
Playhouse. As an actor he has appeared in productions in high school and college as well as productions at the Pennsylvania Playhouse (You Can't Take It With
You, Miracle, Carousel), the Main Street Theater (Six Degrees of Separation), and a Christmas production in upstate New York. Brian is
currently single and residing in the Metropolitan DC area of Virginia where he works in marketing for the United States Army (stop laughing) and is waiting to be
swept off his feet by Mr. Right!
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Michelle Heffner (Sound Tech) is a native of the Lehigh Valley and
a graduate of Parkland High School, Bloomsburg University, and the Penn State University Dickinson School of Law. She began
as sound tech for our very first show, “The Big Voice: God or Merman?” and has done sound for many other productions,
including “Their Town,” “Blue Sweater,” “Despicable People,” “Soiled,” “Vampires Lesbians of Sodom,” and “Say Uncle.” In
addition to her sound tech duties, she also volunteers as the website manager for the Rainbow Players. Michelle is currently
an attorney in Lehigh County and lives in Allentown with her partner, Kellie, and their fur babies, Miranda, Roe, and
Squishie.
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Erica Hoelscher (Costume Designer) received her MFA in stage design
with an emphasis in costume from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. She joined the faculty of Lehigh University in
1995. Erica’s costume designs have been seen on the stage of Shadowland Theatre, Ellenville, NY, the Neighborhood
Playhouse, Arden Theatre Company, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Theatre Outlet and Touchstone Theatre. Recent costume
design credits include MY WAY, A FRANK SINATRA REVIEW, Shadowland Theatre, LES BELLES SOUERS with Cedar Crest College’s
department of performing arts, Cedar Crest College’s Winter Solstice dance concert and THE CURSE OF THE STARVING CLASS at
the Theatre Outlet, Allentown. Erica is particularly interested in the social and behavioral function of costume from a
historical perspective. She has published a paper on clothing and behavior in seventeenth century France entitled "Splendor
and Wit; Costume and Society in the Age of Louis XIV, The Sun King (1654 - 1715)," which may be found at Clothesline - the
Online Journal of Costume and Dress:
http://www.clotheslinejournal.com/splendor.htm.
Erica teaches courses in theatrical design, fashion history, stage makeup, and costume technology. She currently lives in South Bethlehem with her two sons.
Erica saw an announcement about our company in the local newspaper and felt that she was supposed to be a part of this new
endeavor – at which point, she contacted Dean and was enthusiastically welcomed to join our new theater family.
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