Lou Fazzini

Founder/Executive Director; Teaching Artist

Lou received his Master of Arts in Theatre Arts, with a specialization in Drama/Theatre for the Young from Eastern Michigan University.

He has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Theatre Arts Department at Macomb College and is the director for the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts (MCPA) summer drama workshop program. He has developed numerous arts and education partnerships throughout the region and is the director of the Educational Award-winning “Acting Out” partnership with the MISD, Maple Lane Elementary School, and Rockwell Junior High School. He was responsible for the development of the Therapeutic Drama program with the Macomb County Juvenile Court and Juvenile Justice Center, and the Macomb County Department of Mental Health's turn-around program. He was the Macomb County coordinator for United Way's Literacy initiative Operation ABC and was a 2008 ATHENA Award finalist for his work with at-risk youth. 

Lou is a retired United States Probation/Parole Agent for the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, and received his M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Detroit.

Erin VanGemert

Associate Director; Choreographer; Teaching Artist

Erin VanGemert is originally from Warren, Michigan. She graduated from Sterling Heights High School (WCSPA/Thespian Troupe #1000), and continued on to earn a BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University in 2004.  She then worked professionally in regional theaters across the country, as well as with Holland America Cruise Lines as a lead female production singer-all alongside her amazing husband, Michael!  She now resides in Oxford, and has worked with ATWAS since 2015.  Favorite credits include White Christmas (Betty Haynes), Singin' in the Rain (Kathy Seldon), The Sound of Music (Elsa Schraeder), Cabaret (Rosie/Understudy Sally), Smokey Joe's Cafe (Delee), and the All the World's a Stage production of Disney's Descendants (Maleficent)!

Pat Caporuscio

Contracted Teaching Artist

Pat Caporuscio is a Detroit actor that works in Theatre, Film,  Voiceovers, and Improv performance. He studied acting at the University of Detroit, The Second City, Planet Ant, and The Dramatic Arts Studio. He has co-starred with Tim Allen in the short film Take a Drink, played Father Mark in Tony N Tina's Wedding, and was in Flanagan’s Wake as Flanagan. He recently was cast by Facebook, which involved travel to Hollywood to be filmed as an expert for classic cars, and is a cast member of the Amazon Prime series WRNG TV and a regular on the podcast Pristine Peninsula.

Edward Darayni

Contracted Teaching Artist

Edward received his BFA in Acting from the University of Windsor, and brings to ATWAS a wealth of professional experience that includes being the Associate Director and Resident Teaching Artist of the Stratford Festival’s Education Department. In addition, he was an actor in the Stratford Festival’s Acting Company, and an Assistant Director of Stratford’s Acting Company. He has served as Associate Professor and Guest Director at Michigan State University, is the Director of Stratford's El Salvador theatre project, and has played a significant role in the World Festival of Children’s Theatre.

Devon Glover

Contracted Artist

Devon is a rap artist, known for setting Shakespeare’s love Sonnets to hip hop, making Shakespeare exciting and fun. He has worked with ATWAS previously through our partnership with the Stratford Festival’s Education program, where he is a contracted teaching artist. Through hip hop he delivers sonnets as originally written, then breaks them down into spoken word and embodies the richness of Shakespeare’s language. 

Lisa Dobbin

Artistic Director; Teaching Artist

Lisa began working with All The World’s A Stage as the Business Director and a staff artist in 2002, and in 2007 assumed her current position of Artistic/Educational Director. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance and Psychology from Western Michigan University in 1998 and was awarded her Master of Arts in Psychology (Applied Behavioral Analysis with a specialization in Organizational Behavioral Management) from Western Michigan University in 2000. As the Artistic/Education Director of ATWAS, Lisa has been responsible for the development and implementation of a myriad of theatre arts education programs for youth. The core of these programs is to teach theatre as an art form and expose young children to the arts. Combining both of Lisa’s passions, theatre and psychology, she is responsible for creating some of All The World’s A Stage’s more unique programs with under-served and at-risk populations.

In 2019, Lisa received a “Distinguished Alumni Award”  for Arts Education from Western Michigan University’s College of Fine Arts. Under Lisa’s leadership and direction, All The World’s A Stage received an Educational Excellence Award from The Council for Exceptional Children and the Michigan Legislative body. She is also a proud member of the “Michigan Members of the Stratford Festival Executive Committee”. 

Mary Kay Hake

Associate Director; Acting Coach; Teaching Artist

Mary Kay received a B.A. in Theatre from Western Michigan University and an M. A. in Theatre Arts from Wayne State University. She joined the ATWAS staff in August 2008 after serving four years as head of the Theatre Department at the Arts Academy in The Woods. Mary Kay is also a former adjunct theatre instructor at Macomb Community College.

Marisa Nahas

Contracted Teaching Artist

Marisa is a former All the World’s A Stage student of six years and a 2020 graduate of Elon University in North Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Theatre. During her time at Elon, she studied acting, dance, and voice in a program with a unique emphasis on contemporary vocal stylings such as jazz, rock, r&b, country & more. Since graduating in May of 2020, Marisa has become a client of HCKR Agency in New York City and is passionately pursuing theatre and film acting. 

During the recent pandemic, when her career plans took a detour, she decided to throw her hat into the ring of songwriting and music production. She recently released her debut EP ‘Look at All the Lights’ to digital music platforms and continues to write and release new material. Marisa is also a private voice coach for students of all ages and skill levels and offers one on one piano and music theory lessons for beginners.

Jennifer Ann Wilson

Contracted Teaching Artist

All The World’s A Stage is always thrilled to have former student and current WXYZ-TV Assignment Reporter, Jennifer Ann Wilson return to teach.  Jennifer was a member of the ATWAS (formerly Macomb Jr. Players) Acting Company, and an integral component of our performance season at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. 

Upon graduating from high school, she attended Northern Illinois University and received a degree in Theatre. With a comprehensive background that includes stage, movie, and television experiences, Jennifer eventually pursued a career in journalism, with professional stints in Green Bay, Washington State, and Minneapolis. She eventually relocated to the Detroit area, where she continues her duties as a Freelance General Assignment reporter with WXYZ-TV channel 7. 

Michael VanGemert
Contracted Teaching Artist

Michael received his BFA in Music Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University in 2004. He, like his wife Erin (our Associate Director & Choreographer), has worked professionally in regional theaters across the country, as well as with Holland America Cruise Lines as a lead male production singer. Michael now resides in Oxford, and continues to teach and perform where and when the opportunities are present. Favorite credits include Singin' in the Rain (Don Lockwood), The Drowsy Chaperone (Robert), and The Wedding Singer (Glen Guglia).