
Brave and Strong and True
Interviews with alumni of Upper Darby Summer Stage.
Episodes
80 episodes
Allie Steele 50th Anniversary Administrator
Allie Steele comes from Radnor. She joined Summer Stage in 2000. She worked her way up the ranks from Rising Stars, Children Theatre, Mainstage, and staff, before settling into the role of Stage Manager. She is a graduate of Saint Jose...
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Season 3
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Episode 80
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1:15:21

Jack McDonnell
Jack McDonnell is a Springfield native who began as a Rising Star in 2009. In 2010, he started his Children’s Theatre career. This summer, he will continue along with the Mainstage program. Jack embodies the spirit of Summer Stage as he shar...
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Season 3
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Episode 79
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1:10:17

Tim Sweeney
Tim Sweeney remembers riding bikes to Summer Stage with his brothers and sisters from the Aronomink section of Drexel Hill. At one time there were four Sweeney’s at Summer Stage: Kate, Joe, Mike, and Tim. Tim fondly remembers meeting folks w...
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Season 3
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Episode 78
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55:39

David Cregan
David Cregan came to Summer Stage in 1982 after his freshman year at Bonner. He fondly remembers Nancy Santamaria influencing his love of dancing, claiming that West Side Story was a remarkable experience. He wen...
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Season 3
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Episode 77
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1:05:47

Dan Bradley
Danny Bradley joined Summer Stage just before his eleventh birthday. He remembers taking Nancy Sanatmaria’s dance class and joining the cast of Nancy’s Children’s Theatre production of The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore
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Season 3
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Episode 76
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52:49

Sarah Mackus
Sarah Mackus came to Summer Stage after her first year at Temple University. Since then she has performed in Mainstage shows while working on the staff. Sarah has spent the last eight summers on the marketing team and became the Media Manage...
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Season 3
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Episode 75
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39:46

Jeff Boudwin
Jeff Boadwin joined Summer Stage when he was 13 years old. The opportunity to perform onstage was a dream for a blind person. The artistic staff adapted their methods so Jeff could act, sing, and dance in several Children’s Theatre productio...
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Season 3
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Episode 74
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26:40

Bridget Fitzgerald Sirovetz
Bridget Fitzgerald commuted to Summer Stage from Boothwyn. Her Children’s Theatre credits include the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz and the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. ...
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Season 3
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Episode 73
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56:10

Jim McIlhenney
Jim McIlhenney joined Summer Stage in 1978 and found a home as a techie. He loved working backstage creating scenery and working up in the booth during live shows. He credits his good friend Joe Bader for convincing him to try out for ...
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Season 3
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Episode 72
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55:36

Amanda Snarski
Amanda Snarski joined Summer Stage as an apprentice in 1995 and proudly performed in several "T-shirt shows" (among others) until 2001. Amanda participated in Mainstage, One Acts, Cabaret, Dance Troupe, and Shooting Stars and worked as...
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Season 3
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Episode 71
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1:07:56

A Message from Bob Plus an Encore Presentation of Jackie Ostick
Hello, everybody. I’m Bob Falkenstein. I’m sorry if you thought you would hear a new episode of Brave and Strong and True. The show has been going strong for two years. This marks the second episode of its third season...
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Season 3
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Episode 70
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39:42

Vince Leonard
Vince Leonard has a different Summer Stage journey from the rest of us. His genius spans many realms in the world of professional music as an educator, orchestrator, librarian, and arranger. In 1981, he heard Summer Stage was preparing <...
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Season 3
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Episode 69
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1:23:53

Jason Boyer
Jason Boyer is a second-generation Summer Stager. His journey begins with Children’s Theatre from 2007 to 2010. His first Main Stage performance was in 2011’s Titanic. In 2014, he became a staff member. This summer, Ja...
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Season 2
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Episode 68
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57:39

Kristen Gibson
Kristen Gibson joined the Summer Stage Apprentice program in 1991. She has fond memories of 1994’s Kids on Broadway, working with the legendary Matt Cloran and Dewy Oriente. As a child, she struggled with serious...
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Season 2
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Episode 67
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29:38

Patrick Gorman
Patrick Gorman became an official member of Summer Stage in 1980 but remembers hanging around earlier summers with his sister, Chris, and her husband, Dennis Bloh. Pat embraced the technical side of theatre and preferred to work backstage an...
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Season 2
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Episode 66
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50:31

Leslie Monaco
Leslie Monaco is a current Upper Darby Summer Stage member looking forward to participating for four more years. She joined the program as a Rising Star and then an Apprentice. Leslie moved into the Children’s Theatre program when she turned...
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Season 2
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Episode 65
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34:13

Tyler Trafficante
Tyler Trafficante joined Summer Stage in 2009 as a Rising Star. He hung around for five summers, performing in the Children’s Theatre program. As an adult, Tyler plays tenor saxophone with the Polish American String Band, of the Philadelphia...
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Season 2
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Episode 64
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29:01

Emily Moylan
Havertown native Emily Moylan began her Summer Stage journey as an apprentice. She moved her way up through Children’s Theatre and Mainstage productions. As her skills accrued, she held various staff positions. After receiving a degree from ...
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Season 2
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Episode 63
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1:04:41

Marcie (Thurstlic) Bramucci
Marcie (Turstlick) Bramucci remembers the initial impact Summer Stage had on her life as she experienced a 1987 performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She joined the program when she was age-eligi...
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Season 2
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Episode 62
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1:03:40

Gerri Smith Weagraff
Gerri Smith Weagraff is “Old Guard” Summer Stage. Her wonderful portrayals of classic musical theatre characters remain treasured in our memories. From 1977 to 1980, Summer Stage was the only place where Gerri performed. It was where she spe...
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Season 2
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Episode 61
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1:03:00

Steve Smith
I interviewed Steve Smith during our recent Christmas break since we are both teachers. He grew up in Highland Park and went to Bonner. Steve joined Summer Stage in 1981 when he turned eleven and thrived in the Children’s Theatre program. He...
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Season 2
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Episode 60
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55:15

Sandi Kinnear Chadwick
Collingdale native Sandi Kinnear’s Summer Stage history began in 1978 when she played clarinet in the pit orchestra for Of Thee I Sing when she was 13. Her reedsmanship also included playin...
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Season 2
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Episode 59
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55:10

Colleen Corbett Lester
Colleen Corbett got the theatre bug while attending Arch Bishop Prendergast High School. She joined Summer Stage in 1982 and made quite a debut playing the Wicked Witch in Snow White. Acting became her strength as she practiced her cra...
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Season 2
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Episode 58
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1:08:46
