“All The World’s A Stage”- Shakespeare

Aspiring actors and actresses come to New York City to make their dreams come true every day. There are a host of neighborhood theater classes, acting programs and Improv studios targeted for teens and young adults. But, the love of art and theater starts in childhood. Having young children of our own who participate in various activities within the downtown Manhattan community, we noticed a gap in the market for theater. We created Spotlight Kids NY to give our youngest new yorkers the opportunity to create, build, and perform in a real, on stage theater show.

Backstage Crew

TAMRYN SHAMI | Co-founder / Operations / Customer Relations

Graduating from F.I.T. in 2001 with a BA in fashion management, Tamryn has had the amazing opportunity to work and travel across the globe to design and develop for top fashion retailers. Throughout her career, she participated in retail forums to share her knowledge of fashion and business.

In 2013, Tamryn and her husband welcomed their twins. And in 2018, welcomed a new baby girl. To keep up in the industry, she started teaching at a local university. Tamryn’s teaching experience was rewarding in that she loved to share in her fashion experience and expertise to the next generation. Tamryn’s love for community & passion for creativity still comes through in various ways as she participates in the community and within her children’s school. Tamryn’s desire to foster her own children’s talents is really what inspired her to bring Spotlight Kids NY to the downtown neighborhood.

DANIELLE BURAKOVSKY | Co-Founder / Creative Director

Receiving her MFA in Costume Design from Tulane University. Danielle has worked on various projects in Fashion, TV, Film, and Theater, which included Law & Order SVU, She’s Funny That Way and Vinyl. She also had the amazing opportunity to work as an assistant costume designer for the TV Series, Gotham for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2015.

Danielle’s love of theater began when she was a young child. Now that she and her husband are raising their two small children in downtown Manhattan, she wanted to give NYC kids like hers a glimpse of how creativity and passion can truly start at any age. She is thrilled to bring Spotlight Kids NY to the community she and her family have grown to love.

Meet Our Staff

LAUREN CAMP | Program Director / Lead Teaching Artist / Dance Artist

Lauren Camp received her BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase College with an emphasis in Choreography. Lauren has choreographed for NYU/Atlantic Theater’s Spring Awakening, Scandinavian American Theater Company’s Bastards of Strindberg, Lucy Moses’ Summer Musical Theater Workshop and Utah Festival Opera’s Seussical the Musical. She co-founded MADArt Creative, a collaborative performing arts company where she choreographed four evening-length modern dance pieces for the company. She currently dances with Yoo and Dancers and The LM Project and teaches for the Vanderbilt YMCA, Central Park Dance Academy, and the Lucy Moses School. She is excited to join the Spotlight Kids family!

SARAH BARTLEY | Talent Director Teaching Artist / Vocal Artist

Sarah Bartley moved to NYC when she was 18 to pursue her dreams of acting. Sarah recently graduated from The New School For Drama with a BFA in acting, where she spent 4 years perfecting her craft and engaging her community through art. During her time at The New School, she was a teaching artist at Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education focusing on acting and body positivity. She has been involved in theatre since she was young, and has dabbled in directing and writing as well.

Sarah has joined Spotlightkids NY, to continue on the path of giving the young children of downtown Manhattan a glimpse of what art and theater are truly all about. She’s excited to come on board in 2019, and be in the Spotlight.

QUINN CORCORAN | Music Director / Teaching Artist

Quinn Corcoran is originally from Pennsylvania, where he grew up performing in theatre from a young age. He moved to New York to pursue his passion of performing and graduated from Pace University in downtown Manhattan with a BA in Acting together under the International Performance Ensemble. His journey has taken him to schools and universities across the country where he has engaged young people with educational theatre. He has even performed in Bangkok, Thailand! His first love, though, was always singing and music! Besides being an instrumentalist and music director, he is also a director, a playwright, and a composer.

Quinn is excited to be joining the Spotlight team to help inspire the creativity and curiosity of children through the magical world of theatre!

STEPHEN MICHAEL RONDEL | Lead Teaching Artist

Stephen is an actor, teacher, director, producer and all around “theater fanatic” living in New York City for 24 years now. He has been teaching theater arts for over three decades. Originally from the West Coast, he has a B.A. in Theater Arts & Interdisciplinary Child Development from Western Washington University. Creator, Founder and Producing Artistic Director of The New Acting Company; a not-for-profit theater company in New York City for all ages since 2000. Creator, Founder & Owner of The Celebration Of Whimsy Theater (a.k.a the C.O.W.) on the Lower East Side from 2012-2016. Favorite roles include Baby Marvin in The Mad World of Miss Hathaway (Wild Project-NYC), Mr. Beaman & Sister Coco Callmeishmael in The Tragic & Horrible Life of The Singing Nun (New York Musical Theater Festival), Queen Aggravain in Once Upon A Mattress (The New Acting Company-NYC), Boo Radley in To Kill A Mockingbird (Northwest Children’s Theater) and Olf in Incorruptible (Artist Repertory Theater-Portland
Oregon).

OMARI CHANCELLOR | Lead Teaching Artist

Omari Chancellor is an actor and writer from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Omari received their MFA in Theater from NYU’s Graduate Acting Program. Omari enjoys helping young actors sharpen their skills while generating work that has an overwhelming sense of looseness and play. As an actor and performer his work has appeared at UCB Los Angeles, MCC Theater, and various plays at the Williamstown Theater Festival. As a writer, his prose and film content have been featured in SoftPunk Magazine, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and American Chordata. Passionate about working with kids, Omari is excited to join the Spotlight team and aid in helping grow the next generation of young theater makers!

GEORGIA KATE COHEN | Dance Artist

Georgia Kate Cohen is an actor who was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a B.A. in theatre and psychology. She has performed at HB Playwrights Theatre, Theatre Row, The Tank, Dixon Place, Vineyard Theatre, and The Flea Theater—where she most recently appeared in the world premiere of Taylor Mac’s The Fre. Georgia has participated in the 24 Hour Plays: Nationals (2019) and the Williamstown Theatre Festival as an Apprentice (2017). She has studied at Stella Adler Studio, Atlantic Acting School, and HB Studio. Georgia trained in classical ballet at the School of American Ballet, Studio Maestro, and graduated from high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Georgia is excited to share her love of theatre, dance, and improvisation with Spotlight!

ASATA SPEARS | Assistant Teaching Artist

Asata Spears is a student and performer from Upstate NY but currently based in NYC. She is a senior at New York University studying Early Childhood Education/Special Education and Educational Theatre. Asata has worked in numerous NYC classrooms integrating the arts and her passion for theatre into educational curriculum throughout her time in undergrad so far. She enjoys all aspects of theatre and continues to learn and teach as she grows as an artist and educator. Asata has assisted with Spotlight Kids NY in the past and is excited to become more involved in the studio and join the Spotlight family!

Our Stage

Located in downtown Manhattan, Tribeca

104 Reade St. Basement Floor

New York, NY 10013