Harriton Theater coaches are drawn from Philadelphia’s theater community and provide coaching for performance, technical, and business aspects of theater.
Mary Fishburne: Director
Mary Fishburne is thrilled to join the HTC family! She has recently moved to the Philadelphia area (Narberth) with her family. Before that, she was in Charleston, SC where she founded the educational branch of the Village Repertory Playhouse and directed/musically directed/choreographed three shows a year for their teenage/advanced group. Favorite shows include RENT, Addams Family, 13, Rock of Ages, Urinetown, Footloose, Aida, Bring it On, Seussical, and dozens of others. As an actor, Fishburne has worked throughout the country and in New York performing in musicals and plays. Favorite credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Pippin, Little Shop of Horrors, Lungs, Snow Queen (The Arden) and Once (The Arden, where she first met former HTC director Neill Hartley). Administratively, Mary worked at the York Theatre in New York, an off-Broadway company, as well as Footlight Players in Charleston, SC. As a composer/lyricist/playwright, Fishburne has written a musical, Boundless, that is being performed at high schools throughout the country this fall (Douglas Anderson Performing Arts, South Carolina Governor’s School of the Arts, and South Pointe High School) with an upcoming spring workshop in NYC. Mary holds a B.A. from Vanderbilt University with a double major in Vocal Performance and Human Organizational Development and a Masters (M.A.) from Temple University in Musical Theatre Studies.
To learn more, visit www.maryfishburne.com and www.boundlessthemusical.com
Michael Fortna: Director
Michael is excited to be working with Harriton Theater and the amazingly talented group of students. Michael is a professional stage manager and educator who recently moved to the area from New York City and lives with his husband Jared, son Mason and dog Pippin. He spent over 10 years working with companies in New York City and around the country including: Syracuse Stage, New York Classical Theatre, Atlantic Theatre Company, Fort Worth Opera, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Ogunquit Playhouse, Classic Stage Company, Carnegie Hall and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, just to name a few. Michael has had the pleasure to work with some of the theatre greats including Chita Rivera, Kathleen Turner, Jerry Mitchell, Harvey Fierstein, Joel Grey, Tim Rice, and Joshua Bell. Some favorite productions include: Peter Pan, Heathers, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, From Here To Eternity, Sweeney Todd, and A Little Night Music. Originally from Syracuse, New York, Michael is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is currently pursuing his degree in Education at Eastern University.
Chris Busza: Technical Director
This is Chris’ first year as the Tech Director for Harriton Theater Company, and he is excited to bring fresh energy and enthusiasm to the production. While new to theater tech, Chris has been involved behind the scenes in his sons’ local productions, including UD Summer Stage. A teacher in LMSD for 25 years, Chris is an avid DIYer with a knack for problem-solving, and has both the tools and the know-how to support the incredibly talented students working behind the curtain. He is eager to collaborate, learn, and ensure that the technical aspects of the show enhance the overall experience, helping to make this production a success.
Jeff Smith: Music Director
Jeff is very excited to work with HTC’s cast on their musicals! He has music directed and/or performed in the pit orchestra for theatre companies all around the Delaware Valley, including PCS Theater, Media Theater, Footlighters Theatre, Penn Players (University of Pennsylvania), and the Lower Merion and Lower Moreland school districts. Favorite past productions include Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof, Newsies, Legally Blonde, Once on this Island, RENT, Godspell, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder. Jeff is currently working on original music for an upcoming production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream set at Woodstock. He has served as a Staff Accompanist for the musical theatre program at Rider University and has played close to 300 gigs with his jazz combo (www.jazz180.com). Jeff serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for Theatre Horizon, a professional not-for-profit theatre company in Norristown.