Meet the Owners:

 

Jeff Van Paris (Director /Choreographer /Co-Owner) is an Encore Award winning director, and has been directing and choreographing throughout Indiana for over 35 years.  He has experience directing and choreographing numerous community theatre productions, as well as high school musicals, and show choirs. Jeff has performed in numerous community theater productions, as well as professional shows.  He has performed at the Round Barn Theater in Nappanee, Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, and in “A Yuletide Celebration” with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for twelve seasons.  Favorite roles include “Harold Hill”/The Music Man, “The Scarecrow”/Wizard of Oz, (Encore Award Winner), and “Rooster Hannigan”/Annie, (Encore Award Nominee).  Jeff is a retired 4th grade teacher, father to Alexandria and Dane, and husband to Jan.  He is very excited to be realizing his dream of owning and operating a musical theater school!

 

Jan Van Paris (Office Manager/Co-Owner) has been privileged to be around musical theater her whole life.  She spent her summers as a child, visiting Wagon Wheel Playhouse, and was a dancer and gymnast through high school and college. During college, she participated in several summer musicals.  After marrying Jeff, and having two children, she once again got involved as the rest of her family fell in love with theater.  She spent may years watching and supporting her husband and children in their various roles, until she took the plunge and started working back stage.  From pulling curtain, moving sets, running the light board, and pulling flies, to producing shows, she became familiar with a lot of the ‘behind the scenes” aspects.  Jan has taught elementary school for over twenty years, as well as managed her own business for ten years.  Now that her kids are on their own, she is thrilled to be embarking on this journey with her husband.