Stage One offers its students the chance to meet, learn and
work with a plethora of talented instructors from around the DC metro area.
From vocalists to dancers to actors and directors, Stage One will help you
forge strong and personable connections with the instructors you will be
working with during the program. Here are a few bits of interesting background
on the core faculty behind StageOne 2026.
- Tracy Lynn Olivera (Voice Instructor): is an actor and instructor in the DC area. Signature performing credits include A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Assassins; Simply Sondheim; Signature Vinyl; A Little Night Music (Helen Hayes award); Titanic; The Fix; Gypsy; Company; Hello, Dolly! (Ford’s Theatre co-production); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas; Brother Russia; The Hollow; The Boy Detective Fails; Les Misérables (Fantine, Helen Hayes nomination); ACE; The Happy Time; Merrily We Roll Along (Helen Hayes nomination); Allegro (Helen Hayes nomination); Follies; Side Show; Sweeney Todd and countless concerts and cabarets. Tracy appeared on Broadway in the 2009 revival of Ragtime. In the DC area, she has performed in Ragtime (Ford’s Theatre and the Kennedy Center); Sunday in the Park with George (Kennedy Center); Passion (Kennedy Center); Merrily We Roll Along (Kennedy Center); Candide (The Shakespeare Theatre); Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre); 110 in the Shade (Ford’s Theatre—Helen Hayes Award); Meet John Doe (Ford’s Theatre); Shenandoah (Ford’s Theatre); Comedy of Errors (Folger’s); Closer Than Ever (MetroStage); The Last Five Years (MetroStage); Cinderella (Olney); On the Town (Olney); and Bachelorette (Studio Theatre). Additionally, she has performed at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago in Candide. She has taught at Signature, Adventure Theatre, BAPA and The Theatre Lab. Tracy received her training from Catholic University and is now an adjunct professor there in the musical theatre department and at American University as well.
- Ashleigh King (Dance Instructor): (she/her) is a Washington DC-based director, choreographer, actor, and teaching artist. Her National Tour credits include: Jenn Weber and MEP’s The Hip Hop Nutcracker. Her DC area credits include: Signature Theatre: HAIR; Ragtime; Which Way To The Stage (Helen Hayes Nomination); Hairspray; Dreamgirls; The Kennedy Center: Fovea. Ford’s Theater: Little Shop of Horrors; Grace (world premiere); Olney Theatre Center: Beautiful; World Goes ‘Round; Most Wonderful Time; Woolly Mammoth: Sentational Sea Minkettes; Teenage Dick; Fairview; Studio Theatre: Fun Home. Keegan Theatre: Seussical; Legally Blonde (Helen Hayes Award); The Full Monty; Solas Nua: Maz and Bricks; Labor Heritage Foundation: Working the Musical; Adventure Theater MTC: Make Way for Ducklings (world premiere); Big River; Alexander and the Terrible...; Artscentric: Smokey Joe’s; JMU: Head Over Heels; MCC SDT: Little Women. Regional credits include: Northern Stage: ‘Bov Water (world premiere); Spring Awakening; Spamalot; Huntington Stage: Teenage Dick; Virginia Rep: Mamma Mia (RTCC Award). Imagination Stage: Year with Frog and Toad (Helen Hayes nom); Nate the Great; Adventure Theater MTC: Junie B. Jones; Charlie Brown; Make Way for Ducklings; Big River; Alexander and the Terrible…
- Elisa Rosman (Accompanist/Music Director): is
a local music director and accompanist and is always happy to be back with
Stage One! Her credits include: Keegan Theater: Falsettos;
The Bridges of Madison County; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Adventure
Theater: Freckleface Strawberry; Lightning Thief; Knufflebunny;
Junie B. Jones; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; NextStop/Elden
Street: Little Women; Ordinary Days; Matilda; Singing in the Rain;
[title of show]; Godspell; A Grand Night for Singing; Urinetown; Catch Me if
You Can; City of Angels; Into the Woods; Caroline, or Change; Passion;
Falsettos; Side Show; Suburb; Creative Cauldron: Snapshots, The
Sondheim Revue; Into the Woods; Disenchanted; Thunder Knocking on the
Door; CUA: Anything Goes and Next to
Normal; Imagination Stage: Cinderella; WSC Avant
Bard: Visible Language; and MetroStage: A Broadway
Christmas Carol.
Elisa frequently accompanies classes, camps and
cabarets around town.
- David Zobell (Acting Instructor): David is Signature Theatre's Education Director, a Las Vegas native and a graduate of Brigham Young University. As Director of Education, David has directed thirteen Signature in the Schools premieres, directed joint productions with Arlington Public Schools and produced the Signature in the Schools 20th Anniversary festival. He has taught extensively with Signature Theatre, Adventure Theatre-MTC, The Rainbow Company, Arlington County Public Schools Adult Education and Brigham Young University.
- Matt Strote (Acting Instructor): Matt, Signature Theatre's Education Program Manager, is a DC-area educator, actor, director, writer, dramaturg and native. He studied at the University of Maryland, College Park. Matt has taught around the area at such places as Signature Theatre, Arlington County Public Schools, Washington Improv Theatre, The Studio Theatre, ArtStream, The Space and Montgomery County Parks and Recreation.
- Sierra Lockrem (Acting Instructor) Sierra Lockrem, Signature's Assistant Education Program Manager, earned her degree in Theatre Education from Ball State University. Since then, she's worked as a director, teaching artist, and stage manager for various theatres and schools in the D.C. area. Outside of Signature, Sierra is the owner and founder of STARS Performing Arts, and educational theatre production company for advanced theatre artists.
