Director Cindy Simell-Devoe
Cindy Simell-Devoe has worked as the Assistant Director at Act 2 Theatre on the Albertus Magnus College campus under the direction of Albert DeFabio for 12 years. Her tenure there included such productions as Evita, Guys and Dolls, Company, Pippin and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Other shows have included Little Shop of Horrors, Camelot, Anything Goes, Godspell, Runaways, The Wiz, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story and Cabaret. Cindy directed student productions of Vanities, Same Time Next Year and Bleacher Bums.
Cindy directed the Whitney Players premier production of Damn Yankees in 2003, followed by Anything Goes, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Odd Couple (Female Version). High School Musical, Beauty and the Beast, The Magical Land of Oz, Back To the 80's: The Totally Awesome Musical, Seussical Jr., Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, Godspell, Annie and most recently Pippin and Disney's The Jungle Book Kids. In keeping with the educational mission of the company, she has conducted nine acting workshops, each involving more than two dozen young people in intensive drama coaching through the production of small, one act plays, monologues, theater games and cooking.
She has also directed Guys and Dolls Jr, and Footloose at the High Lane Club as well as The Magical Land of Oz at West Woods School in Hamden with a cast and crew of over 180 children, and The Jungle Book for North Haven's Ridge Road School.
Choreographer Joan Christensen
Joan Christensen has been the owner and director of Joni's Dance Center in Hamden for 23 years. She has taught dance for the last 40 years. She has and continues her studies locally and in New York.
Joni has choreographed many shows including Guys and Dolls Jr. and Footloose at the High Lane Club. She has also choreographed The Magical Land of Oz at West Woods School in Hamden in the spring of 2002 and assisted the choreographer for North Branford High School's productions of Grease and Jesus Christ Superstar. She has choreographed all of the Whitney Players productions including Damn Yankees, Anything Goes, The Wiz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, High School Musical, Beauty and the Beast, The Magical Land of Oz, Back to the 80's and Seussical Jr.
Her students, the Joan Lynn Company Dancers, have performed at numerous benefits and community events including the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, numerous nursing homes, and benefits for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the March of Dimes. Her company also performed in the Gal-Mar benefit to keep teens off the street.
Musical Director Judy Webber
In 2001, after 38 years as a high school teacher and band and choir director, Judy left education to pursue her life long love of musical theater. This is Judy's third time music directing the Whitney Players, previously directing Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka and Annie. She has also musical directed productions for the Ivoryton Playhouse, Connecticut Theater Guild, Orange Players, Guilford High School, East Haven High School, East Haven Academy, Shoreline Youth Theater, Cheshire Youth Theater, Rocky Hill Players, and Rocky Hill High School.
