Meet our Teaching Artists!
Maura Cook
Maura is an actor, singer, poet, teacher, director and ghostwriter. She performed with various theater companies in Milwaukee before moving to the Chicago area, and favorite past roles include Susan in Wait Until Dark and Hermione/Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale. She directed Hypotheticals with Kith and Kin Theatre and a virtual production of Dear Brutus during the pandemic. She has an educational podcast, Don’t Read Shakespeare Alone, available on Apple Music and Spotify. Much love to her hubby, family, and kitty. “And all my fortunes at Thy foot I’ll lay, and follow Thee my Lord throughout the world.”
Molly Kempfer
Molly is a local actor, educator, and director who delights in passing on her passion for theatre to the next generation. She has worked with companies such as Forward Theatre Company, Children's Theatre of Madison, and Acacia Theatre. She is also an associate artist with Forte Theatre Company and is thrilled to be joining their education team.
Sandra Lash
Sandra graduated from UW-Milwaukee in 2010 with a B.A. in Music, focusing on operatic voice. Her performance career as a soloist and chorister spans a vast number of groups and program collaborations including The Florentine Opera, Skylight Music Theatre, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and many others. Favorite roles include Dame Hannah in Ruddigore (Skylight/MOT) and Chorn in Firebringer (Hi-Five Studio Arts). Currently, she is the Vocal Coach for the Ronald Reagan High School choirs, Music Director for Cristo Rey High School, Teaching Artist for Character Kids, section leader/soloist for Bel Canto Chorus, and a freelance musician in the greater Milwaukee area.
George Lorimer
George is a Milwaukee based actor, producer, and theatre educator. Previously, he has worked with Milwaukee Rep (A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TITANIC, AS YOU LIKE IT), Door Shakespeare (ROMEO AND JULIET, EMMA), The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio (RIDE THE CYCLONE), Optimist Theatre (MUCH ADO, TAMING OF THE SHREW), Skylight Music Theatre (JULIET AND ROMEO), Summit Players Theatre (MUCH ADO, MACBETH), Forte Theatre Company (INTO THE WOODS), and Vanguard Milwaukee (LUNGS). As an educator, he has worked with Milwaukee Rep, First Stage, and Door Shakespeare's Camp Will. He holds his Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre and Music from the College of Wooster.
Nicole Magnusson
Nicole is an accomplished stage combat instructor and fight director with a passion for story-forward, collaborative theatrical violence. Nicole has taught unarmed and weapon-based combat across a wide range of educational and theatrical settings from high schools and universities to professional workshops and youth theatre programs.
Tom A. Martin
Tom is a seasoned character actor with extensive experience across film, television, and stage productions. With credits spanning from Steven Bochco's "City Of Angels" to independent films like "My Father Has a Choice" and "In The Elephant Room," Tom has demonstrated his versatility in both dramatic and comedic roles. His theatrical background includes memorable performances in classics such as "Death of a Salesman" (Howard Wagner), "Into The Woods" (Cinderella's Father), and "Spamalot" (God/Tim/Ensemble). As a teacher, he coached acting and improv with a private acting studio and has been teaching Improv for Seniors for the last 3 years.
Megan Miller
Megan has been a Character Kids teaching artist for four years, bringing theater to life for young audiences. She was also the Children’s Theater Director for Catholic Memorial High School’s winter musicals for 7 years and has performed herself throughout the Milwaukee area with Forte Theatre Company, Sunset Playhouse, and Waukesha Civic Theatre and more. Megan is passionate about using storytelling, character work, and play to spark creativity and confidence in children both onstage and in the classroom.
Hope Riesterer
Hope Riesterer trained with Milwaukee Ballet and First Stage’s Young Company before earning her BFA in Musical Theatre and Dance minor from UW-Milwaukee. She’s performed professionally and choreographed for theatre, competitive dance, and schools. After years of teaching and gigging, she’s thrilled to call Forte Theatre School her artistic home.
Vanessa Schroeder-Weber
Celebrated for her “beautiful, versatile voice” and “dominating stage prowess”, Vanessa is an accomplished music theatre performer and music director. Her ability to sing in styles ranging from popular music to musical theatre standards to classical repertoire make her a force to be reckoned with. She holds a BA from Carthage College in Music Theatre (2009) and a MM in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (2018).