Teaching Artist
Stephen Santa is an award-winning theater director and arts educator whose work has been seen across the United States and internationally. Stephen is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Jumping Jack Theater- a children’s theater production company that creates original sensory theater experiences for audiences with developmental disabilities and sensory sensitivities. He received the “Stand Out Moment” Award in 2019 from the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society for his work with the company. His favorite recent credits include Beautiful The Carole King Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and RENT which saw a 7-week sold-out run at the Omaha Community Playhouse, for which he is the former Artistic Director. Mamma Mia!, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Avenue Q, which were voted “Best Local Theater Production” by the Pittsburgh City Paper three years in a row. New York credits include Abduction: A New Musical Comedy for the New York Musical Festival (NYMF) which went on to receive a fully produced production in 2021. TEETH (concert presentation) by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson and UNCHARTED: The Music of Anna K. Jacobs, both at the famed Ars Nova Theater. Santa was the assistant director of the Flashdance National Tour, the North American premiere of The Monster in the Hall, and POP! A New Musical choreographed by Billy Porter at CITY Theatre, respectively. His critically acclaimed Dani Girl a New Musical production traveled to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, where it received multiple five-star reviews. Stephen is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and an associate member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. You can learn more about his work by visiting www.stephensanta.com
