Staff

Sherye Weisz – Executive/Artistic Director: Sherye has been involved in the arts and education for over thirty-five years.  Growing up in Providence, RI, Sherye took classes at Rhode Island School of Design, was a company member of the nationally known Looking Glass Theatre Company, played flute in state-wide groups and continued her creative pursuits at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York; Emerson College, Boston; and University of Calgary, Alberta. Sherye has been executive/artistic director of SMARTS since 1988. She was on the faculty of Lesley University, Cambridge, MA in the Creative Arts in Learning graduate program for 15 years and was president & artistic director of The UnCommon Theatre Company, a local regional children’s theatre, for 18 years. Sherye is also an educational consultant, providing regional school districts with long and short-term in-service programs that address strategies to enhance student learning through integrated arts curriculum and assessment design. She served on the Fine Arts Advisory Council to the Commissioner of Education for 6 years and was a member of the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education for many years. Sherye’s greatest joys come from her husband Jim of 37 years, her 3 children and her 2 grandchildren. 

Jennifer Van – Office Manager: Jennifer is a graphic designer who joined SMARTS in September 2004 as our creative administrative assistant who tracks enrollment and supplies, designs promotional material and keeps the wheels of progress moving.  

Donna Bellerose – Bookkeeper: Donna has been retired for six years after working in the treasurer’s office at the Attleboro City Hall for ten years.  Before that, Donna worked in the banking industry for over twenty years.  She joined the SMARTS administrative team in September 2004. Donna has been married to Wayne for thirty-five years, is an avid gardener and golfer and loves to spend time with her five grandchildren. 

Jennifer Nolan – Before & After Care: Jen is a recent graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She studied theatre education and is now actively pursuing a career doing just that.  She started attending SMARTS when she was 10 and returned for three years after that. The theatre inspired her and it helped her overcome a lot of her shyness.  She now hopes to give that gift back to students so that they can grow and flourish with the wonders of theatre.

Pete Tarsi – Creative Writing: Pete holds a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing and Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts. He is in his fifteenth year teaching physics at Attleboro High School, where he is also the after-school Drama Coach. During his time there, he has world premiered four of his own original plays. His one-act play "Tracks" has been published by the Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois--one of the three largest play catalogs in the country--and since coming out in print in September 2008 has been produced by over fifty high schools and community theatre groups in the United States and Canada. He has also penned numerous short stories, poems, and novellas. Pete has three beautiful daughters, all participating in the 2011 SMARTS Summer Institute.

Samantha Firestone – Creative Writing Assistant: Sammy has enjoyed SMARTS since she was in 6th grade and is now ready to dive into teaching at SMARTS. She is going into her senior year of high school and wants to continue taking all honor classes. She is very excited to continue being involved with the performing arts. Sammy was cast as Monroe in a children’s play called The Fabulous Fable Factory. It was one of her favorite acting experiences. Also, in her last year of the SMARTS senior drama program she wrote the play called Hope, which was performed for the parents. Now she is editing and fixing up the play in hopes it will get published. In that it’s her first time no longer being a student at SMARTS, Sammy is very excited to put her ideas into the program. 

 Jill Goodwin – Dance: Jill grew up in the dance world with her mom, Jean Wenzel, who was the very first SMARTS Summer dance teacher and a vital part of the senior program for 14 years. Jill studied dance while majoring in Education at Dean College. Jill says SMARTS was her favorite part of growing up having attended as a student for 7 summers. As a young dancer, Jill's formal dance training led her to earn several Gold metals at dance competitions around the region. She was fortunate to study with some of the area's best, including Nailah Bellinger, Joan Pallidino, and Jill Silverman. Jill also took master classes from tap dance greats like Gregory Hines and Savion Glover. Jill's teaching experience covers both dance and gymnastics. She is also a certified fitness professional. Jill currently teaches at Express Dance and Acrobatics in Milford. Jill is also the mom of two busy children who look forward to attending the SMARTS program again this summer. She is very excited to return to SMARTS and cannot wait to share her creativity and love for the performing arts!

Caitlyn Shepard - Dance Assistant: Caitlyn graduated from Attleboro high school and is now a junior at Dean College as a dance major. Caitlyn has been dancing for 19 years and participated for two years in the SMARTS junior program. Caitlyn is looking forward to returning to SMARTS as the dance assistant for the second time to share her love of dance. 

Madeline Phillips – Dance Assistant: Madeline is 19 years old. She is a freshman at Marymount Manhattan College where she majors in acting and may soon minor in creative writing. Madeline has been dancing for eight years and has taken classes in ballet, lyrical, jazz, and modern dance. She also attends the occasional contra dance and cannot wait to give swing dancing a try. Madeline is excited to join the SMARTS team and share her love for the arts with others.

Janet Lynn O’Hare – Drama: Janet is an actor, director, playwright and teacher. She earned her Master’s Degree in Theatre Education at Emerson College, Boston and in 2002 received a B.A. in Theatre-Fine Arts from St. Michael’s College, Vermont with a concentration in Musical Theatre and Directing. She spent four years professionally touring as an Actor/Director with the Missoula Children’s Theatre and is director of her own production company, “One Strong Voice”. Janet received an acting nomination for Best Female Lead by Motif Magazine and is a member of the Dramatist’s Guild. She was a teaching artist with the Huntington Theatre Company and has taught musical theatre with the Arlington Children’s Theatre and directed at the Boston Arts Academy and Boston College High School.

Jennifer Nolan –Drama Intern: Jen is a recent graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She studied theatre education and is now actively pursuing a career doing just that.  She started attending SMARTS when she was 10 and returned for three years after that. The theatre inspired her and it helped her overcome a lot of her shyness.  She now hopes to give that gift back to students so that they can grow and flourish with the wonders of theatre. 

Dorian Oberstein - Drama Assistant:  Dorian is a rising senior at Westwood High School and plans to pursue theater, english, and education in college.  She has been involved in the performing arts since she was five and has appeared in community theater productions since she was eight.  Most recently, she played Rachel in “To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday,” with Curtain Call Theater. Dorian has worked as an assistant teacher for Wheelock Family Theater and Watertown Children’s Theater and is thrilled to work at SMARTS this summer. 

Rick Morin – Percussion: Rick Morin is the creator and director of The Rhythm Room, an all-original, ten member band currently touring on the east coast (www.rhythmroomlive.com). The Rhythm Room has released two CD’s; The Rhythm Room and Circle of Souls. They are working on their third CD due to release in 2011.  Rick has also developed The Rhythm Room Enrichment program. – go to http://www.rhythmroomlive.com/rrenrichment/ for details. Rick has been featured on Fox 25 on two occasions to demonstrate his enrichment program. Rick is also a freelance drummer/percussionist for original artists, general business bands, dance companies and theater companies.  He has performed with Betty Buckley and Shirley Jones with Heart To Heart Production based out of Taunton, MA.  He recently performed with Broadway/movie actor Michael Leon Wooley (Little Shop of Horrors, Dream Girls, Princess and the Frog) at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor, ME.  His teaching experience includes teacher/owner of The Rhythm Room studio in North Attleboro, MA, percussion director for the SMARTS Summer Institute, Attleboro, MA and facilitator of percussion-based enrichment programs for grades K-12.  He received the 2006 Kathleen McKiel Memorial Award from the North Attleboro Cultural Council for his contribution to the Arts.  He conducts drum therapy workshops for Hasbro Children's Hospital Arts Program and Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Attleboro. Rick also created a TV show for local cable, The Rhythm Room. He is an endorsed percussionist by LP, Sabian, REMO and Vic Firth. He is a member of the original band Spiney Norman and the house drummer for Paris Cabaret in Stoughton, MA. 

Seth Antonitis – Percussion: Seth has been assisting and teaching percussion at the SMARTS Summer Institute for 10 years. He began drumming 13 years ago, mastering several percussion instruments in the process. He is a longstanding member of the Rhythm Room under bandleader Rick Morin and is a freelance musician and private lesson teacher. Seth’s method of teaching centers on passing down knowledge in a fun, interesting, and energetic fashion. Seth earned his BA in Philosophy from The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. 

Alan Clavette – Percussion: Alan grew up on the SMARTS Cabaret stage.  Later years in school found Alan performing on the Attleboro Community Theatre (ACT) and North Attleborough Theater stage, acting or playing his trombone.  Alan is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Music Education and is currently teaching general music at Studley Elementary School in Attleboro.  He is a trombone player, and also plays percussion for a local percussion group called "The Rhythm Room".

Maria Clavin – Vocal/Musical Theatre: Maria earned her BS in Music Education at Rhode Island College and a Master of Education degree from Lesley University’s Creative Arts in Learning program. She has taught music at Hyman Fine Elementary in Attleboro for nine years, instilling a love of creative drama, movement and music in the young children. Maria’s students have explored creative drama and movement as well as ethnic dance from several cultures including Native America, Asia, Mexico, and Africa. Under her direction the chorus at Hyman Fine has been expanded to a musical theater program which is very popular with both students and parents alike.  She is thrilled to return to SMARTS for her second year.   

Alice Kerber - Vocal/Musical Theatre Assistant: Alice loves talking about herself in the third person. She is a fourteen year old sophomore at Sharon High School. Alice first started to sing at the sprightly age of two and has been doing so ever since. She first began doing theatre in third grade, and her recent plays include A Midsummer Night's Dream (Sharon High School), Sweeney Todd; The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Sharon High School), and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Sharon Middle School). This is her first year working as a SMARTS assistant, and Alice is very excited to share her passion of musical theatre with others. 

Adam Kantor – Vocal/Musical Theater Assistant: Adam is an incoming Junior at Sharon High School. He loves all aspects of music and theater and has been involved in over 20 shows including Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Crucible. Adam actively partakes in theater and music both in and out of school and has taken electives such as Advanced Acting, Theater Production, and Tenor-Bass Choir. He is extremely excited for his first experience at SMARTS and can't wait to work with kids on musical theater.

Tracy Korneffel - Visual Arts: Tracy teaches visual arts at Brennan Middle School in Attleboro. She has also taught visual arts at Willett Elementary School in Attleboro, and painting and sculpture classes at the Attleboro Arts Museum.  She has a degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design, and is completing her Master’s Degree in Art Education from Bridgewater State University. Tracy will be returning to SMARTS for her FIFTH year because she loves exploring themes with the creative kids that attend this program.    

Grace Guillotte – Visual Arts Assistant: Grace Guillotte is a sophomore at Montserrat College of Art, and studies Art Education as well as Illustration.  She has been involved with SMARTS for over 7 years, and loves it. Grace has remained deeply involved with the arts since childhood and hopes to be able to inspire and create during her fourth year as the elementary visual arts assistant.  She looks forward to seeing both new and old faces this year and can't wait to get the summer started. 

Stephanie Piccirilli – Visual Arts Assistant: Stephanie Piccirilli is 20 years young. She has been attending SMARTS since the third grade - she is now a sophomore in college. She is currently an illustration major at The Art Institute of Boston and hopes to illustrate children's books for a living. She is also considering a degree in art education. This is her first year working as an assistant at SMARTS and she can't wait to share and pass on her love of art with others.  

David Bettencourt – Drama/Film/Video: David Bettencourt is a Rhode Island-born filmmaker and educator. His first feature documentary, You Must Be This Tall: The Story of Rocky Point Park, was one of the surprise hits of 2007 and earned a five-star review in the Providence Journal.  In 2009, David followed up with the medical documentary, On the Lake: Life and Love in a Distant Place, which is currently playing on PBS stations across the country. His latest film, It's a Bash!, is a look at the history of the Providence live music scene and one of its longest running bands, Neutral Nation. David teaches film and video production at area universities, including the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and Salve Regina University. 

Amanda Mann – Drama/Film/Video: Amanda recently graduated from Rhode Island College with her Bachelor's Degree. She has been involved in theater for over seven years and has been involved in many productions both behind the scenes and on the stage. Some of her favorite roles include Shikikanaq in The Ice Wolf at Cranston High School West and Peggy in Godspell at Mill River Dinner Theater. Amanda has been part of two productions that won Rhode Island State Drama Festival and moved on to New England Drama Festival. Amanda also has experience with production work as well. She has been a stage manager, sound technician, and an award winning props coordinator. Currently, she works at Trinity Repertory Company as a lead ticket sales representative. This is her second year with SMARTS and she is very excited to be back and to continue to work with such talented young people. 

George Dussault - Instrumental: George is a full-time record producer, audio engineer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and music educator.  As a producer/engineer, he has been nominated for several Grammies and worked with countless artists (such as Baylock, Fairhaven, Joe Parillo, Kris Hansen, Mark Cutler, The Bohemian Quartet...), many of whom have gone on to tour the world and perform at prestigious venues and events such as Carnegie Hall and the Warped Tour.  As a composer, his music has been used on commercial radio, NPR Radio, various television shows, and received excellent reviews in several magazines and newspapers.  Recently, the Attleboro Sun called him a "sonic wizard,"  and the Providence Phoenix called him a "major talent." As a performer, his instrumental and vocal talents have been featured on hundreds of successful projects including The Rhythm Room, Spiney Norman, The Left Hand Band and the Grammy nominated Dino Club.  As an educator, he has been teaching instrumental music to fifty-plus students per week for ten years.  His musical interests are in music of all kinds, multimedia and artist development.