Playhouse Teachers

Laura Graham 

Laura currently works as Artist in Residence in the theatre dept. at Bak Middle School of the Arts. Originally from New York, Laura studied acting, improvisation and dance there for many years and performed regularly in the tri-state area. Since moving to Florida, she has appeared in several Lake Worth Playhouse (Stonzek) productions and has served as assistant director to Daniel Eilola, the Playhouse’s current Artistic Director. Laura has also performed with local improv troupes.

Daniel Eilola

Daniel is the artistic director of the Lake Worth Playhouse and studied theatre at Towson University with a concentration in acting. Daniel also studied acting under Tony Award winning actor Jon Glover and Emmy nominated actor George DiCenzo.  Before arriving in Florida, Daniel acted professionally throughout the Northeastern United States. Daniel also is an accomplished Director and Producer having revived the dormant Black Box series at the Lake Worth Playhouse shortly after his arrival to South Florida. He has produced and/or directed over 30 productions at the Lake Worth Playhouse both on the main stage and in the Stonzek Studio Theater.

Samantha McCue

Samantha (Sam) McCue is thrilled to be returning for a third year to Lake Worth Playhouse’s education program! Having studied theatre (BA in Theatre), she recognizes how important it is for a growing mind to properly express themselves and have a chance to be a little loud. Sam has taught beginning acting in her previous two years with the Playhouse. Outside of LWP, Sam has also had the chance to travel across the country with Lamplight Artists, a production company that hosts week-long theatre camps in various cities. For Lamplight, she taught theatre games, puppetry, acting, music and directed the performances hosted by the camps each week. Sam has also had academic training in Theatre for Young Audiences through her BA. You may recognize her from some of her recent performances in the South Florida area including Much Ado About Nothing (Lake Worth Playhouse), The Roaches (Barclay After Dark), A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival) and many more! When not acting or teaching, Sam can be found drinking far too much coffee and annoying her orange tabby cat, Peter.

Deshon Allen

Deshon has been with the Lake Worth Playhouse theater outreach program for over 10 years.   His performance credits at the Playhouse include Rent, Tommy, Rock of Ages and Footloose and he most recently was the choreographer for Beehive.   In 2018, Deshon was awarded the Nicole Lee award for outstanding commitment to the Lake Worth Playhouse as she was his mentor as a teaching artist .  He currently works as an Event Information Guide for the Miami Dolphins.

Carl Barber Steele

Actor, singer, director, educator – Carl has been entertaining the masses for over 40 years . Originally from the NYC area he has performed on stages across the country and overseas.   He has been nominated for several awards including the Carbonell and the Perry.

Kassie Meiler

Kassie is a freelance choreographer, dance instructor, and runs her own social media agency, GOAT Social Media. She’s choreographed over 50 musicals, including many at the Playhouse such as Heathers, Footloose, 9 to 5, Annie, Flashdance and Bye Bye Birdie. Kassie has a BA in Theatre (FSU) & an MA in Mass Communications (UF). She’s also spent numerous summers as a dance assistant and work study in NYC for Theatre Arts Center and Broadway Artists Alliance. She currently teaches private lessons and master classes to students across South Florida and specializes in college audition preparation and tap.

Autumn Kioti Horne

Autumn Kioti Horne (any/all) is an interdisciplinary artist/master naturalist/performer and director. They have created and helmed numerous children’s and professional theatre programs. A South Florida native, local appearances include Theatre Lab, Zoetic Stage, GableStage, Florida Stage, Caldwell Theatre, and others.  In NYC, they originated the roles of Cassandra in THE HIVE, Veronica in SHE CALLS ME FIREFLY and others.  Their interdisciplinary art has been presented in galleries/spaces throughout the US and beyond, including La Mama, Dixon Place, The Queens Museum, Last Frontier and more.  They have also appeared in award-winning films at Lincoln Center, Art Basel, Sci-Fi London, Palm Springs Film Festival and more.

Michael Materdomini

Michael is a Dreyfoos School of the Arts alumni and is currently working as a professional actor here in South Florida. He was with MNM Theatre company for their last two seasons and was in Heathers The Musical here at the Lake Worth Playhouse. Michael wants to share his love of the stage with the younger generation and hopes to inspire young actors.

Elizabeth Robinson

Elizabeth has been working in arts education at the Playhouse for 5 years and is beyond thrilled to return. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and has directed, choreographed and taught numerous classes and children’s performances during her time here. Elizabeth’s own passion for theatre was discovered at the Lake Worth Playhouse when she was a child taking classes and aims to inspire the same in others.