Past Faculty

At WYART we pride ourselves on collecting the best faculty members possible to challenge, and enrich our students with their experience and expertise. Our former faculty members still come and share their experiences with us from time to time, and we are always excited to see what new things they have in store for us.

Former Faculty Members:

Brent Alan Burington

Brent Alan Burington is a native of Columbus, Ohio, and is one of those lucky few who get to make their living as an actor, director, designer, writer, and teacher. He has appeared on stages all over the United States with such diverse fair as his one man version of “A Christmas Carol” (National Tour, all 36 roles, 21 years now), “George M,” “Deathtrap,” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (Cincinnati), “Amadeus,” “Dracula,” and a dozen different roles in Shakespeare (Columbus), and “South Pacific” (March-May 2015, La Comedia Dinner Theatre, Springboro, Ohio.) You may have heard him as multiple character voices in the internet radio serial “The Librarian Diaries” or as the radio voice for The Cincinnati Zoo. And you may have seen him on your television in commercials for The Ohio Lottery, Dayton International Airport, Frisch’s, The Cincinnati Zoo, and AT&T.  At WYART Brent teaches acting and musical theatre.

David Bahgat

David R. Bahgat is a recent graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design where he obtained his MFA in Performing Arts.  Previous directing credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hairspray, Bye Bye Birdie, Les Miserables and Grease.  Previous acting credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (National Tour starring Ted Neeley), Pregnancy Pact (Yale Institute for Music Theatre), and Vote The Musical (NYFringe).  David also holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Otterbein University.

Mary Borgia

Mary Borgia is a Newark native who currently works as a 5th-grade teacher at McGuffey Elementary.  A graduate of both Denision University (BA Communications/Music) and Ohio State University (Masters of Education), Mary has worked at NBC-TV in New York City and as an actress/stage manager/production assistant at The Western Stage of Hartnell College in Salinas, California, among other jobs.  At Weathervane she was the musical director for Into the Woods, Jr., and the director for We Are Monsters.  She also taught acting, vocal music and the popular summer “Rock Camp”.  She has appeared onstage at Weathervane as Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver.  She also volunteers her time at Licking County Players, where she recently directed Crimes of the Heart and appeared  in several productions, including Things My Mother Taught Me and Dinner With Friends.

Carolyn Clippinger

Carolyn Clippinger, a veteran of many past Weathervane Playhouse productions, has spent the past thirteen years as the choral director and drama co-director at Utica High School and Jr. High.  Carolyn earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Ohio University and an MA/MBA in Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.  She is excited to join the WYART team!

Kaitlyn Herbst

Kaitlyn Hersbt is a 2015 company member with Weathervane Playhouse and has performed in many of the company’s shows in the past.  Most, she performed ensemble roles in Cabaret, Oklahoma, Footloose, and was the dance captain of Jesus Christ Superstar. She was assistant choreographer for WYART’s production of Into the Woods Jr. She studies and teaches dance at The Ballet Academy, where she is also a scholarship student.  She has performed with the Central Ohio Youth Ballet dancing the Spanish pas de deux and Mouse Queen this past Thanksgiving.  She was recently seen in the role of Chava in Fiddler on the Roof (Licking County Players).

Rebecca Keck

Rebecca Keck has performed with many Central Ohio groups including The Columbus Symphony, Opera Columbus and Columbus Light Opera, as well as performances nationally and internationally.  Ms. Keck has also appeared in Weathervane productions of The Sound of Music and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Ms. Keck holds a B.A. and M.A. degree in Vocal Performance and has done post graduate studies at Ohio State University.  Ms. Keck is on the voice faculty of Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. She also teaches voice and piano at Granville Dance and Music Academy and maintains a private voice studio in Johnstown.

Abby Twining

Abby Twining is delighted to be rejoining Weathervane Playhouse for WYART’s Backstage Workshop. She holds a BA in Theatre from Baldwin Wallace University, (specialization in acting and directing). Selected performance credits include COCAINE (BWU), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Beck Center, Cleveland), MISS ELIZABETH BENNET (BWU), HAMLET (BWU), and TOSCA (Cleveland Opera). She has work-shopped Shakespeare Folio Technique and work-shopped roles including Harper from ANGELS IN AMERICA and Shakespeare’s Lady MacBeth.  Ms. Twining is also a classically trained musician, excelling in piano performance (Jennifer Rinehart, Oberlin College) and voice training (Benjamin Czarnota, BWU).

Ms. Twining’s technical credits include directing an experimental production of Oscar Wilde’s LA SAINTE COURTISANE, as well as directing a self-written play, ENOUGH. During WYART’s 2013 season,  she assistant directed INTO THE WOODS, JR. and directed the accompanying fairy tale plays.  Further technical experience includes scenic design and concept renderings and basic lighting design and programming at Baldwin Wallace University.