ABOUT

 

Our students learn and perform full-scale productions on a Professional Off-Broadway stage!



Imagine Works Youth Theatre believes in every student's innate abilities and talents! Through our affordable, individualized training, students learn at their own level, being challenged and inspired to become creative, confident and empathetic performers.

 

What makes Imagine Works Youth Theatre unique?

• We partner with the professional Off-Broadway Players Theatre so that our students have the opportunity to perform on a professional stage!

• IWYT productions get the full pro experience- costumes, hair, makeup, sets, lighting and sound.

• Students perform for agents, managers and casting directors.

• Our instructors are experienced and highly trained with professional performing credits across the country.

• Students also gain valuable life skills, such as public speaking, confidence, empathy, and collaboration.

• We also strongly believe in cultivating young performers that others in the industry want to work with.

• IWYT teaches our students how to be professional, courteous and kind performers who realize the value in positivity and empathy for others.

• We believe in the power of community, and in the power of giving back. At all of our performances, we collect donations for different youth-centered charitable causes. 

 

IWYT offers a variety of different classes for ages 5-18. All sessions end with a showcase or main-stage production. We have produced over 40 main stage plays and musicals since we began in 2013. These performances showcase each student and their growth in the program.

 

Alumni of our programs have gone on to star in Broadway's "Matilda", as well as sign with top agencies, book commercials, films, pilots, web-series, and lead roles in their school shows! Our students have also been accepted to respected arts universities such as NYU's Steinhardt and Tisch School of the Arts, Boston Conservatory, Emerson College, Marymount Manhattan College, and Muhlenberg College. You can also see alumni at NYC performing arts high schools, such as Laguardia, PPAS (middle & high school), Frank Sinatra, and Talented Unlimited High School!

 

INSTRUCTORS

 

Jill Moody (Artistic Director, Director) founded Imagine Works to offer a low cost theatre arts program so all kids could pursue their passion for performing! Since the age of five, Jill has intensively trained in musical theatre, and has performed in many professional productions in Philadelphia and New York City. Jill has worked with the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Carnegie Hall, the Walnut Street Theater, and The Players Theatre. She graduated from the distinguished Peddie School, where she was a member of the award-winning A Cappella group "The Peddie Singers". In college, Jill studied theatre and film at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Stonestreet Studios, and Marymount Manhattan College. Since graduating, she worked with Don Buchwald & Associates Talent Agency as an assistant agent, and has taught at various other NYC theatre schools, including New York City Center. Jill received her Masters degree in Childhood Education and is a NY state certified teacher. She has been teaching theatre for the past 14 years in NYC.

​​

​

​

Kiera Matthews (Music Director, Vocal Instructor) is a multi-hyphenate artist in performance, teaching, and directing. She has performed in Santa’s Little Helpers (The Manship Theatre), Alice in Wonderland (Off-Broadway), and several concert engagements at 54 Below and The Green Room 42. Her teaching credits include a robust private studio, The Harmony Program, New York University, First Stage Theatre Academy, Sunset Playhouse, and more. Directing credits: 2025 [lab], Sparks (Off-Brand Opera); Addams Family Jr., Mean Girls Jr. (Imagine Works); 54 Sings Off-Broadway Musicals (54 Below); Femmes Fatales, Songs for the Queer Heart (The Green Room 42); Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmatians (First Stage), and more. 

​​

​​

​​

Gia Antonucci (Choreographer, Dance Instructor) is so excited to be working on "Annie KIDS" as choreographer this summer! She has been dancing since she was three, and started working as a performer when she was eight. Gia is also an Imagine Works alumni-turned-teacher. Get your dancing shoes ready!

​

​​​​

 

Emily O'Leary (Music Director, Vocal Instructor) is an AEA actor and singer based in NYC, and originally from Cape Breton, NS, Canada. She is a graduate of NYU Steinhardt’s Musical Theatre program, obtaining her Master of Music and receiving her Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy. Recent NYC credits include Brighter Than the Sun (Chain Theatre), transforMATTIve (Under St. Marks’). Favourite regional credits include Next to Normal (Natalie), The Addams Family (Wednesday), and Fun Home (Medium Alison). When not teaching voice, Emily can often be found at the AMC Lincoln Center, watching movies with her wife.

​​

​

​

Suzanne Dervish-Ali (Choreographer, Dance Instructor) is a professional choreographer, actor & movement coach from Australia. Now living in New York City, Suzanne was most recently the Head of Dance for the elite Performing Arts Camp, French Woods Festival of Performing Arts. Prior to moving to the States, Suzanne completed an artist residency with PlaceMakers GC through their Incubate* series and also completed a residency prior with Phluxus2Dance, IndepenDANCE. Both these residencies allowed Suzanne to explore movement concepts and methods that she is currently refining for the education system. Her other choreography credits include being the onset choreographer/movement coach for Nickelodeon’s kids TV Series, "Rock Island Mysteries" and choreographing for both DreamWorks & ABC Kids. She can't wait to get started with Imagine Works this summer and is really excited to meet the cast! 

​​

​​​​

​​

Rayne Gonzalez (Musical Theatre Instructor) is a performer originally from San Diego California and currently based in Manhattan. Rayne previously studied at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and is a recent graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Rayne has worked as an acting and dance teacher at Scripps Theater Arts, and is so excited to be working with Imagine Works Youth Theater this summer!

​

​

​

Audra Bryant (Choreographer, Dance Instructor) is a NYC based Director, Choreographer, and Educator.  Originally from Kansas, Audra trained in classical ballet, classical voice, and jazz dance prior to pursuing a bachelor of fine arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Oklahoma. Director/Choreography credits include Cabaret, Into the Woods, Matilda, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Black Rock Theatre), SpongeBob SquarePants, Finding Nemo Jr. (Music Theatre of Wichita).  Choreographer/Associate Choreographer credits are Annie, The Little Mermaid (Westport Country Playhouse); Mary Poppins (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma).  She has also directed, choreographed, movement coached, and assistant directed on projects for Maid & Prince Productions and on music videos for artists such as Bruce Sudano, Lenii, Nick Deutsch, Rachel King, Jerusha, and Michael Perrie Jr. She continues to collaborate with artists in NYC, and to take on various projects for stage and screen as choreographer and director.