PROGRAM Staff
John Middleton-Cox - Executive Director
John Middleton-Cox has a wide range of musical theatre experiences. As an artistic director, he has directed HAIRSPRAY, KISS ME KATE, BEAUTY & THE BEAST, WIZARD OF OZ, GUYS & DOLLS, BYE BYE BIRDIE, WEST SIDE STORY, SOUND OF MUSIC, EVITA, FAME, FOOTLOOSE, and TITANIC. As a professional musician, he sings, conducts, composes, arranges, teaches and accompanies. He is a trained tenor having studied opera at the Boston Conservatory. He has sung in and around Boston in professional theatres, operas, and churches including Jordan Hall, Boston Center for the Arts, The Emerson Majestic, and The Old North Church. Currently, he is in charge of the Burlington Music Department. As a professional pianist, he has played for SpeakEasy Stage Company and Lyric Stage of Boston and many private functions, including the Wedding Cake House. John has worked with Broadway performers and won awards for Outstanding Musical Direction. He has music directed at the Walnut Hill Summer Theatre, Wachusett Theatre, Middlesex Summer School of the Arts, debut DAVID, THE MUSICAL, Merrimack College and Pentucket Players. Some of his favorite shows have been TITANIC, CAROUSEL and PETER PAN. As a composer, John music directed and co-produced his composition, THE BIG TIME. John has arranged music for the Thayer Symphony Orchestra.
Kim Cook - Program Director / Co-Costume Designer
Jonathan Plouffe - Program Music Director
Jamie Cook - Program Choreographer / Co-Costume Designer
Erin Lane - Workshop Director
Erin received her Bachelor's Degee in Music Education from The University of Maine, Orono and her Master's Degree in Music Education from UMass Lowell. Erin has taught general music for grades K-8 and directed choruses at the Elementary, Middle and High School level. Currently, Erin teaches at Innovation Academy in Tyngsboro where she leads the High School and Middle School Choruses. She is also a Youth Choir Director at North Parish Church in North Andover where she resides with her family. Erin joined the BEST workshop staff in 2013 and looks forward to working with the staff and students again this summer.
Billy Waisnor - Co-Scenic Designer/Technical Director
Kevin Deane Parker - Co-Scenic Designer/Technical Director
Kevin is a BHS alumnus (Class of 2010). Aside from several BEST summers (‘10, ‘12, ‘13, ‘16), lighting design for Burlington's PIPPIN, technical supervision for PETER PAN and MARY POPPINS, he has also worked in theatre education programs at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Northeastern University, Merrimack College, Concord Academy, and Wilmington, Melrose, and Wakefield Public Schools. His work as a theatre technician includes productions with Goodspeed Musicals (THE MUSIC MAN, PASSING THROUGH), Company One Theatre (AN OCTOROON, SHOCKHEADED PETER, THE FLICK, EDITH CAN SHOOT THINGS AND HIT THEM), North Shore Music Theatre (BEAUTIFUL), Speakeasy Stage Company (CARRIE, NECESSARY MONSTERS), and Gloucester Stage (OUT OF STERNO, THE FLICK, THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM). Design credits include scenic for Bad Habit Productions' THE GOAT...OR WHO IS SYLVIA? and SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, and Longwood Players' URINETOWN. He earned his M.Ed. from Salem State University and BS from Northeastern University. During the academic year, he teaches at Northeastern and at Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA.
Counselors
Our Senior and Junior Counselors are skilled high school and college students who have a talent for mentoring and a passion for education and theatre. All of our Counselors have distinguished themselves in some area of theatre and performing arts, whether performance or production. They provide support to the teaching staff, help run rehearsals, and make BEST a fun place for the students to go each day!
