Meet The Company

Area Stage prides itself on our committed, passionate and artistically driven team. Our team members uphold our mission through their work in productions, administration and education to foster a love of the arts and propel our organization forward.

maria banda-rodaz

Executive Director

Maria was born and raised in Ecuador, and moved to NYC in 1980 to continue her performing arts training at Columbia University and Kean University. After a career in production in Ecuador, of the critically acclaimed Area Stage Company, where she worked with and later married, John Rodaz. Maria has also been involved with the TV and film industry, first as the Associate Producer of We Shoot ‘Em, later independently, working for companies such as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Sony, 20th Century Fox, HBO, Disney, and NBC. This award-winning director graduated Summa Cum Laude from FIU’s School of Modern Languages and holds certificates in Nonprofit Management (UM) and Arts in Education (Kennedy Center). To date, Maria is the only Hispanic woman to receive the Carbonell Award in the Best Director and Best Production categories. Other awards include the 2013 New Times Best Director, the 2017 Woman of the Year in Public Service by the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce as well as the 2020 in the Company of Women Award from the Miami-Dade County Parks Foundation.

irma becker

Director of Inspire Theatre Project

Irma Becker is an educator and choreographer from Mexico City. Irma has a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from the University of the Americas, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges, USA a Certification in Dance Therapy, and Progressing Ballet Technique. She is a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) registered Teacher, supervisor, and tutor. Irma is also a Silver Swan Licensee Tutor (Ballet for Seniors) Irma founded and ran a professional Dance school and Special needs dance company in Mexico for 20 years. She has choreographed over 25 ITP and Conservatory Productions since 2019. As a choreographer, professional credits' highlights include Annie, Matilda, Be More Chill, Beauty and the Beast, and Student-Professional Beauty and the Beast (Co-Director) at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Irma was nominated for the Community Engagement Dance Teacher Award by the Royal Academy of Dance and Outstanding Choreography by the Carbonell Awards.

XIERRA ITAYEM

Conservatory Director

Xierra Itayem is a passionate arts educator, accomplished illustrator, and seasoned leader with a Master’s in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. With over a decade of experience in arts education and curriculum development, she has consistently demonstrated a commitment to fostering creativity and empowering students and arts educators to reach their full potential. Xierra has worked as Director of Student Life at Fusion Academy and Fine Arts Department Chair at Mater Lakes Academy, designing innovative programs and cultivating a thriving creative environment. Excited to bring her expertise to Area Stage, Xierra is eager to contribute to its mission of inspiring and developing young talent. With a proven track record of creating impactful arts programs and mentoring students to success, she aims to continue nurturing artistic excellence and innovation. Recognized for her dedication with accolades such as Teacher of the Year, and featured in publications such as Vogue MIA Thought Provoker Series.

LAWRENCE HANSEN

Technical Director

In 2014, Laz transitioned from 27 years of working in the financial services sector to a career in theater & arts. He joined the New York Film Academy (NYFA) working on the expansion of their facilities in New York and Miami. This led to working with the respective Heads of Filmmaking,
Photography and Musical Theater to lead the carpentry and scenic artistry for theater and film sets, and as Technical Director for musical productions. In 2019, he moved to Miami and joined the Area Stage Company, while continuing work on New York City productions several times a
year.

JENNIFER GOMEZ

Marketing Manager

Jennifer Gomez is the Marketing Manager at Area Stage. A lifelong passion for dance and the arts ignited her interest in the dynamic world of marketing within the entertainment industry. After earning a B.S.B.A. in Marketing from the University of Florida, Jennifer returned to her hometown of Miami, Florida to pursue a career that aligned with her artistic roots. Her previous experience as a freelance social media manager, coupled with her academic knowledge, equips her with a unique skill set to drive marketing initiatives at Area Stage. With an optimistic spirit and an avid commitment to community involvement, Jennifer is thrilled to contribute to the growth and success of such an esteemed organization within South Florida's performing arts landscape.

KELLY WYGANT

Office Administrative

Kelly is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, along with a secondary degree in Management and Society. She currently serves as the Administrative Officer at Area Stage, while also working as an acting and improv instructor. In her teaching role, Kelly is passionate about fostering the creative and personal growth of young students. Since relocating to the Miami area, Kelly has developed a deep appreciation for the Spanish language and culture and is actively studying to become bilingual. One of her aspirations is to write and direct a show entirely in Spanish. She made her directorial debut at Area Stage Conservatory in Annie Jr. during Fall 2024 and hopes to continue directing more conservatory productions in the future.

Meet Our Instructors

Area Stage Conservatory’s Instructor Team is made up of highly qualified industry professionals who are masters of their craft and passionate about bringing their experiences and expertise into the classroom. Whether it be directing our Conservatory productions, crafting and teaching engaging group classes, or mentoring individual students through their artistic growth in private lessons, our team is eager to work with students of any age, in any discipline, at every level.

Irma becker, director of itp

Dance, RAD Ballet, ITP

Irma Becker is an educator and choreographer from Mexico City. Irma has a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from the University of the Americas, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges, USA a Certification in Dance Therapy, and Progressing Ballet Technique. She is a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) registered Teacher, supervisor, and tutor. Irma is also a Silver Swan Licensee Tutor (Ballet for Seniors) Irma founded and ran a professional Dance school and Special needs dance company in Mexico for 20 years. She has choreographed over 15 ITP and Conservatory ASC Productions since 2019. As a choreographer, professional credits' highlights include Annie, Matilda, Be More Chill, Beauty and the Beast, and Student-Professional Beauty and the Beast (Co-Director) at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Irma was nominated for the Community Engagement Dance Teacher Award by the Royal Academy of Dance and Outstanding Choreography by the Carbonell Awards.

katie duerr

Acting, Voice, Piano

Katie is a Miami-based music director and Carbonel nominated actor. She is a graduate of University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and is certified in Vocal Pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She has music directed over 30 productions at ASC since 2016, and is proud to manage the Conservatory, after growing up as a student here herself. Performance credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts) Shrek the Musical (Fiona), Matilda the Musical (Miss Honey), Annie (Grace), Be More Chill (Chloe), She Kills Monsters (Agnes), The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch), Cabaret (Frauline Kost), Peter x Wendy (Captain Hook) and The Little Mermaid (Scuttle, Allana). Directorial credits include: Aladdin Jr.

Sofia ortega

Dance, Acting, Voice

Sofia Ortega is a recent graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she received a BFA in Drama and minored in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. A Miami native, she has been acting, singing, and dancing since the age of 10 with Broadway Musical Theatre in Key Biscayne, but found a passion in theatre and dance education in the recent years. She has taught, directed, and choreographed productions and summer intensive workshops, and hopes to one day open her own musical theatre school where she can guide students to reach their full potential and feel the passion and fire that she once felt! 

Kyla stewart

ITP Voice, ITP Dance

Kyla Samuels-Stewart is a South florida based performer who holds a Bachelors of Arts in Theatre from the University of Miami and a wealth of experience in the field of education from standard elementary education to exceptional student education for middle and secondary levels. She is an acting and voice instructor as well as assistant dance instructor at Area Stage for the Inclusive Theatre Program and for the conservatory. She has worked with and studied under acclaimed broadway and grammy award winning artists such as Moises Kaufman, Arturo O'Farril, and Lea Salonga and is extensively trained in Interactive theatre, Singing for the stage, and improvisation techniques. Her joy is bringing characters to life through voice and movement in a most captivating way!

Massiel rodriguez

ITP Voice

Massiel is a Vocal Instructor, singer, pianist, Musical Director, songwriter, and arranger from Cuba with a Bachelor of Music and a minor in Choir Direction from the University of the Arts of Havana, Cuba. Music Directing Credits with the Inclusion Theater Project include Pinocchio, The Polar Express, Moana, Beauty and the Beats Jr, Aladdin Jr, Elf Jr. Credits with the Professional Students of Area Stage Company include Beauty and the Beast, Sweeney Todd, Elf Jr. She is also a member of the University Choir of Balearic Island directed by the renowned Joan Company, arriving to sing to the Queen of Spain, Doña Sofia. As a pianist, she has collaborated in record productions with great Cuban musicians such as Chucho Valdes and Ruben Gonzales.

Gabriella Alfonso

Voice, Dance, Acting

Gabriella Alfonso is a native born and raised in Miami with a BFA in Musical Theater from the University of Florida's New World School of the Arts. Her dance training has been 10+ years in jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and tap. She has choreographed for M-DCPS Middle School Thespians competition, the New World School of the Arts production of Bullet Over Broadway, and Loxen's production of Young Frankenstein as assistant choreographer. Gabriella started her classical opera training at the age of ten. For over 15 years, she has trained in vocal technique and sight reading, and her many years in training have led her to expand her musicality into musical theater, pop, and jazz vocal training. Gabriella specializes in audition prep for all ages, from college to middle school or local auditions. She will guide you through all the techniques from walking into a room to acing your dance call!

annette rodriguez

Voice

Annette Rodriguez is a graduate from New World School of Arts with a BFA in Music Theatre. As a Florida-based actor, past credits include The Little Mermaid (Scuttle), In the Heights (Carla), Annie (Lily St. Regis/Star-to-be), and Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl). She has over 18+ years of vocal training in styles such as classical, jazz and lyrical. Annette is excited to share her passion of singing with her students. Annette focuses on correct, healthy and sustainable vocal technique, as well as confidence in the student's own voice and capabilities as a performer! 

JEFFREY O’NEILL

Voice, Acting

Jeff is a New Jersey native who has appeared in many regional theater/opera productions in the NY/NJ area. Some favorite performance credits include Sweeney Todd (Beadle), Godspell (All Good Gifts Soloist), La Cage aux Folles (Albin/Zaza), Jesus Christ Superstar (Herod), and Oklahoma (Ali Hakim).  An esteemed graduate of Rowan University, he holds a doctorate in learning sciences from the University of Miami.  Jeff's students have gone on to regional theater, and national tours, and have been accepted into prestigious theater/vocal performance programs.  As a teacher, he believes in finding what works for every person while building a solid technical foundation and finding joy in the process.  

KELLY WYGANT

Acting, Improv

Kelly is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, along with a secondary degree in Management and Society. She currently serves as the Administrative Assistant at Area Stage, while also working as an acting and improv instructor. In her teaching role, Kelly is passionate about fostering the creative and personal growth of young students. Since relocating to the Miami area, Kelly has developed a deep appreciation for the Spanish language and culture and is actively studying to become bilingual. One of her aspirations is to write and direct a show entirely in Spanish.