Instructors and Guest Artists
You’ll find instructors from diverse backgrounds and pedagogies here. That’s because theatre training is deeply personal and exposure to a variety of techniques and philosophies gives every student a broader arsenal of tools to pull from in their life and in their art. There are a few things we all agree on though … that no one is more important than anyone else (you’ll never hear us call anyone a “star”), and that there’s a place in our theatre for absolutely everyone.
Current Instructors
JEREMY WEST, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR [he, him]
Jeremy’s two decades of experience on the stage and decade in the classroom has resulted in a brand of theatre education that keenly creates space and opportunity for people to explore their own identity and experience through collaboration and trust. He believes that an education in theatre is a necessity because of how efficiently theatre teaches us an arsenal of life skills in an environment where one can experiment and safely fail, turning failures into positive learning experiences.
Before founding SLTE, Jeremy served as director of the theatre program at Stuart Hall School where he built an inclusive and award-winning program which saw students be accepted to prestigious universities and garner their own accolades.
Jeremy is certified by the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Dramatic Combat in multiple weapons, five of which have earned him "recommendation" awards from the SAFD for excellence in the performance of stage combat. He has had placements for practical training at the Globe Theatre, London, academic research at the Shakespeare Institute Library in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and was a 2007 Fulbright Finalist for the U.K. He holds an MFA with distinction in Staging Shakespeare from Exeter University, U.K. and has had additional training with practitioners such as: Jane Lapotaire, Emma Thompson, Gyles Block, Ralph Zito, Stewart Pearce, and Michael Kahn.
Other professional stage acting work includes: Shakespeare Theatre, D.C.; American Shakespeare Center; Virginia Shakespeare Festival; Virginia Stage Company; The Shakespeare Forum; Vanguard Theatre Company, U.K.; Next Stage Theatre; and Virginia Theatre Festival (formerly Heritage Theatre Festival), among others.
Contact: jwest@silverlinetheatre.org
CORY DOUYLLIEZ-WILLIS, INSTRUCTOR [he, him]
Cory Douylliez-Willis has extensive experience in contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap techniques and is a certified Acrobatic Arts instructor. His professional career began in Atlanta, Georgia when he booked his first tour at the age of seventeen. From there he continued working as a dancer for six years in the Atlanta area doing music videos, television, flash mobs, commercials and other stage productions!
He went on to perform as a principal dancer for the Atlanta Opera's Aida at the Cobb Energy Centre- choreographed by Rosa Mercedes. After studying dance at Brenau University, Cory taught and choreographed for several local dance schools around the northeast Georgia region including: Oconee Youth School of Performance, Southern Dance connection, The DanceLoft, Dance FX Athens and many others. He has fifteen years of experience with pre primary, primary, elementary, middle school, high school and college level students.
One of the highlights of his teaching career has been serving as an Adjunct professor at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. He has also choreographed several shows with Piedmont including: Sweet Charity, White Christmas, and A Chorus Line. One of his fondest memories of Piedmont was having the honor of choreographing North Georgia Theatre's production of Merrily We Roll Along under the direction of Kathy Blandin. Cory currently lives in Staunton Virginia with his husband and fur babies. When he isn't teaching or choreographing, he enjoys hiking, art, running and all things spicy food! He is also very active in community theatre in the Shenandoah Valley.
Cory takes pride in teaching students proper and safe dance techniques, and helping them feel confident in their abilities and themselves. He believes that teaching technique through progression based skills alongside creative movement and improvisation allows for exciting exploration while maintaining structure, proper alignment, and form.
HALEY ROBERTS, INSTRUCTOR [she, her]
Haley is an actress with over twenty years of experience in theatre and musical theatre. Haley also has training and experience with improvisation, acting for film, and over 15 years experience volunteering and teaching children and youth.
Haley was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. After discovering her love for theatre she received three years of training in Musical Theatre from the Appomattox Regional Governors’ School where Haley became a scholarship recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Jerry Herman Legacy Series, awarded by tony nominated actress Susan Egan. Haley later graduated from the University of North Carolina’s School for the Arts High School drama program, under the direction of Gerald Freedman and Bob Moyer.
Haley also studied as a member of Brigham Young University's Music, Dance Theatre Program before moving back to Richmond and working as a professional actress while receiving her BFA in Fashion Merchandising from Virginia Commonwealth University.
In 2013, Haley was privileged to work on the original cast recording of “Croaker” by Jason Marks and Deb Clinton with Red Amp Audio in Richmond, VA. Locally Haley has participated and supported a wide variety of local theatres such as Oak Grove, ShenanArts, and most recently played Elle Woods in The Wayne Theatre’s Production of Legally Blonde, the Musical.
ZACH LALIBERTE, INSTRUCTOR [he, him]
Zach is an actor and teacher with over twenty-five years of experience in theatre, musical theatre, and improvisation. His talent was recognized at the age of 17 by Keith Johnstone (a founding father of improvisation, and the author of Impro and Impro for Storytellers), and Keith has been his friend and mentor ever since. Zach has returned to Calgary often over the years to study with Keith at the Loose Moose Theatre Company.
Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Zach worked with his family’s theatre company, Skwalking Heads. In 1998, he left Tennessee for Columbia College in Chicago, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in the Theatre Program, in 2003.
From 1998-2008, he trained in Chicago with many teachers, including Charna Halpern at Improv Olympic and Sheldon Patinkin at Columbia College Chicago. He also taught and performed in Sweden, London, and Canada, as well as going on a national clown tour, attending the International Festival of Alternative and New Theatre (INFANT) in Serbia, and helping to create both the Tonkawa Theatre Tribe and the Chicago Physical Theatre Institute.
EMILY OLESON, INSTRUCTOR [she, her]
Emily Oleson is a dance scholar who has studied a broad range of movement styles, from traditional Appalachian flatfooting and other percussive dances, to forms of Irish dance, partner dance, contemporary urban dances, and vernacular jazz. Emily’s performance highlights include appearing with the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Aulney-All-Blues festival in France, Wheatland Music Festival, the Newport Folk Festival with Seeger’s Clogging All-Stars, Jacob’s Pillow’s Inside/Out Stage, and a US State Department tour in Russia with The Meaning of Buck Dance, a collaboration with Good Foot, Urban Artistry and Baakari Wilder. She received her MFA in Dance at the University of Maryland College Park in May 2012 and a certification in Laban-Bartenieff Movement Analysis in 2015 from the Laban-Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Dance at Temple University.
CHARLOTTE HADFIELD, INSTRUCTOR [she, her]
Charlotte has over ten years of acting experience doing anything from short 15 minute plays to full length musicals. She is a Staunton native, who has been attending classes at Silver Line Theatre Exchange since 2020. During her time being a student at Silver line she took several classes and has gained experience in stage improv, scene analyzing, on stage productions, and overall learning and teaching experience.
During her time at SLTE she has acted in six Silver Line produced plays. You might’ve seen her on stage in Puffs, or in 12 Angry Jurors. She has also been a teacher’s assistant for Haley Roberts starting in 2021, which gave her lots of insight on what it takes to run a class.
When not at SLTE, you can find Charlotte at the Frontier Culture Museum being a costumed interpreter, where she’s worked for the past six years both as an interpreter and as a summer camp counselor. In her free time Charlotte enjoys talking, acting, cooking, and spending time outside.
We’ve also had the pleasure of working with these fine folks …
DENISE STEWART, GUEST ARTIST [she, her]
Denise is a playwright and actor who writes, directs, and performs professionally. When she’s not doing that, she’s often presenting at conferences and to companies and organizations about the power of the well-crafted story, and the practices of developing as stronger leaders, listeners, and public speakers. Denise has also been teaching courses in public speaking, acting, improv, and dramatic literature at the University of Virginia for 7 years. While these areas of focus might look like arrows going in many directions, it never feels that way to her. ALL her work traces back to two major foundations: her training in theatre and her love of story.
DIANA BLACK, INSTRUCTOR [she, her]
Diana Black is an actor, singer, and director with over 20 years of experience in professional and community theater. As "Storytime Lady" at Staunton Public Library, her original puppet plays earned a VPLDA Award for Best Children's Programming. When she's not teaching critical thinking and writing at James Madison University, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and two children, writing children's books, petting cats, making art, eating, and going for hikes.
RACHEL LOUIS, INSTRUCTOR [she, her]
Rachel is a theatre artist from northern Virginia. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory, a Master of Letters in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University, and will be completing her Master of Fine Arts this upcoming year at Mary Baldwin with the rest of the graduating company, Treehouse Shakespeare Ensemble. Prior to teaching with Silver Line Theatre Exchange she’s taught for Drama Kids International and Main Street Theater Inc. Rachel has worked onstage, backstage, and behind the director's table, and hopes to instill in students the appreciation she's learned for every aspect of the theatre.
MOLLY SEREMET, GUEST ARTIST [she, her]
Molly is a theatrical magpie and happily identifies as a director, devised theatremaker, and performer in equal measure. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Mary Baldwin University. She holds an M.Res with Distinction in Performance and Creative Research from London's University of Roehampton as well as an M.Litt/MFA in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University.
She recently served as Assistant Director for Antigone for the American Shakespeare Center’s Hand of Time National Tour, in collaboration with Doreen Bechtol. Other favorite directing and devising credits include You on the Moors Now (MBU Undergraduate Theatre), Der Wal: A Moby Dick Kabarette (Coney Island Sideshows by the Seashore), Troilus and Cressida (Compass Shakespeare Ensemble), Machinal (MBU Undergrad Theatre), The Enchanted Bluff (College of Saint Mary), The Sea Voyage (American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp), and My Name is Rachel Corrie (NYC’s Kraine Theatre). Her award-winning devised piece Martin’s (words lost) has toured internationally to Battersea Arts Center, London Festival Fringe, and Salzburg’s Toihaus Theatre. Molly spent nearly a decade working in New York City as an actor/educator with the American Museum of Natural History, developing and performing eight different science-themed shows under the umbrella of Dr. Nebula’s Laboratory. She has previously taught for James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA) and College of Saint Mary (Omaha, NE). Molly trained with the Atlantic Theatre Company's acting school and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.