Winter Classes

Wes Braver

Wes is a composer, lyricist and playwright from Washington, D.C. His musical Medusa (co-written w/ Rachel Dean) was presented in concert at Lincoln Center in 2019 and is in development with commercial producers. Past work includes Hear No Evil in the Year 2090, and Galapago; a song cycle, Space Cases; and METADATA, an electro-pop concept album about Edward Snowden (available on Spotify/iTunes). He wrote the songs for the musical film Chatsworth, which premiered at HBO’s New York Latino Film Festival, and the score for the film “Youth,” which premiered at SXSW in 2019. His songs have been featured at the Kennedy Center, Barrington Stage, and the Laurie Beechman Theater, and his music has been featured in a number of films, dance performances and with the Broken Box Mime Company. Wes holds a B.A. in music from Colorado College and an M.F.A. from NYU Tisch’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. 

Rebecca Campana

Rebecca is in her 17th season in Arena Stage’s Community Engagement Division, where she is the school programs manager, co-camp director and a teaching artist. She manages the D.C. Ticket Partnership, the theater’s ticket program for D.C. public and public charter schools, teaching workshops in dozens of D.C. schools each season. She edits the theater’s study guides and curriculum connections. She also directs and devises theater for social change for Arena’s Voices of Now program both locally and internationally. Rebecca is an annual guest artist at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in teaching how to write 10-minute plays. She holds a dual honors B.A. in English literature and journalism from St. Bonaventure University. She begins her masters in writing (fiction) at Johns Hopkins University in 2021.

Brandon Glass

Brandon has danced for performing artists, at NBA games and for companies both in the U.S. and abroad. He has been a coach, teacher and choreographer for eight years in the competitive dance industry and for musical theater, working with programs such as Red Branch Theatre. While obtaining his degree in deaf studies, Brandon also trained in the dance department at Towson University. He has recently been touring with Marvel Universe Live as a stuntman bringing his acrobatic and acting skills to the forefront. In his third year of teaching at Arena Stage, Brandon is sure to create a fun, and educational setting for his students to feel welcome and confident.

Jamila Madyun

Mauricio Pita

Mauricio was born in Caracas, Venezuela and is currently Arena Stage’s community programs manager. Previously he was GALA Hispanic Theater’s director of education where he led the Paso Nuevo Youth Performance Group. In addition, Mauricio has worked as an educator for Young Playwrights Theatre, as a performer and educator for Superhero Clubhouse and The Society of Educational Arts (Teatro SEA) in New York City and has worked extensively as an performer with NYC Spanish Repertory Theatre, INTAR, Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC), The Kennedy Center, The Director’s Company and Studio Theatre. He was part of the artistic team for multiple devised theater productions at Columbia University and is a graduate of the Acting Program at Marymount Manhattan College and the Shakespeare Conservatory for Actors at Yale University.