Dawn Peterson

Dawn Peterson (Director) first realized her love for musical theatre at the young age of 8 when she watched her Brother perform in Brigadoon, at Modesto High School, under the direction of Eleanor Haines who later became her High Shcool teacher and long time mentor. Dawn is completing her 32nd year as a private voice teacher, and loving it. As a performer Dawn began her career at the very young age of 3. Her first major role of Cinderella was with MPAA (then MYT) in its premiere year. From there, Dawns professional career blossomed, and she went on to perform many leading roles in musicals and opera. Being equipped with 100's of performances, Dawn is eager to share her skills and challenge the young hopeful stars at Center Stage Kids.

Amy Underwood - Co-Director

Amy Underwood De Moura grew up singing in school and local community groups. She attended Azusa Pacific University in Southern California where she participated in two performing groups while working on a BA in Liberal Studies. Today she is a Reading Specialist at Kirschen Elementary School with a MA in Education and she is honored to be the choral director of third throught sixth graders. Amy loves being Co-Director of Center Stage Kids and watching kids express themselves through singing, acting, and dancing.

Heather Vargas

Heather Vargas is originally from Fort Myers, Florida and is a graduate of Florida State University as a theatre major. She has performed in various musicals in the regional summer stock and dinner theatre venues, some of her favorites include 42nd Street, Brigadoon, Grease, and Nunsense. Since moving to Modesto she has taught first grade at Enslen Elementary, served as chorographer for Shelter Cove Community Church productions and in her favorite and most rewarding role of all...mother!

Charlotte "Char" Ferreira

Charlotte Ferreira is a Modesto native who has, for almost 40 years, given of her time and creative energy to nearly every non-professional theatre group in Modesto (many now defunct). Most recently with Prospect Theater Project, she has acted in The Constant Wife, Spinning Into Butter, and The House of Bernarda Alba, and directed How I learned to Drive. Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief, and last summer’s This Day and Age.

She is recently retired from a 23-year career with Modesto City Schools. During that time, she coached high school drama and competitive speech, coordinated the International Baccalaureate program, taught English language arts and leadership, and served as assistant principal at two area junior highs. She delights in awakening young people to the value of active participation in the visual and performing arts, and hopes to continue doing so as member of the Center stage Kids team!

Marianne Sanders

Marianne Sanders was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began playing the piano at a very young age and always had a love for music. During her high school years she became active in the music and drama programs and used her piano skills to accompany the choir. While attending college she traveled with the singing groups "The Continentals" and "The Ambassadors." She graduated from Bethany Bible College in 1988 with a BA in music education. Over the years, she has served as the accompanist for various high schools, the music director in several different churches, and most recently the accompanist for Center Stage Kids.

Sheila Donovan

Sheila Donovan is thrilled to return to Center Stage Kids and cannot wait to work with both staff and students; truly an incredible conglomeration of brilliant minds and show-stopping talent! She recently graduated from Oklahoma City University with a BM in Musical Theatre and is excited about sharing all of her new tricks with CSK and her private voice students. Sheila also recently accepted a job with the Challenger School as the middle school music specialist. On the collegiate stage she's played Deb in Ordinary Days, Vera in The Consul, Susan in My Name is Jim Thompson, Anfisa in Three Sisters. In California, she had the privilege of working with John Duerner and Richard Mann in Steppin' Out: A Musical Review as well as numerous productions in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ms. Sheila Donovan is currently studying for the role of Mrs. Sheila Townsend which opens October 22nd, 2011 in Pajaro Dunes, California :).

While in Southern California, he worked both professionally and non-professionally in theatre and dance. He also performed in various Dinner Theatre Houses. In 1992, he relocated to New York City to pursue his acting career. He performed in Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions throughout the city. He was in a National Tour production with the American Family Theatre.

Since returning to the Central Valley, he has choreographed, directed and performed for local theatre companies and educational programs including Center Stage Kids. In 2003, he created RiffRaff Productions; a Modesto based Theatre Company. In 2004, RiffRaff presented Michael Christopher’s Pulitzer Prize winning play The Shadow Box. It received a 4 Star ranking in the Modesto Bee and ranked number 3 in the Modesto Bee’s Simply the Best - Top Ten Theatre Productions of 2004. In 2006, he directed Marsha Norman’s, ’night, Mother and in 2009, James Still’s Looking Over the President’s Shoulder.

Lin Sexton began acting and singing as a teenager in Los Angeles venues including the Hollywood Palladium and Pasadena Civic Auditorium, and later majored in theatre at Cal State University, Stanislaus. Her college work, summer stock and touring theatre work garnered honors, including several Best Actress awards and the Governor’s Medal of Montana.

One of the founders of the Denair Gaslight Theatre, Lin has been both a performer and a mentor of performers all her adult life. Many of her students have gone on to careers in the arts, some teaching theatre, some as performers and directors, and one in artist management at the Disney Resort. A playwright, poet, songwriter and author, her work has been performed in six countries and seen on television in Eastern Europe. Lin loves to coach, encourage and direct young performers, and she’s thrilled to be working with CSK.