Touchstone celebrates 25 years of original, professional, actor-created theatre!
The company is dedicated to being an active force in the renewal of theatre as a vital art form. At our heart is a resident professional acting Ensemble rooted in both the local community of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the international community of the actor/creator.

The Ensemble is engaged in:
The creation of original work
The ongoing discovery of a theatrical vocabulary in which the emotional dynamics of image, movement and space are as important at the text, be it original or classic
Touring selected works nationally and internationally
Offering educational programs that inspire students of all ages to discover their own creative expression, contribute to serious training in the field and demonstrate the power of theatre as a community building tool

Touchstone is a not-for-profit producing and presenting organization, which fosters inter-cultural, international and community collaborations. The focus of our presenting season is original work by other innovative theatre ensembles and solo artists.

Margaret Anich, Ensemble Associate/Box Office Manager
Margie got bit by the acting bug when she was 9 years old, and has either been studying theatre or working in the theatre ever since. She has acted in over 70 productions, and directed 10 . She received a B.A in Theatre from St. Louis University, an M.A. in Theatre from The University of Maine-Orono, and an M.F.A in Acting from The Ohio State University. Besides acting and occassionally directing, she has also taught theatre, first as an adjunct instructor at The Ohio State University, and then for three years as a full-time lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance at University of North Carolina-Charlotte. She's worked with children in various programs, from The Governor's Institute for the Arts at Ohio State, to an AmeriCorp program in Columbus that brought arts programming to at-risk youth, to her most recent work with Touchstone Theatre , teaching at Camp Touchstone as well as other educational programs. Before moving to Bethlehem to work with Touchstone Theatre, Margaret was the Artistic Director at Valley Ridge Theatre in the tiny town of Thomas, WV.

Kirsten Brooks, Ensemble Intern/Community Outreach Assistant
Kirsten recently received her B.A. in Theatre from Messiah College in Grantham, PA, with emphases in acting and directing and a second major in Spanish Language. Her time in the M.C. Dept. of Theatre afforded her the opportunities to study in Dublin at the Gaiety School of Acting; in Philadelphia at Temple University; in San Jose, Costa Rica, at Dramatic Problem Solving; as well as in Barcelona, Prague, and Koszeg, Hungary. She has performed in such productions as Into the Woods, As You Like It, and Tony Kushner's The Illusion, and she recently directed Erik Ehn's Thistle (Rose of Lima). She is delighted and honored to be continuing her training here at Touchstone.

Bill George, Ensemble Member/Touring Manager/Co-Founder
Mr. George received his B.A. in English Literature from Lehigh University and his M.F.A. in Acting/Directing from the Dallas Theatre Centre of Trinity University. He studied mime with Paul Curtis of The American Mime Theatre, founded the People's Theatre Company in 1977 and later co-founded Touchstone Theatre in 1981, where he was Producing Director until 1990. During Mr. George's leave from Touchstone, he created Little Pond Arts Retreat--a retreat center dedicated to exploring the art of spirituality--with his wife, Bridget, in 1996, and toured to Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and throughout Canada and the United States with his original dramas based on the early history of the Baha'i Faith. Mr. George returned to Touchstone as a full-time Ensemble Member in 2003 where he has won numerous awards over the years including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, a Pennsylvania Solo Theatre Arts Fellowship, and was proud to be with Touchstone Producing Artistic Director, Mark McKenna, in 2003 when the Company received the Otto Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre.

James P. Jordan, Ensemble Member/Production Manager
James P. Jordan has worked with Touchstone since 2003; He adds Ensemble Member to his title this season. He's been involved in production professionally for the last 15 years.

Lisa Jordan, Ensemble Member/Producing Director
Lisa holds a BA in theatre and minor in music from Kutztown University. After graduation she served as Production Intern at Civic Theatre of Allentown for their 2000-01 season. Following her internship, she stage managed Christmas City Follies '01. After this first experience at Touchstone she was hooked and accepted the full-time position of Production Manager. Over the past 6 years she has filled many roles: stage manager, (A Comic Strip, Don Quixote of Bethlehem), lighting designer (Just So Stories, Follies '03), props designer (Hit or Myth), costume designer (Talisman, A Comic Strip) and assistant director (Southside Experience, The Glass Menagerie) to name a few favorites. Lisa is honored to be a part of such an amazing team and is looking forward to another exhilarating season.

Vicki Haller, Ensemble Member/Education Coordinator
At Touchstone, Vicki has performed in such productions as Don Quixote of Bethlehem, If At All, A Comic Strip, Follies, and Ouch!, and written The Talisman. She has also written Touchstone's newest family production, Tales from the Middle East, and is working on the Lehigh Valley Black African Heritage History Project Production. As Education Coordinator for the past 2 years, she has overseen all arts-in-education residencies and workshops and taught theatre to students from early childhood through our professional apprenticeship program. Vicki has worked and performed at the New Harmony Project (Indiana), Slant Theatre Project (New York), and the Barter Theater (Virginia) and studied theatre and dance at the Patravadi Theatre in Bangkok, Thailand. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance from the University of Evansville. Vicki studies at the International Institute for Restorative Practices in Bethlehem and teaches yoga.

Amy Meleck, Director of Development
Amy Meleck is a native New Yorker who has lived in the Lehigh Valley since 1983.
A life-long supporter of the arts, Amy began her career in development at the Pennsylvania Stage Company (now defunct) in 1988. She headed the development effort at Valley Youth House for 10 years and was Director of the Annual Fund at DeSales University. Meleck obtained her CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) which is the credential awarded by CFRE International to fundraisers who demonstrate tenure in the fundraising profession, continuing education, professional achievement, ethical standards and commitment to service for not-for-profit organizations.

Liz Wheeler, Administrative Assistant
Liz joined Touchstone in April of 2005. She lives in Bethlehem's Southside with her husband and two young daughters. She has a BFA with a concentration in ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and an MA from the State University of New York at Binghamton in the Philosophy, Interpretation, and Culture department.

Tom Christian, Apprentice
Tom Christian is a native of Warminster, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg College in May, 2007 with a BA in Theatre Arts. His many roles at Gettysburg include Roget from An Experiment with an Air Pump and Dr. Craven in The Secret Garden. Tom left Gettysburg as a three year member of Drop the Octave, Gettysburg College's all male A Cappella group. In the fall of 2005, he studied commedia dell'arte and performed the role of Arlecchino at the Accademia dell'Arte in Arezzo, Italy, a semester which has truly opened his eyes to the excitement and possibilities of physical theatre, things he is thrilled to continue working on at Touchstone this year!

Abigail Getty, Apprentice
Abigail Getty recently graduated from Messiah College with a B.A. in Theatre. She also studied for a term at the University of London and has spent two summers as an intern with the Peterborough Players in New Hampshire. She loves acting, writing, directing, and all other forms of storytelling. Favorite shows include Into the Woods (Baker' s Wife), Noises Off (Dotty/Clackett), The Civil War (Nurse), and The Long Christmas Dinner (Genevieve). Many thanks to those who love her (for getting her this far). Thanks also to the lovely people of Touchstone Theatre for asking her to come along for the ride - she can't wait.

Jen Jaynes, Apprentice
Jen Jaynes recently graduated from Kutztown University with a B.A. in Vocal Music Performance and a minor in Musical Theatre. She also attended the University of Virginia for her first year of college and the University of Denver's Lamont School of Music for her second year. During her college years she was actively involved as a performer in theatre and musical productions including Victor/Victoria, Cabaret, Steve Martin's Wasp, and Bertolt Brecht's How Much Is Your Iron?. Her local performances include The Rocky Horror Show with The Reading Community Players, Lucky Stiff with K.U., The Rope with K.U., and Cantatica, a new vocal music ensemble in the Lehigh Valley. Performing, however, is only one of her many passions. Jen also enjoys teaching. Her past teaching experiences include being a supplemental instructor for the chemistry department at K.U., and working as an assistant kindergarten teacher and music instructor in Northern Virginia. Jen is honored to be an apprentice at Touchstone, and she is determined to soak up as much knowledge and experience as humanly possible.

Jeffrey Stingerstein, Apprentice
Jeffrey Stingerstein is a Theatre Artist originally from Western New York. He received his BFA in Dramatic Writing with a concentration in playwriting in May 2006 from Purchase College (SUNY). He received his Associates from Niagara County Community College in 1998. Over the last ten years Jeffrey has acted in numerous colligate productions, including "Beyond Therapy," "The Shape of Things," "Playboy of the Western World," and others. His playwriting credits include: "Something Lost (Somewhere, Somehow, Along the Way)" (February 2006, SUNY Purchase), "Afterwords" (April 2001, NCCC), "Pauly's Wager" (April 2006, Signature Theatre), and "The Sandbar" (unproduced).

Touchstone is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The official registration and financial information of Touchstone may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State by calling toll-free within PA 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.