Meet The Theatre South Team

 Ilana Meredith graduated from N.Y.U., Tisch School of the Arts with a B.F.A. in Drama.  (CAP21 Musical Theatre, The Classical Studio, and The Experimental Theatre Wing).  For several years after college, she performed in tours, regional theatre and summer stock companies.  Some of her favorite performances were as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Broward Stage Door Theatre (FL), Frenchy in Grease at The Shawnee Playhouse (PA), and Mrs. Bleakman in Phoenix Production's National Tour of Clifford The Big Red Dog - Live!.​

     While acting, Ms. Meredith started to teach at various schools and arts programs.  Her most treasured pre-grad school teaching experiences were at Multi-Arts Camp in Amherst, MA and at The Institute of Creative Arts in Seoul, South Korea.   She then returned to school for her Master's Degree in Theatre Education at City College of N.Y..    Since then, she has taught Drama and directed theatre productions at P.S. 189 (Brooklyn, NY), White Plains High School (White Plains, NY), The Osborn Elementary School (Rye, NY) and Great Neck North High School (Great Neck, NY). 

    She began teaching drama at Great Neck South High School and running the Theatre South program in the 2021/2022 school year.  In her first year at South, she directed the musical Grease and the comedic play, Château La Roach.

    For the past several years, Ms. Meredith has been singing in concerts in the tri-state area, and continuing to study the performing arts by taking classes / workshops in acting & directing (The Barrow Group, NYC), and clown, bouffon, & commedia dell’arte (The Movement Studio Theatre / Funny School of Good Acting).   In August of 2022, she is set to take a Shakespeare Acting class at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (Glasgow).  

The Theatre South Executive Board is elected in the spring to represent the student body of the theatre program.  They help to organize social gatherings, fundraisers, and theatre events throughout the school year.    

BIO IN PROGRESS

BIO IN PROGRESS

BIO IN PROGRESS

Mr. Schwartz received his Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance from the Mannes College of Music, Master of Music Degree in music education from the Manhattan School of Music and NY state certification in school administration and supervision from Hunter College. In 2020, Mr. Schwartz was named a U.S. Presidential Scholars Distinguished Teacher. 

Mr. Schwartz began teaching in the Great Neck district in 1992 where he currently serves as Department Head of Performing Arts (music and drama), Director of Instrumental Music (bands and orchestras) and conductor of the annual musical and opera productions. His opera conducting credits include: Cosi Fan Tutte, La Boheme, Le Nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Die Fledermaus, Carmen, The Merry Widow, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica and Candide. His musical conducting credits include: The Mystery of Edwin Drood, West Side Story, Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, Anything Goes, The Boyfriend, Into The Woods, Pippin, Grease, Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, Kiss Me Kate, Bye Bye Birdie, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Phantom of the Opera, The Who’s Tommy, The Drowsy Chaperone, Chicago, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Little Night Music, Mama Mia, The Sound of Music and Oklahoma. Mr. Schwartz also created and teaches in the district's Great Neck Summer Instrumental Music program now in its 27th season. 

Prior to working in Great Neck, he taught music at PS 217 on Roosevelt Island, O'Henry School of The Arts-Intermediate School 70 and Robert F. Wagner Junior High School #167 in Manhattan. Mr. Schwartz coordinated the Manhattan Boro-wide Band program for many years directing them at Carnegie Hall and worked during summers at the French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts where he was director of jazz band, musical director of cabaret troupe, musical/artistic director of many musical productions and director of theatre in his final year. Mr. Schwartz has performed and conducted at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fischer Hall and as principal trumpet on tour in South East Asia and the Pacific with the Long Island Youth Orchestra and throughout Italy with the Rome Festival Orchestra. 

BIO IN PROGRESS

BIO IN PROGRESS

BIO IN PROGRESS