About the Instructors | pepperell-arts

Introduction to our Intstructors

Jonna Barnaby (Classes: Improv 101, Improv in Motion and Improv Experience)

Jonna has been a drama teacher for 7 years, and a drama queen for almost 50 years! She has taught drama to kids from age 8-18, and has spent several years involved in community theatre in Southern NH. Jonna loves theater and thinks it is a wonderful way for kids to express creativity and emotion in a healthy, fun way.

Zac Barnaby (Classes: Improv 101 , Improv in Motion and Improv Experience)

Zac has been involved in doing theater for about 8 years, and is in production for his 27th show! He lives and breathes theater, and has been nominated twice for a NH Best Youth Actor Award. Some of his all-time favorite roles he has played have been Quasimodo in Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jack Kelly in Newsies, and Donkey in Shrek. He makes everything he learns and teaches so fun!

Teri Davis (PCA Choir Accompanist)

Music has always played a central role in Teri's life. Her mother, a band, orchestra and choir teacher by profession, immersed her in the world of accompanying at the young age of 5, instilling in her a love for contributing to a performance's tone. Since then, Teri has accompanied numerous choirs, bands, soloists, and diverse ensembles in her various communities.

Jessica Gray (Classes: Take the Stage! & Take the Stage, Jr.!)

Ms. Jessica keeps these classes fast-paced and flexible to best accommodate the attention span of kids in these age groups. She is a lady who loves being silly and has so much fun with the kids! Jessica grew up in a musical family who sang together, and happily continues this tradition with her own children. She has enjoyed singing as a soloist, as well as with choral groups in Minnesota, Utah, California, Michigan, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. She especially loves teaching music to children, and has conducted choirs of children, teens, and adults. Jessica currently sings with VOCE – New England’s Chamber Choir, an acclaimed group based in Hartford, CT, as well as with the newly formed PCA Choir. She loves being involved with Pepperell Community Arts where she is able to share her love of music with those in her community, and help them to develop confidence and"find their voice".

Katharine Grubb (Class: Poetry)

Katharine Grubb is a former fourth grade teacher, mother of five, 18-year homeschooling veteran, camping enthusiast, bread-baker, author of three novels and four books on writing. She is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, focusing on poetry. She leads 10 Minute Novelists, an international Facebook group of time-crunched writers. She lives with her family in Ayer.

Tonya Lewis Callahan (Classes: Acting I - Unscripted & Acting II)

Tonya Lewis Callahan grew up in Dodge City, KS. She graduated from Wichita State University with a BFA in Theatre Performance. After graduating from Brandeis University with a MFA in Acting, she taught at Brandeis and Emerson College. Tonya met her husband in Waltham, and they decided to raise their six children in Pepperell. Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, she enjoyed performing in Summer Theatre, Community and Dinner Theatre, Melodramas and Olios at Wichita’s Cowtown Museum, toured with the Boot Hill Repertory Company as a Can-can dancer, and performed in Christmastime with the Reagle Players in Waltham. Some of her favorite roles were in: Burn This, Nora (adaptation of A Doll’s House), Grease, Diamond Studs, Working, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Our Country’s Good and Sunday in New York. She most recently appeared in Castle Rock (Hulu) and in the pilot Suspicion for NBC. Currently, Tonya teaches piano and is going on her 20th year as a Singer/Accompanist for Our Lady of Grace Parish in Pepperell and West Groton. Tonya is grateful to be a part of PCA and looks forward to sharing her passion of Theatre with the students!

Deulene Petrie (PCA Choir Director)

Deulene was raised in a musical home where she learned to play piano and violin, and to sing in parts. In college, she sang in several musical groups including the BYU Women's Barbershop Quartet for 2 years. It was also in college that she discovered her love for directing choirs. She started and currently runs a community youth choir called The New England Youth Singers. They have just finished their fifth year by singing for the Fourth of July show at Holman Stadium in Nashua, NH. She has had the opportunity to be the Musical Director for "Savior of the World" performed by her church 2 separate times, and is currently the Musical Director for PCA’s Production of "Annie". One of her most rewarding activities is to sing with her family. She looks forward to sharing her love of making beautiful music with the PCA community.

Sara Sexton (Class: Musical Theater Dance)

Sara is a graduate of Oklahoma City University where she received a Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance. She has been dancing for twenty-eight years and has training in Jazz, Ballet, Tap, Musical Theatre, Hip Hop, and Lyrical. Upon graduation Sara went on to perform professionally. Credits Include: Thoroughly Modern Millie, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Legally Blonde, Singin’ In the Rain, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Not only has Sara had opportunities to perform, but she has had the privilege of choreographing productions of Rent, Joseph & The Technicolor Dreamcoat, and 9 to 5. She has also taught at studios in Virginia, Oklahoma, and Florida and served as a dance instructor for Artbarn Community Theater (Brookline, MA) and summer camps at Reagle Music Theatre (Waltham, MA). Sara is super excited to get back into teaching and strives to be a positive role model, build confidence, and ignite a passion in her students as they learn and grow in their craft.

Stacey Thompson (Class: Dramatic Expressions)

Stacey Thompson believes everyone needs a little drama in their life! Growing up Stacey loved participating in community theater, where she had lead or supporting roles in many shows including Brigadoon, Oklahoma!, Hello, Dolly! Whose Life Is It Anyway, Taming of the Shrew, South Pacific, Music Man, The Odd Couple (female version), The Foreigner, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Meet Me in St. Louis and Evita. Stacey minored in music in college (BYU), founded a community choir in Utah (Orem Chorale), spent 20 years leading church choirs and orchestras, teaching children’s music classes and music directing high school musicals (All Shook Up, Little Women, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Les Miserables, The Fantasticks!). She’s also been costume director for many shows. She has has lived in Washington DC, Berkeley, CA, Philly, PA, Orem, Utah and now Pepperell! She founded PCA in 2018 and loves Pepperell wholeheartedly! Directed YAGMCB, Little Women and Shrek for PCA, sang with PCA choir. Stacey is mad about her amazing husband John and their nine children and two grand babies. In her free time she loves to dabble in Real Estate. Stacey has learned, when it comes to drama: EXPRESSION is everything! She is grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to work with PCA students again!!