Michael R. Petyak, Guest Instructor
Michael R. Petyak (Resident Artist) holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music Theater, Magna cum Laude from Shenandoah University/Conservatory of Music. While attending Shenandoah University, Michael was part of their a capella group, Shenandoah Singers, and was seen in productions such as Ragtime, The Three Sisters, The Who's Tommy & Peer Gynt. While attending university, he interned and studied directing under nine-time Jefferson Award winner, Warner Crocker, at Wayside Theater, where he helped create world premiers such as Southern Crossroads: The New Orleans Adventure & Glory Bea! A Shenandoah Christmas Story.
Post-grad, Michael worked regionally across the United States in such notable houses as Great Plains Theater Festival in Abilene, Kansas (Big River), The Powel Crosley Theater in Sarasota, Florida (Romeo & Juliet as Romeo, Macbeth as Macbeth, Hamlet as Hamlet, Gift of the Magi as Jim & A Burglar's Christmas as Willie) working alongside Broadway legend, Annie Morrison, & the Harrisburg Shakespeare Festival (Measure for Measure - Lucio). He earned his first Off-Broadway credit in a short play festival playing one of three leads in The Pheasant Plucker's Son.
Michael began his stage combat/stunt experience at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, where he studied under Ron Keller - head of Orlando SFX whose credits include The Walking Dead. He then broke into film and television, and holds stunt credits doubling famous actors such as Joe Anderson (Outsiders), Calum Worthy (Replicate), and Henry Zebrowski (Trollville). Other television/films he has worked on include: Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Fences (casting), & TURN: Washington's Spies. He has worked with such film directors as Michael Trim (Orange is the New Black), Peter Weller (RoboCop), Keith Boak (Doctor Who), & Jeremy Webb (Downton Abbey). He has directed and choreographed for both stage and film across the United States, and has most recently choreographed at LLPACS for Peter Pan: Dancing Through Neverland & Hunchback of Notre Dame. He also recently choreographed for Kinetic Theater's critically acclaimed The Liar. He is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA. Michael R. Petyak teaches Stage Movement at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter.