Our faculty and staff are dedicated local theater professionals who are passionate about nurturing growth in young artists. With extensive professional experience, advanced training, and notable achievements, they bring both expertise and inspiration to the classroom. Their diverse backgrounds allow them to cultivate a rich, supportive learning environment and ensure that every student receives high-quality, top-tier instruction.

Rising Stars is a two-week Musical Theater Summer Program at Port Gamble Theater, where students receive expert training in music, movement, and acting.

On the first day, students arrive prepared with an audition song and monologue from a dream role. They participate in a round of mock auditions, which are recorded to establish a starting point and benchmark for growth. Students also take part in a mock dance call.

Throughout the two weeks, participants engage in mock auditions, workshops, masterclasses, choral rehearsals, dance rehearsals, and skill-building activities designed to strengthen technique, confidence, and performance ability.

On the final Friday, students record a second mock audition to showcase their growth and progress. This recording may also serve as a professional audition tape for future opportunities.

The program culminates in a dazzling showcase performance on Sunday, August 16 at 2:00 PM, where students share their hard work with family and friends.

Important Dates:

• August 3–14, 2026 | 9:30 AM–3:30 PM, and August 15, 2026 | 12:00–4:00 PM

 Calendar Break Down:

• Monday, August 3: Mock Auditions (come prepared with a song and monologue from a dream role)
•  August 4–13: Workshops, masterclasses, choral and dance rehearsals
•  Friday, August 14: Mock Auditions Round 2 & Showcase Dress Rehearsal
•  Sunday, August 16: Student Showcase at 2:00 PM (Student call time: 12:00 PM)

The flame that keeps Rising Stars burning bright was first sparked backstage during Port Gamble Theater’s production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. In the midst of that show, something magical became clear: Kitsap County is filled with extraordinarily talented performing artists—and when those artists are given the support they deserve, the results are transformative.

A small team—Charis Ifland, Nina Pollachek, Ila Faubion, and Amanda Fish—came together with a shared vision: to create a program where professional artists are paid living wages and students receive the highest quality training possible.

We believe that when teachers and artists are genuinely supported, they are able to fully realize their potential. In turn, they channel that energy into creating a meaningful, rigorous, and effective curriculum—one that not only serves students, but extends outward to enrich the entire theater community.

We are thrilled with the educational team that we have assembled this year and are confident that this team is well-equipped and enthusiastic a to support your child in their dream

Charis Ifland is a  dedicated music educator based in Kitsap, with a deep passion for the  arts and a commitment to helping others express themselves and reach  their artistic goals. A Kitsap native, Charis began her teaching journey  early—conducting her first orchestra while still in high school—and has  since accumulated over 10 years of experience in music education and  performance.

She holds an Associate’s  degree in Music from Edmonds College and a Bachelor’s degree in Music  Education. Charis currently teaches private voice and cello lessons in  Poulsbo, WA, and continues to expand her work as a performer and  educator across the region.

Her  performance background is diverse and dynamic, including multi-arts  collaborative and improvised works at Edmonds College’s Black Box  Theatre, tours with the Soundsation Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Charleston  Southern University’s Concert Singers, singing with the Seattle Symphony  Chorale, and performing original music with her folk band at festivals across South Carolina. Locally, she performs with Ovation! Performing  Arts Northwest, Port Gamble Theater, Jewel Box Theatre, Bremerton Community Theater and the historic Kitsap Forest Theater.

Charis believes that when the weight of the world feels overwhelming—when reality leaves  us speechless or searching for meaning—we turn to the arts for relief,  connection, community, and hope. This belief shapes both her teaching  and performing, as she strives to create spaces where people feel  empowered to explore, heal, and grow through creative expression.

 Alix  Black holds a BFA in Acting from The University of Montevallo. She has  taught various workshops to youth in improv, audition technique, and  acting technique.  She is currently developing a short play writing  workshop and festival with Cairn Theatre Collective. She has a  particular love of Shakespeare and was most recently seen in BPA's Macbeth last summer. She has appeared onstage at PGT as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Ernest at JBT. 

With 10+ years of experience Shannon is thrilled to share their passion for the arts with your youth. Shannon is a local theatre director, performer, and teacher. They started their performing journey as a young child and began directing for their childhood theatre company in high school. Shannon’s performance background is diverse - classically trained in choral music and jazz choir and a wide variety of stage performance with broadway style music and dance. They teach private vocal lessons, acting workshops, and other performance arts classes through the Poulsbo, WA Parks and Rec Department. Shannon directs summer camp programs for children of all ages with a focus on musical theatre. When not teaching, you will find Shannon onstage. Shannon was most recently in a production at Bremerton Community Theater in Mamma Mia as Ali, and recently performed with Encore! as Rizzo in Grease and Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls. Shannon has a strong belief of healing and learning through music and performance arts. They strive to create a safe and fun community for everyone while sharing the joy of the stage.

Danika is so excited to be joining the team at Rising Stars Summer Program this year! Danika is a recent graduate from Western Washington University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She has a passion for bringing the arts into all areas of education because of how much the theater has supported her throughout her life. Danika believes in creating a safe space for all performers by promoting positive mentorships and sharing love for being on stage with young people. Danika has been a part of the theater since 2010. Since then, she has directed, worked in tech, been a  photographer, taught acting workshops and classes, and has had the opportunity to intern at The 5th Avenue Theatre in The Rising Star Project as a Producing and Directing Student. Danika also loves to perform and be on stage, playing roles such as "Queen of Hearts" in Alice in Wonderland, "Baker's Wife" in Into the Woods, "Marty" in Grease, and "Miss Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls. Danika can't wait to meet all the bright performers this summer and is so thrilled to continue growing as a theater educator with Port Gamble Theatre.

Everett has been passionate about the performing arts his whole life and  is thrilled to share his passion through the Rising Stars Summer  Program! Everett grew up on the stage in Kitsap, and throughout his K-12  education, was involved in local theatre, band,  and choir as a performer, director, and drum major. While he has been  putting more energy into his studies at Oregon State University in  recent years, he remains heavily involved in the arts during the summer,  dedicating his time to performing and helping  to direct musical theatre summer camps for children. Most recently, he  has enjoyed the opportunity to make magic as a Cast Member at Walt  Disney World, but he can't wait to return to Kitsap this summer to keep  putting his passion into theatre. His latest appearances  onstage include Encore!'s Grease, in which he played Danny Zuko, and Guys and Dolls,  in which he played Sky Masterson. Everett has seen firsthand how the  arts can shape lives, and he cannot wait to share that magic with all of  Rising Star's lovely  performers this summer!

Michelle has over 16 years of experience as an actor, director, producer and Improv performer as well as an acting and Improv teacher. From 2016 to present she has been a member of the Improv Troupe “Imagined Reality" and is also a member and Artistic Director of the troupe "KrakenUp!" which is comprised of several former students. She  taught Improv and acting summer camp as well as year-around at  Bainbridge Independence for grades K-12 from 2016-2020. From 2023 to present she has been teaching Youth Improv on Bainbridge Island, and at Jewel Box Theatre in Poulsbo, and continues to teach  Adult Improv at Jewel Box Theatre as well as Port Gamble Theater.  Education – UC Berkeley - Environmental Chemistry degree, minor in  Conservation Resource Studies.

James is a dedicated educator and accomplished actor with a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. With  over two decades of theater experience across the West Coast, his  lifelong passion for the arts, ignited in high school, is rooted in the  belief that storytelling—especially through acting—forms the bedrock of  human connection.

A familiar face in Kitsap County theater, James has graced stages at Bainbridge Performing Arts, Jewel Box, Bremerton  Community Theater, InD Theater, and Port Gamble Theater. Audiences may  recognize him from his recent roles as Montague D'ysquith Navaro in A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and Max in The Play That Goes Wrong at Bainbridge Performing Arts. Beyond the stage and classroom, James is a vocal performance enthusiast who enjoys exploring techniques to bring text to life.