Rising Stars

CHELSEA DACEY — Chelsea’s teaching experience ranges from: Director, Fairfield Summer Stage (Frozen Jr., Lion King Jr., Finding Nemo Jr., and Little Mermaid Jr.); Director, Independent Day School (Shrek, Singing in the Rain Jr.); and Music Teacher, Independent Day School and many more. At Legacy Theatre, Chelsea’s teaching experience has included teaching Toddler Time (theatre and music class for toddlers), Fairy Tale Musical (theatre class where students create their own musical), and an audition preparation class. Her Legacy Theatre performances include: Rapunzel/Book and Music (A Princess Tea), Piglet (The Tales of Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh), Choreographer (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown), Silly Dilly: The Musical, and Belinda (The Tales of Custard the Dragon). Other experience includes Off Broadway (Piggy Nation) and regional theatre shows. She is also a narrator on Audible (Romany Romance). ChelseaDacey.com 

ANNE RUNOLFSSON has entertained audiences worldwide for the past 35 years. A veteran of the stage and concert venues, her Broadway and National tour appearances include: Phantom of the Opera (Carlotta), Victor/Victoria (Standby for Julie Andrews and Liza Minnelli), Les Misérables (Fantine), Cyrano: The Musical (Roxane), The Secret Garden (Lili), Aspects of Love, and James Joyce’s The Dead (Gretta). As a soloist, Anne has performed at such iconic venues as The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall (with tenor Jose Carreras), The 02 Arena (London, with Julie Andrews), The Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap and countless others. Anne was awarded New York City’s prestigious MAC award for Best Female Singer. Her cabaret appearances include Birdland, 54 Below, The Green Room 42, 92nd Street Y, The Russian Tea Room, Rainbow and Stars, and Hollywood’s Cinegrill and Gardenia. Show recordings include: Les Misérables International Cast, Listen to My Heart, and You Oughta Be On Broadway, and a solo album “At Sea.” Anne co-wrote and performs in two shows with singer/actress daughter Tess Adams; The Story Goes On: A Broadway Family Journey and Heroine’s Song. Anne made her directorial debut in December 2021 in Los Angeles with My Unauthorized Hallmark Movie Musical. She has also appeared on NBC’s The Blacklist. Anne is principal partner of Runolfsson Entertainment which includes “Sing With Anne,” a vocal coaching practice. She has taught voice and performance at the Orange County School for the Arts in California and New York University.

Kiersten Bjork has been the Theatre Manager at Legacy for the past three seasons and is excited for all of the exciting things happening in 2024! She is a 2021 graduate of Fairfield University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in Theatre and English.

Kiersten has performed with companies such as Legacy Theatre, Seven Angels Theatre, Shoreline Theatre Company, Theatre Fairfield, and more, having worked on dozens of productions both on and offstage. Favorite performing credits include Footloose (Ethel McCormack), The Spitfire Grill (Percy), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Enchantress, Madame D’Arque), [title of show] (Susan – BroadwayWorld Award Nomination: Best Performer in a Musical), Joan Joyce! (Young Joan Joyce/Teen Joan Joyce – BroadwayWorld Award Nomination: Best Performer in a Musical), Chicago (June/“Squish”), A Christmas Carol (Fan/Mrs. Fezziwig/Others), and A Princess Tea (Evil Queen). Kiersten has also worked on numerous productions from the creative and technical sides, with favorites being Rabbit Hole (Scenic Designer), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Master Carpenter), and I Do! I Do! and The Last Five Years (Assistant Stage Manager).

In addition to her work with Legacy, Kiersten is also the Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Branford Community Foundation, an a cappella ensemble singer with the Royal Court Singers, a Book Reviewer for Booktrib, and a Theatre Critic with the Connecticut Critics Circle. You can read her theatre reviews at whitebirchblog.com. She also does freelance theatre work as a stage manager, technician, and carpenter for the Quick Center for the Arts and Theatre Fairfield.

Nick Fetherston is an actor operating out of the New Haven area. He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University with a degree in Theater Studies and is also an alumnus of The National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. His Legacy Theatre credits include playing Jonathan in The Play That Goes Wrong, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Rosencrantz in Hamlet. Other acting credits include playing Mack in Fairview (Collective Consciousness Theatre), Don John/ The Sexton in Much Ado About Nothing (Capital Classics), Albert in Goldfish (New Haven Theater Company), and Mr. Bingley in Pride and Prejudice (The Little Theatre of Manchester). Nick is also a standardized/simulated patient for Yale University and Quinnipiac University, where he uses his acting skills to assist in the training of medical students. Nick also teaches a variety of acting classes here at The Legacy Theatre. Website: nickfetherston.com

Sarah Pero — Born and raised in New Haven, CT, Sarah has been involved with local community and professional theatre for 20+ years. Acting at the age of 10, and directing at 16, Sarah received her BFA in Theatre, with a concentration in directing from the University of Rhode Island. Right after college, Sarah was a part-time drama teacher in New Haven Public Schools and also taught theatre classes with Performing Arts Programs (South Windsor, CT). Sarah then worked at the Music Theatre of CT (Norwalk, CT) School of Performing Arts, wearing many hats as Administrative Manager, Teaching Artist, Director, Music Director, and Choreographer for the school. Sarah also managed the Box Office and was the Resident Sound Designer for MTC’s Professional Main Stage. Following MTC, Sarah worked as Administrative Manager at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre (Bridgeport, CT). As a Production Stage Manager for various Theatre Productions in Rhode Island and Connecticut, some of her favorites include: Tick, Tick Boom; Little Women: The Musical; and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Most recently, Sarah served as the Production Stage Manager for multiple Legacy productions in the 2021, 2022, and 2023 seasons, including I Do! I Do!, A Princess Tea, The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play, and more . Sarah started Stage Managing at Legacy Theatre in 2021 and officially joined the team as the full-time Production Manager in 2022.