Who’s Who

KEELY BAISDEN KNUDSEN (Director, Artistic Director & Co-Founder) An award winning director, Keely has performed, directed, and choreographed internationally in plays, musicals, operas, and dance companies in hundreds of theatrical productions and has performed in 48 of the United States and in the UK. Realizing her vision of a new theater company on the Connecticut Shoreline, Keely’s ideals of inspiring, inclusive work that uplifts the human spirit and connects communities formalized in the creation of the Legacy Theatre with Co-Founder Stephanie Stiefel Williams, a performing colleague and dear friend. Keely has directed, choreographed, and taught a myriad of performing arts courses at such institutions as Quinnipiac University, Yale University, Fairfield University, Hartt School of Drama, Southern Connecticut State University, Westminster College, and was the Director of Education of New Haven’s acclaimed Elm Shakespeare Company for several years. Additionally a composer/lyricist and playwright, she is currently collaborating on two musicals and is a member of ASCAP. Her directing has been heralded by the Arts Paper as “…visually striking, emotionally moving” and “captivating” and of her direction of Hamlet it was said, “Knudsen has made the notoriously difficult Shakespearean language accessible.” Her creation of the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe has been an especially rewarding program as she acts and directs with those who ambulate with crutches and wheelchairs. Her BFA is from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, at which she graduated first in the class, and she received her Masters Degree in Drama on full scholarship from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. Keely, her husband Brian, and five children (Saviah, Liviana, Wynter, Emery, and Reeves) reside in Guilford, CT, where she thoroughly enjoys running the Legacy with a tremendous staff and community support.

CATHYANN RODING (Music Director) was the Director of Choral Music at Branford High School for 32 years before retiring in June 2017. Over the years, her groups performed in various places in the U.S. and Europe, as well as raised money for countless organizations in Branford. Cathyann was the Musical Director and Choreographer of Branford High’s Spring Musical. Some of her favorites include productions of Phantom of the Opera, In the Heights, Les Miserables, and Titanic. Awards and honors that she is proud of include Branford’s Citizen of the Year, Branford’s Teacher of the Year, the Branford Education Hall of Fame, and is truly humbled that the Branford High School Auditorium has been named after her. She is incredibly happy to be working at Legacy Theatre!

CHELSEA DACEY (Choreographer) is delighted to return to Legacy following her roles in A Silly Dilly Concert and The Tales of Custard the Dragon. She has been seen Off Broadway as Lacey Leopard in Piggy Nation The Musical, and various childrens productions across CT. Peace and love to all! Chelseadacey.com

SARAH PERO (Production Stage Manager & Production Manager) 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 I Do! I Do! and multiple Legacy productions in the 2021 season. Sarah is thrilled to officially join the Legacy team as Production Manager.

ELIZABETH BOLSTER (Costume Designer) has been the Wardrobe Supervisor at the Yale Repertory Theater since 2002 where she enjoys working backstage and training student work study crews. Outside of her job at Yale she is a Costume and Scenic designer whose work has been seen at Elm Shakespeare Company, Yale Baroque Opera Project, and Trinity College Hartford. Previous Legacy credits include Just Desserts and The Last Five Years. In what little free time she has Elizabeth enjoys exploring different mediums of visual and fiber arts as well as DIY home projects. Professional training: MFA in Costume Design from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts and Film at SUNY Purchase, and a BFA in Performance Production from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA.

JAMIE BURNETT (Scenic/Lighting Designer) is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, recipient of the 2005 New Haven Arts award, and Founding member of The Elm Shakespeare Company. Lighting Designer at Elm Shakespeare for 26 years and Set Designer until 2009. Lighting Design credits include International Festival of Arts and Ideas 2018, Requiem for an Electric Chair; Iseman Theater 2017, Never Stand Still. CCT: Skeleton Crew, Rasheeda Speaking, Jesus Hopped the A Train, Sunset Baby, Topdog/Underdog. SCSU: Stop Kiss, Much Ado About Nothing, The Boyfriend and Our Country’s Good. SHU: In The Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar. Citywide Open Studios: New Haven Armory; Projects2k: Stamford Train Station Façade Lighting; Producer/Lighting Designer/Production Manager for Terra Tractus (The Earth Moves), (2005) Terra Mirabila, (2001) Terra Lumina and Terra Continuum (1999): performed in the Stony Creek Granite Quarry; PNM’s Branford Luminata (2010) lighting Branford Green Town Hall. His company, Luminous Environments, specializes in theater and TV studio renovations and public art installations involving specialized lighting. Recent projects: Branford HS Theater, Fairfield Community Theater, and Legacy Theatre.

RICH BURKAM (Master Carpenter) came to Connecticut to study music and music recording at UNH. He played in bands such as 4:20, Space Cushion, and Over The Line. His studies continued, learning to be a luthier under Barry Lipman and Chris Tatalias, giving him a taste for fine woodworking. Richard now owns a woodshop that makes fine furniture, in a space which is shared with lighting designer Jamie Burnett. Together they have built sets for many production companies, including Elm Shakespeare, Yale Baroque Opera Project, and many small black box theater productions.

HANNAH JACKSON (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to be working on her first production with Legacy Theatre. In the past, Hannah has worked on crew at Walsh Intermediate School and Branford High School. She has also been a part of Shoreline Theater Company since its inaugural season, working in areas such as set painting/design, prop managing, running spotlights and backstage crew. In the fall, Hannah will be a senior at Branford High School and is hoping to study studio art in college.

SAVIAH KNUDSEN (Run Crew) has played the title role in Alice in Wonderland, Katie Nana, Chimney Sweep, and Ensemble in Mary Poppins, Stepsister in Into the Woods, the Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Daughter in Rumpelstiltskin, among others. She also has been a crew member for Polkadots, Oedipus Rex, A Christmas Carol, and many more!

SPECIAL THANKS FOR YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN

SCSU, Castle Craig Players, Brian W. Knudsen, Nancy Smith, Nick Morcaldi