Meet Our Teaching Artists

Teaching Artists - Twin Cities

  • Young woman with curly brown hair, glasses, wearing a navy shirt, smiling in front of a purple curtain.

    Carmen Castello

    Carmen (she/her) is a Midwest movement and theatre artist, specializing in choreography, performance, and children's theatre. She studied theatre and dance at the U of M - Twin Cities, and works with schools in the area like Blaine High School and Valley View Middle School. She is originally from the Milwaukee area, where she works with Lake Country Playhouse. When not in the theatre, you can find her reading, baking, or playing board games.

  • A young woman with long red hair smiling inside a building with brick wall background.

    Miranda Pautzke

    Miranda (she/her) recently moved to Minneapolis from Moorhead, MN. She graduated from North Dakota State University with a Major in Theatre and Minor in Women and Gender Studies. Prior to coming to the cities, she worked for Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre as a director, teaching artist, stage manager, actor and more! Miranda has always found a home in Theatre and Art and hopes to help others find it too. In her free time, you might find her painting, daydreaming, singing, enjoying the outdoors, playing The Sims or just being a modern-day Stooge, usually on accident!

  • Young woman with long wavy red hair smiling outdoors, wearing a light purple top and a necklace with a small circular pendant.

    Dana Strothenke

    Dana (she/her) is the Education Manager and manages the Twin Cities branch of classes for Character Kids. She is a director, actor, and theatre teaching artist. She has also worked in artistic administration at the Glimmerglass Festival, an opera festival in upstate New York, as well as at Sunset Playhouse, a community theatre in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. When she’s not teaching you can find her snuggling her cat, Gizmo.

  • A young woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile, wearing a black shirt, standing against a neutral background.

    Belle Waggoner

    Belle (she/her) has a passion for storytelling through theatre and film, and she loves helping the youngest actors and actresses discover the love for the performing arts! She is the Marketing Assistant for SOAR Regional Arts and runs her own business through Arbonne International. She is currently pursuing a BA in Theatre and Media Production at the University of Northwestern - St. Paul. After graduation, she hopes to do the Disney College Program to continue pursuing her love of stories. When not working or rehearsing, Belle loves watching movies, being with family, and spending time with her roommates and friends.

Interested in becoming a Teaching Artist? Click here to learn more!