Meet the AICA Team
Amy Moore
Amy Moore has been a member of the staff of Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) since 2008, serving as Director of Education and Programs until 2016 when she assumed her current position of Executive Director. She holds a BS in elementary education and a BA in flute performance from Bowling Green State University (Ohio). She holds an MA in music theory and history and MM in flute performance from The Pennsylvania State University. Prior to joining the staff at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, her 30+ year arts management career includes serving as Director of Membership for GALA Choruses, Operations Manager for the Arlington Symphony, Assistant Manager for Music at Penn’s Woods Festival Orchestra and Tour Manager for the Polish National Radio Symphony.
Co-Founder
Deb Gottesman
Deb Gottesman is a founder and co-director of The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts. She is also a professional actress who has performed frequently at Woolly Mammoth Theatre as well as at Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, Keegan Theatre, Theater Alliance, and with the Washington Shakespeare Company, among many others. She has directed more than 15 productions at The Theatre Lab, including Cabaret, Ragtime, The Crucible, The Grapes of Wrath, and Jane Eyre, as well as productions for National Geographic and Catholic University’s Musical Theatre Department. She is a 2003 recipient of the prestigious Linowes Leadership Award for her contributions to arts education and was selected as a 2023 Washingtonian of the Year for co-creating the Life Stories®. Along with Theatre Lab co-founder Buzz Mauro, she has authored three books on applied acting, all published by Penguin Putnam.
Co-Founder
As one of Life Pieces To Masterpieces’ Co-Founders in 1996, Mary Brown has worked for decades to create meaningful change in the lives of Black and Brown bows and their families locally and nationally. Sister Mary is currently LPTM’s Executive Director, working with the team to advance the critical mission of using artistic expression to develop character and leadership, unlock potential, and prepare Black and Brown boys and young men to transform their lives and communities.
Mary was a member of the national faculty at Neighborworks America for 17 years, responsible for the design, facilitation and evaluation of training programs nationwide for youth development workers, community developers and organizers.
Co-FounderMary Brown
Natalie Pertz
Natalie is the Program Director for the AICA, previously serving as Head of Education at The Kreeger Museum. She holds a Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Goucher College and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Communication Arts from Gannon University. Natalie has trained at The Eugene O’Neill National Theater Institute, Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, and The Globe Education Center in London, England. She spent the 2014-2015 season as an Education Apprentice at Hartford Stage, a Tony-award winning regional theatre. As a teaching artist, Natalie has taught and supervised the implementation of STEAM curriculum with pre-school through aging adult students in multiple states and districts such as Erie, Syracuse, and Hartford.
Program Director
Angelo Merenda
Angelo Merenda is the IT/Technical Director of The Theatre Lab and Lead Instructor for the AICA’s technical theatre curriculum, guiding apprentices through comprehensive skill-building in stage management, lighting design, sound design, industry certifications, and more. Angelo has worked freelance as an audio technician, lighting director, and production manager for over 20 years on the East Coast. In the DC area, he has worked productions at The Studio Theater, Shakespeare Theatre, and Constellation Theatre, and served as Production Manager for Rainbow Theatre Project. Prior to joining The Theatre Lab, he managed local crews for touring rock and roll and Broadway shows for the Modlin Center for the Arts in Richmond, VA.
Lead InstructorAdditional AICA Team Members
Isabel Reiff
Admissions Coordinator
Send a message to IsabelMakayla Smith
Partner Relations AssistantShiloh Coleman
Apprentice Career MentorSister Aikta Suri
Color Me Community Director