Meet Our Teachers, Program Directors & Camp Counselors!
Elisha Harris
TWNN Executive Director & Head Instructor
Howdy guys I'm Elisha! I've lived in Reno most my life and love it! In high school I did Track, Cross Country, and of course Drama! One of the reasons that I love acting is because I can transform myself into a different person every gig! I'm incredibly thankful for the roles I’ve been able to play this year. It started with Tom Robinson in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and most recently I got to play The Mad Hatter in “Alice In Wonderland”. Two totally different roles, but incredibly fun in their own ways. In my free time you will most likely find me daydreaming, working out, or bursting into song for no particular reason.
Jessica Sanchez Grimaldo
Lead & Teen Instructor
Jessica Sanchez Grimaldo has been passionate for the performing arts since she was a small child. Having gone most of her life without knowing of her now diagnosed Anxiety Disorder, this made performing very challenging for her. With her degree in Musical Theatre she hopes to help anyone and everyone with challenging their own personal obstacles to take on the performing arts so that they too can experience all the wonderful benefits the arts has to offer. Jessica strongly believes that everyone in this life is a performer regardless of their occupation or status quo and would love to help anyone who desires to embrace that.
Katie Hippert
Instructor - TWNN Company Youth & Littles
TWNN has been Katie’s home away from home for 4 years now, after she made her debut performance here! Some of Katie’s favorite shows she’s done with TheatreWorks have been “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid”. She was the stage manager and music director for “The Addams Family”, and even got to help with the music for TWNN’s short film, “Little Scrooge”! Katie is a senior at AACT high school where she is in the medical academy and plans on a future in physical therapy. Outside of school, she studies vocal performance, piano, guitar, violin, and ukulele. Katie is so excited to be back at TWNN to help encourage young performers to find themselves and build their confidence through theatre with TWNN.
Abby Rosen
Instructor- Boys & Girls Club Outreach Programs
Abby Rosen is a teaching artist, theater maker, and performer currently based in Reno, NV. She moved here in 2016 to pursue a degree in vocal performance from the University of Nevada, Reno. Through multiple musicals, countless dance classes, tears, laughter and a whole pandemic, she is now the proud holder of both a BA in Musical Theater and a BA in Dance from UNR. She had the privilege of touring with the Missoula Children’s Theater during the summer of 2019 where she discovered her love for teaching and bringing the magic of theater to children everywhere. Rosen hopes to attend graduate school for a degree in Theater for Young Audiences and Communities in the near future. When she isn’t teaching with Theater Works of Northern Nevada, Sierra School of the Performing Arts, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, or in her own private studio you can find her crocheting and watching Kitchen Nightmares late into the night.
James French
Instructor
James French is a local thespian that was born in Reno and trained in the surrounding theatre community. In 2018, he graduated from AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles with a Bachelors Degree in Acting. During this time he had the experience to travel to New York for additional dance and film training and gained a world of experience in those few months.
He is excited to expand his theatrical background and dive into dance, directing, and
set design to enhance his knowledge of the arts with TWNN!
Hana Altenburg
Instructor & Breaks Camp Counselor
Lights...camera... action! Hana Altenburg was born and raised right here in Reno, Nevada. She’s been apart of the TWNN family for over 8 years now and continues to live and breathe theatre in her everyday life. Hana has been numerous Theatre Works productions, her most notable roles include Lavita in “Miss Nelson’s Missing”, Tiger Lily in “Alice and Wonderland”, Mrs Loftus in “Huckleberry Finn” and of course Magic Carpet in “Aladdin the Musical”. If she’s not onstage, you can find Hana behind the scenes helping assemble costumes, sets and props. She’s had multiple opportunities as a stage manager and even got to debut in directing “Stuart Little”. When not busy in the world of acting, Hana is a honors and AP student at her high school, keeping herself busy playing three varsity sports, participating in many school clubs including student council and National Honors Society, as well as maintaining a large impact volunteering often within her community. Hana is also the current reigning Miss Washoe County’s Outstanding Teen of 2019. Active with her platform “Take Two: helping kids build characters they love both on and off stage through theatre” Miss Hana strives to give back to the kids in her community that offered her so much growing up.