What's in a Name Theater Company
Mission
WIN is a place for teens to build community and form relationships through collaborative creativity.
Vision
WIN aims to give teens a supportive and challenging educational setting in which their abilities are pushed to the next level as they create high quality theater together. We limit the size of our casts in order to promote strong relationships between young people.
Who We Are
Mariah May-Ostendorp
Director/Technical Director
I grew up in Durango and was a member of DHS Troupe 1096 throughout high school. I received my BA in Theater from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. After college, I moved back to Durango where my husband and I have raised our family.
In 2015, I joined St. Columba Middle School as the director of their new Theater program. Since then, I have directed more than fifteen full-length plays. Alisa and I have teamed up many times on shows such as The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods, Seussical, Jr., and Newsies.
I love directing young people, and I am always amazed at what they can achieve when the bar is set high!
Katie Nakamoto
Choreographer
I grew up in Montrose, CO and moved to the Denver area to attend college at the Colorado School of Mines. I have always loved to dance, but it wasn't until college that I decided to pursue a new hobby and fell in love with dance.
I moved to the Durango area with my family in 2021 and started volunteering at St. Columba School and became involved in the theater program.
I am currently working at St. Columba Middle School while pursuing my teaching license and I am so excited to work with youth and help them grow in confidence through dance!
Alisa Stuard
Musical Director
I grew up in the Midwest where I spent a lot of my time playing music, singing, traveling with performing groups. I studied music at the University of Northern Iowa before teaching in Illinois on my way to Colorado.
I moved to Durango in 2014 and have taught at St. Columba ever since. I’ve taken a few choirs and bands to the Reno International Jazz Fest, and even came away with a first place combo award in 2018.
Helping kids and teens build confidence and a lifelong love for music are among my biggest goals as a teacher!