Jennifer Almeida-Co-Director Raise Your Voice

Jen is incredibly excited to be working with Courtenay and this talented cast. She has an extensive background in performance and teaching. Jen has directed musicals, plays, and concerts for children and has taught classroom music as well as private classes in acting, musical theater, preschool, Mommy and Me and private voice. As a singer and actor in the community, she performed with Falmouth Theater Guild as Marian and Chiara in The Bridges of Madison County, Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins and Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls at the Academy Performing Arts in Orleans and Emily Hobbs in Elf the Musical at Cotuit Center for the Arts along with her son, Lucas as Michael Hobbs. Past favorite roles include Sister Amnesia in Nunsense, Lily in The Secret Garden, Rapunzel in Into the Woods, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Papagena in The Magic Flute. Jennifer completed her undergraduate degree at the Hartt School and her graduate degree at the New England Conservatory where she was a member of the opera theater program. Jennifer has sung as a soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and was a regional semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a young artist with PORT (Opera Maine) and has performed in several seasons with them. Jennifer loves living on the Cape in Sandwich with her husband, son, and two crazy and lovable rescue dogs.

Courtenay Harrington-Bailey-Dramafun Founding Director, Co-Director Raise Your Voice

Courtenay is a transplant from New York City where she worked as a professional actress for many years. Immediately after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in both Vocal Music Performance and Theatre Arts she started working full time performing for audiences across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. In February of 2012 she co-wrote and performed the play Death-It Happens as part of the NYC Frigid Festival which won the audience choice award. A mother of two, Courtenay has enjoyed teaching kids of all ages since arriving on Cape Cod in 2005. Several of her students have gone on to pursue professional careers in music and theater or are currently attending university level programs. In addition to teaching Dramafun, Courtenay is on the faculty of The Bridgeview Montessori School in Sagamore teaching General Music, Movement, and Drama to students ages 2.9-12. She has been a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association for over 30 years.