Meet Our Staff
Michael Popovsky
Founder, Owner, Director | Voice Instructor
As a performer Michael, has had the honor of performing such theatres as Opera Naples (Fl), Opera Delaware, Fulton Theatre, Gretna Theatre, Opera Lancaster, Bootless Stageworks, and Opera Seabrook to name a few. Favorite roles on stage include Schaunard (La Boheme), Harold Hill (Music Man), Man #2 (My Way…Frank Sinatra), Satan (Jerry Springer the Opera), Silvio (Pagliacci), Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf (Into the Woods), Marullo (Rigoletto), Snoopy (You’re a Good Man…) and Lesgles (Les Miserables).
As a voice pedagogue and teacher, Michael is passionate about helping students unlock and demystify the power of their own voice through contemporary and anatomically correct voice training methods. Michael is a member of NATS, a winner of the Independent Teacher Fellowship Award and his students have attended such programs as Point Park University, NYU, AMDA, Temple and Penn State’s Summer Musical Theatre intensive. They’ve also been semifinalists and winners at NATS student auditions and have been cast in Broadway, professional, semi-professional, community and school productions.
An experienced Director and Music Director, a highlight of his directing resume was directing the area premier of School of Rock for PPAS, as well as bringing Mean Girls to Lancaster for the first time. Michael’s previous voice teachers include Dr. Thomas Houser, John Darrenkamp, Gweynne Geyer and Master Teacher Robert Edwin.
Michael lives full time in NYC working as a real estate agent with The Agency and loves playing golf, the NY Giants, and a good Old Fashioned.
Christyn Rutter
Owner, Director | Music Together® & Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Christyn Rutter is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, and educator with over 20 years of teaching experience. Throughout her career, she has taken on diverse roles including music director, costumer, props master, sound engineer, pit musician, and performer in productions ranging from intimate cabarets to fully staged musicals.
Her passion for music began in childhood, fueling a lifelong dedication to sharing the transformative power of music. After studying Music Education (French horn) at Eastern University, Christyn taught in Wayne, PA, before moving to Los Angeles. In 2010, she settled in Lancaster with her husband, welcomed children in 2011 and 2013, and joined Popovsky Performing Arts (PPAS) in 2014 as a Music Together® teacher. By 2016, Christyn became co-owner and director of PPAS, and in 2018, she completed Music Together’s Certification 1. And, in 2026, Christyn and family welcomed a third child!
Outside of the studio, Christyn’s interests range from sewing, woodworking, and hand-lettering, to gardening, traveling, and crafting cocktails. She’s also passionate about movement—whether hiking, biking, kayaking, lifting, exploring, or competing. Christyn is a certified yoga instructor with more than 700 hours of Yoga Education, and is working towards a personal training certification.
Christyn cherishes the opportunity to inspire students and families at PPAS, and she is grateful for the relationships formed within the vibrant PPAS community.
Debra Macut
Director of Acting | Acting instructor
Debra Macut holds a BA in drama and psychology from Franklin and Marshall College and an MFA in Acting from Catholic University of America. Ms. Macut is also a proud member of the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). Ms. Macut has enjoyed a successful career in professional theatre, having performed throughout the U.S. This includes a 10 year residency at Stage One in Louisville, Ky. and a world premiere production of “The Great Gilly Hopkins” at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway, in which she originated the role of Maime Trotter. Debra also has experience with industrial work including film, commercials, and voice-overs.
Ms. Macut’s teaching background is extensive, with over 20 years of experience including workshops on general acting, children’s theatre, and Shakespeare. Debra has taught college level courses at Indiana University Southeast and acting for young people at Harrisburg Area Community College and Penn State Harrisburg.
Juliana Alfano
Online Voice & Acting Instructor
Her training outside of Penn State has taken her around the world. She took part in a Baroque Opera Workshop at the Aaron Copeland School of Music, working with world renowned soprano, Julianne Baird and performing as Valletto in scenes from Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea. Prior to that, in the summers of 2014/2015 she attended Classical Singing and New York in June, an intensive vocal study program with leading professionals from Juilliard, Mannes, and Manhattan School of Music. Her studies have also taken her abroad to Salzburg, Austria, where she spent a summer training and singing at the Patti and Allan Herbert Frost School of Music.
Juliana holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from The Crane School of Music under the tutelage of Deborah Massell at SUNY Potsdam in Northern New York. Her favorite musical theatre roles from her undergraduate years include Hope Harcourt in Anything Goes and performing in the ensembles of A Chorus Line and Ragtime. In her spare time, she can be seen gushing over every cute puppy she encounters on the street and learning the ukulele.
Ian J Wettlaufer
Musical Theatre Instructor
Trinda Shaull
Piano, Guitar & Ukulele Instructor | Music Together® & Rhythm Kids® Instructor
Trinda Shaull is an experienced private music instructor and educator, having substantial experience in both the classroom and with private lessons. She is excited to join the PPAS teaching staff. Prior to joining PPAS, Trinda directed several ensembles including percussion, choral and symphony groups. She also had the pleasure of music directing Annie Jr and producing Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.
She holds a B.S in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College. Outside of the studio, Trinda teaches private lessons out of her home in Reading. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and gardening. She lives with her husband, three cats, and her baby boy!
Becca Gentry
DANCE instructor | choreographer
Rebecca Gentry is a professionally trained ballet and ballroom dancer, though she dabbles in a variety of dance styles, from Bachata to Bollywood, Tap to Tango. She is the owner of City Ballroom Ballroom Dance Studio and the director of The Dance Collective, Lancaster’s only youth ballroom and latin competitive dance team. She has performed locally with the Grant Street Dance Company, UpFront Theatre Company, and PRiMA Theatre, has choreographed for both PRiMA and UpFront, as well as Encore! Home School Productions, the Lancaster Academy for the Performing Arts, the People’s Shakespeare Project, and The Musical Box Theatre in Red Lion. She is resident choreographer in the Manheim Central High School theatre department. Her most favorite shows to work on include Jesus Christ Superstar, HAIR, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She enjoys teaching and connecting with kids of ALL ages!
Grace Fafel
Piano, Guitar & Ukulele Instructor
Grace Fafel is a passionate music educator, dedicated to helping each student grow in confidence, technique, and creativity. She is currently completing her B.S. in Music Education at Lancaster Bible College, where she has gained valuable experience in both classroom and private music instruction.
In lessons, Grace is committed to helping students understand the purpose behind what they’re learning, developing both technical skill and musical expression. Her teaching philosophy centers on making music both accessible and meaningful, encouraging students to explore their creativity while building a solid musical foundation.
Grace teaches choir for fourth grade and above at a private bilingual school, and is a worship leader, singing and playing keys at her church in New Holland. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with friends, thrifting, and being outdoors.
Hannah Miller
Online Voice Instructor
Hannah Miller, a vocal educator, brings an exploration of singing and expression to students of all ages. Hannah is recent graduate of New England Conservatory where she recived a BM in vocal performance with a concentration in teaching artistry. Hannah focused on classical singing in her studies while pursuing cross training in musical theatre. Hannah is a frequent staff member of lancaster theatre camps including roles of co-director and music directing roles. Some of Hannahs favorite performances she has been a part of have included Dido and Aeneas and Beauty Intolerable Benefit Concert. While maintaining a private studio Hannah has worked with organizations including Boston City Singers, Boston Hope Music and was even lucky enough to be a teacher of the voice for non-majors elective at New England Conservatory during her time there. In lessons, Grace is committed to helping students understand the purpose behind what they’re learning, developing both technical skill and musical expression. Her teaching philosophy centers on making music both accessible and meaningful, encouraging students to explore their creativity while building a solid musical foundation.
Serena Monteforte
Studio Administrator | Musical Theatre Instructor
Serena is a 2025 graduate of Muhlenberg College, where she majored in Media & Communication with a focus on filmmaking and minored in Computer Science. While at Muhlenberg, she was deeply involved in the dance and theater communities. She served as president of a sketch comedy and improv troupe (D.I.E.) and managed social media for her musical improv group (T.B.D.). Before college, Serena attended Linden Hall, where she performed in every theater production and served as vice president of her International Thespian Society chapter. She has trained in dance since childhood, competing for several years, and is skilled in a range of styles from ballet to hip hop to aerial silks and acrobatics. In addition to her work in theater and dance, Serena was an active member of her school’s music department, playing trumpet, singing, and playing piano. Most recently, she studied abroad in Ireland, where she appeared in a production of Legally Blonde as a featured ensemble member, playing Sundeep Agrawal Padamadan and the Store Manager. While there, she was also invited to perform two songs at an awards ceremony. Her friends abroad described her best as: “To be Serena is to perform.”
Ryan Slusky
Musical Theatre Instructor
Ryan Slusky is proud to be a part of the PPAS team! Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in K-4 Childhood Education from Millersville University and teaches in the Harrisburg area. He is a talented performer and has appeared in theatres all over the area, including roles in PPAS’s The Lightning Thief (squirrel, ensemble), Footloose (Ren McCormick), and Anastasia (Vlad Popov). He began working with PPAS in the summer of 2023, and loves bringing his passions to life working with children in Musical Theatre!
Olivia Damore
Director of Education | Musical Theatre Instructor
Olivia is thrilled to be part of the PPAS Staff! Olivia earned a B.A. in Musical Theatre from West Chester University and a Masters of Education/ Certification in PreK- 4th from Kutztown University. Originally from Reading, PA, Olivia spent the last few years traveling and performing/ teaching in Tennessee, Kentucky, Delaware, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Italy! Olivia’s experience in education includes teaching kindergarten and directing the Pittman Players Theater Club, Knoxville Children’s Theatre, and Wolf Performing Arts Center. Performance credits: Ombelico Mask Ensemble, Great Smoky Mountain Murder Mystery, Stephen Foster Story, Rehoboth Summer Children’s Theatre, Storybook Musical Theatre.
Laura Havrilla
Voice and Piano Instructor
Laura is a classically trained singer of 30 years. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from William Paterson University with a Vocal Performance degree in 2005, receiving her New Jersey Music Teacher’s Certification in 2012. She completed her Masters Degree in Teaching December of 2015. Her extensive research included in-depth focus on the adolescent changing voice. She gained expertise and further understanding of the physical and emotional aspects of young singers experiencing vocal change, and finds it imperative to apply that knowledge in the vocal studio. She has traveled and performed in several places in various genres of music. Alongside her University studies, Laura trained with Juilliard professors including Mr. Daniel Ferro, Mr. Robert Kopelson, and Bruno Rigacci in the Daniel Ferro Vocal Program in Chianti, Italy. She has also trained with professionals in a performance-based music program for emerging artists called Opera Works, run by Ann Baltz in Los Angeles, California. Laura has been serving as Worship Director and Singer/Accompanist at her local churches for the last 20 years. One thing she really enjoys is writing, recording, and producing Christian Worship and Christmas music! She currently enjoys teaching students piano and all areas of the voice and loves to perform all musical genres.
Laura’s students have auditioned and participated in professional venues such as the Paper Mill Playhouse, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and Carnegie Hall to name a few. Students preparing for auditions have been accepted to colleges with high scholarships such as the Manhattan School of Music, Berkeley College of Music, Westminster Choir College, University of Delaware, University of Michigan, and Oberlin College and Conservatory, William Paterson University, & Montclair State University to name a few. She loves to see her students thrive in the studio and out and is one of her students’ biggest cheerleaders!