Theatre Faculty
Joan Bendix
Theatre Music Director
Joan studied piano and voice at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Joan has served as music director and performed on the keyboard/piano for musical productions in schools and theaters, including the Cleveland Playhouse, Cleveland Public Theater, Chagrin Valley Little Theater, Mercury Theatre Company, Walsh Jesuit High School, and University School. She is currently Music Director at First United Church of Christ in Eastlake.
Joan loves teaching children and helping them find that spark of passion for music. She believes in guiding students to find their own voice and the confidence to participate in the community of theater and musical production.
Bruno Bush
Theatre Music Director
Bruno Bush is a freelance music director, pianist, vocalist, conductor, and composer who recently stepped away from a career in public school education to devote his time towards musical theatre and piano. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor’s in Music Education in 2019. He studied voice with Dr. Jim Mismas, piano with Dr. Anthony Fuoco, and conducting with Dr. Dirk Garner. Bruno is the founder of Moondaze, an a cappella group that still exists at BW, and served as President of the BW OCMEA Chapter. He music directed shows with Sandstone Summer Theatre (The Spongebob Musical, Cabaret, The Wizard of Oz), Port Clinton High School (Anastasia, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Theory of Relativity, High School Musical) the Millenial Theatre Project (Legally Blonde) and the Lorain Palace Youth Theatre (School of Rock, Frozen Jr). Bruno is set to direct The Last Five Years (MAD* Factory) and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Midview High School) in the coming months.
Merlynne Hancock
Theatre Choreography
Merlynne Hancock joined the Fairmount faculty in 1989 as a choreographer for the Youth Theatre and has taught a variety of children’s classes and camps, including Movin’ Together and Kreative Kids. For 35 years, Merlynne has choreographed productions at area schools, from elementary to college level. She started dancing at age 6, and studied under Bea Fried, Noreen Londregan, and Ernst Hillenbran. She graduated from Heidelberg College with a degree in Communication and Theatre Arts and French, with an acting/directing emphasis.
Jasmine Renee
Youth Theatre Director
Jasmine Renee is a multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated with a BFA in Dramatic Arts from The New School’s School of Drama. When Jasmine was a sophomore, she was first exposed to teaching during her course work at The New School. She taught elementary and middle schoolers in Harlem and was instantly hooked. She is excited to be in the classroom teaching again from what she has learned over the years. Favorite regional acting credits include: Dreamwalkers (Molly Walsh) with Shadow of the Run, Hamlet (Ophelia) with Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Teddy Bear Mountain (Maya) with Cleveland Play House.
Patti Susman
Youth Theatre Director
Patti is an honors graduate of Cleveland State University. She has a degree Dramatic Arts. She has been with the Fairmount since 1982, where she has directed over 80 productions. She has also taught dance, art and gymnastics. Patti was the first Youth Theatre Director at the Solon for the Arts and was also an Assistant Director and instructor for the Heights Youth Theatre.
Patti trained as a dancer with Dave and Shirley Morganstern. She was a member of the Morgan Dancers. She and her sisters performed throughout the Cleveland area. She began her acting career at the old Musicarnival Theatre, located in Warrensville Hts. Ohio. At age 13, she was selected as one of the youngest apprentices in the theatre’s history. She spent 3 summers working, in various capacities, on Broadway touring company productions, concerts and children’s theatre performances. It was at Musicarnival that Patti was given the opportunity to teach and direct theatre classes to younger students and that is when she decided that arts education was her passion, and she has pursued that passion ever since.
Cody Swanson
Stage Manager, Homeschool
Cody Swanson is a professional actor, teacher, stage manager, and fight choreographer. He has a BFA in acting with a minor in musical theatre from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also at the university, he studied stage combat. He is an advanced actor combatant with The Society of American Fight Directors, certifying in eight weapon disciplines. At school, some of his favorite roles include “Kiss Me, Kate” (Gangster #1), and “The 39 Steps” (Clown #1). Favorite regional credits include “Young Frankenstein” (Igor) at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, “Romeo & Juliet” (Mercutio) and “Measure for Measure” (Duke Vicentio) both with The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, “Assassins” (Sam Byck) at Lakeland Civic Theatre, and “Bus Stop” (Carl) at Big Dog Theatre. Cody also has credits with SmashUp Entertainment, Shadow of the Run, and The Cleveland Play House.
Cody has been teaching theatre in one way or another for over 10 years at various places including Laurel School, Hathaway Brown Theatre Institute, The Academy for the Performing Arts, and Beachwood Theatre Camp. He believes that learning is lifelong, and hopes to learn something new from his students every day. Cody will be teaching theatre and is on the Homeschool teaching team here at Fairmount.
Clay Yoder
Stage Combat, Drama Club
Studied theatre and music at the University of Mount Union. Clay began acting at the age of 6 and has been in love with finding truth under imaginary circumstances ever since. Some of his favorite roles include; Shrek (Shrek The Musical), Amos (Chicago), Horatio (Hamlet), and Rosencrantz (R&G are Dead). During his time at the University of Mount Union Clay began to form a deep appreciation for the work of Michael Chekhov and Rudolf von Laban. He soon began developing voice and movement workshops based off of their work, and exploring how these movement techniques can be applied to the world of stage combat. Clay has served as a guest artist at Jackson High School in Jackson Township Ohio, Lakewood High School in Hebron Ohio, as well as serving as the TA for the University of Mount Unions stage combat course.
Clay believes in the process of “finding one’s body” and hopes to help youth and adults alike discover the power their most important instrument holds, so they may tell their stories as beautifully and honestly as possible.
Rachel Zake
Theatre Instructor
Rachel Zake is an award-winning writer, actor, and director. Most recently, Rachel wrote a commissioned piece about the unparalleled Ruth Bader Ginsburg for Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland, OH (The Prospect of Equality, May-June 2024). Next up, her full-length play, Nine Dinners in October, will premiere at Outside Circle Theatre Project (March 2025). Rachel has been acting for over 30 years (Playhouse Square, Dobama Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Cain Park, Playwrights Local, and Halle Theatre among others). She is President of the Board for Dobama Theatre, and a member of SAG-AFTRA, The Dramatists Guild of America and Dobama Theatre’s Playwrights’ GYM. She also served as Artistic Director of Playmakers Youth Theatre in Beachwood, OH. Rachel has published four books: Two People are Coming out of a Building (2014, fiction), The Nomad Diaries (2017, nonfiction), Pants Off/Dance Off: A Gentleman's Guide (2019, nonfiction) and The Actuality of Us: Leiland & Emmeline (2021, fiction).