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John T. Stephan, Director/Choreographer/EducatorWhile in high school, John's passion for theatre was awakened by his high school theatre teacher, dance teacher, and music teacher, each of whom helped him to discover his talents and perpetuate his passion for the arts. He performed in productions of Damn Yankees, Annie, West Side Story, Pippin, Crazy for You (individually nominated for his responsibility as the dance captain; production won the Papermill Rising Star Award for "Best Choreography"), You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and 42nd Street (nominated for Papermill Rising Star Award for "Outstanding Overall Production").
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John's experience with directing and choreographing began at a young age. In 2004, he co-founded the Rahway Recreation Summer Theatre Group, a summer program for elementary, middle, and high school students to participate in a musical production. The intention of this program was to allow students an opportunity to perform and to participate in various aspects of the production process. With this company, he worked on productions of The Music Man, Once on this Island, Into the Woods, and Seussical the Musical.
John attended Rowan University from 2004 through 2008, majoring in English education and minoring in theatre arts. Shortly after graduating, he was hired to teach language arts and dramatic arts at Cumberland Regional High School, where he taught from 2008 through 2016. In 2015, he was recognized by the Cumberland Regional High School District as the "Teacher of the Year."
In 2017, John joined the faculty of Cedar Creek High School as an English/Theatre teacher and director of the school's award-winning theatre arts program, where he directs the annual all-school fall play and spring musical. In 2020, he was recognized by the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District as the "Teacher of the Year" for Cedar Creek High School. In 2023, Cedar Creek High School's theatre program was recognized by the Educational Theatre Association as a "Premier Community for Theatre Education" through 2025.
In 2012, John was accepted into the University of Northern Colorado's Theatre and Dance Department's master's degree program in Theatre Education. He graduated with honors from the program in December of 2014. His master's thesis involved a high school production of James Still's play, And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank and was entitled "Observing Student Growth through an Exploration of How Historic, Cultural, Religious, and Ethnical Aspects of a Society Contribute to Holocaust Drama." In 2020, he began working towards his MFA in theatre directing through the University of Idaho's Theatre Arts Department; he graduated with honors from the program in August of 2021.
John attended Rowan University from 2004 through 2008, majoring in English education and minoring in theatre arts. Shortly after graduating, he was hired to teach language arts and dramatic arts at Cumberland Regional High School, where he taught from 2008 through 2016. In 2015, he was recognized by the Cumberland Regional High School District as the "Teacher of the Year."
In 2017, John joined the faculty of Cedar Creek High School as an English/Theatre teacher and director of the school's award-winning theatre arts program, where he directs the annual all-school fall play and spring musical. In 2020, he was recognized by the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District as the "Teacher of the Year" for Cedar Creek High School. In 2023, Cedar Creek High School's theatre program was recognized by the Educational Theatre Association as a "Premier Community for Theatre Education" through 2025.
In 2012, John was accepted into the University of Northern Colorado's Theatre and Dance Department's master's degree program in Theatre Education. He graduated with honors from the program in December of 2014. His master's thesis involved a high school production of James Still's play, And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank and was entitled "Observing Student Growth through an Exploration of How Historic, Cultural, Religious, and Ethnical Aspects of a Society Contribute to Holocaust Drama." In 2020, he began working towards his MFA in theatre directing through the University of Idaho's Theatre Arts Department; he graduated with honors from the program in August of 2021.
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From 2010 through 2015, John served as the Director of Production on the Board of Directors for The Off Broad Street Players Theatre Company. He volunteered his time to assist and organize various aspects of each of the company's 5-6 show seasons over the course of those years. He also directed/choreographed over 15 productions between 2011 and 2019. His 2018 production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast won the New Jersey Association of Community Theatre's Perry Award for "Outstanding Production of a Musical." In 2015, John directed/choreographed his first production for The Broadway Theatre of Pitman, Anything Goes. Since then, he has directed/choreographed 1-2 main stage productions per season, while also serving on the Artistic Board. Over the past few years, John has served as a freelance director and/or choreographer for theatre companies in the southern New Jersey area. He continues to work on various projects and is always looking for new opportunities. |
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