Our Creative Family
Leah Gerstel
Creator/Writer/Producer/Eddy Mannerhausen
Leah has been shaping young minds with creativity for over 25 years. She has had the honor of performing professionally and producing content for World renowned family companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Royal Caribbean, and Disney.
Her love of teaching sprouted as a Sunday School teacher at age 14, then on to the creation of “Summer Stage” during breaks from college. Proudly, some of her students have gone on to NYU and perform professionally! From such humble beginnings, Leah has now had the pleasure of teaching in staple NYC institutions such as: The Museum of Natural History, The Central Park Zoo, St. James Episcopal Church, The JCC, KIdville and Gymboree. Alongside Megan, she co-created and taught the drama program for the prestigious Episcopal School of New York.
Leah met Megan during the time she received her BFA in Musical Theatre at Point Park University, and her life got exponentially better… Lots more laughs.
Oh Behave! With the Mannerhausens is a labor of love she dedicates to the memory of her Mom MaryJane, a spitfire, who always said,” No matter what you do with performing, I think you’ll always work with children, You’re just too good with them.” And of course to her Dad Joe, who continues to give unfathomable support and believe. Joe and MaryJane allowed freedom in pursuit of creativity, expression, emotion, and craft growing up, and always modeled trying to be a good person; an “ambassador of kindness” if you will. Leah enjoys photography and writing parodies when she’s not making this dream a reality.
Creator/Writer/Producer/Kit Mannerhausen
Megan has been teaching and entertaining kids for over 23 years. In the classroom, she's developed and taught her drama curriculum for several prestigious NYC educational programs since the early 2000's. A professional actor since the mid '90s, she's toured the country many times over in children's theater productions for Theaterworks USA, Artspower, and The Pushcart Players.
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She's performed for "big kids" on regional stages and screens of all sizes in both English and French in the US and also in Europe. She received her professional theater training from Point Park University's Conservatory of Performing Arts, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Wynn Handman Studio in New York.
When not a Drama Lady or in production, she teaches communication skills to medical and law students at top NYC universities. mmlawrence.com
Music
Songwriter/
Lead Vocals Theme Song
Amanda Droste is a singer/songwriter who's voice can be heard opening the recurring segment "Soundcheck" for the CW show "Extra". A songwriter for Season 2 of Nickelodeon's "Dora and Friends!" and the Cartoon Network's "Teen Titans Go", her works have also appeared on "The Hills" (MTV), Ellen (NBC), and "The Young and The Restless"(CBS). Active in the New York songwriting scene, she co-penned debut singles for Ali Brustofski (CW's "The Next"), K-pop star Heo Young Saeng (DSP Media), and Brett Loewenstern (American Idol) and continues to work with up-and-coming artists worldwide. amandadroste.com
Songwriter/Music Producer
Bart Migal is a producer, engineer, and writer based in New York City with over 17 years of experience in the music industry. Specializing in Broadway recordings, Bart has worked on albums like Fun Home, Porgy and Bess, On the 20th Century, On the Town, Follies, Passion, and many more. As a writer, he and Amanda Droste have written songs for Dora and Friends. Bart is also serving as Bjork's stateside recording engineer and has engineered her grammy-nominated Vulnicura. Bart prides himself on being able to take the mystery out of world-class recording for his clients.
Composer/Arranger/Musician
Sunny Knable is a multifaceted and award-winning composer. He holds degrees from from Stony Brook University (PhD), Queens College (MA) and CSU Sacramento (BM). Professional credits include his debut album "American Variations" on Centaur Records and his multiple bassoon works published by TrevCo-Varner Music. Dr. Knable serves as Music Director of The Church-in-the-Gardens and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Queens College and LaGuardia Community College, while fulfilling commissions from around the country. sunnyknablecomposer.com
Design
Troy Beard
Hair Design
Trained at Frederic Fekkai. Broadway: (Associate Hair Design) The Bridges of Madison County, Romeo and Juliet. Regional: Present Laughter, Wind in the Willows (Two River Theatre). Previously the Hair and Wigs Supervisor at The Juilliard School.
Kseniya "Wooksy" Wooster
Scenic Design & Art
Kseniya Wooster was born in a small town in the Northern Kazakhstan. When she was 16, Kseniya got accepted into the prestigious Kazakh State Academy of Arts in the city of Almaty. She majored in Theatre Art Production (Stage Design, Art Decoration). In the past several years, Kseniya had personal exhibits in Sarajevo (Bosnia), Pristina (Republic of Kosovo), Skopje (Republic of Macedonia), and Baku (Azerbaijan). Her works have been purchased for private collections by art connoisseurs from all over the world. She has most recently studied at the following art schools: Scenic Art Studio (Joe Forbes and Jane Snow) & Florence Art Academy US (figures drawing class of Edmond Rochat) wookse-art.com
Lisa Clementi
Concept Art/Illustrator
Lisa Clementi, MS, R-DMT holds a BA in Dance and Fine Arts from Hofstra University and a MS in Dance/Movement Therapy from Pratt Institute. She has over fourteen years of professional dance experience in NYC and abroad. Lisa currently dances for Robin Becker Dance and Born Dancing, Inc. As a registered dance/movement psychotherapist, Lisa works with many marginalized populations, such as at-risk adolescent youth at The Animation Project and with incarcerated women at Greenhope Services for Women, Inc. Lisa uses photography, drawing and painting as a reflection to her inner journey through life and happily shares these skills with friends, family, and commissioned projects. linkedin.com/in/lisaclementi
Child Development
Jennie Cox,MA,BCBA
Special Education Teacher, Behavior Analyst Consultant
Jennie Cox is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and has over 17 years experience as a special education teacher in Morgantown, West Virginia. Jennie holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education and is certified in Special Education K-12. Currently, Jennie is in an alternative education classroom for elementary students, K-5, who display moderate to severe problem behavior. She helps students reintegrate with their peers in the general classroom environments by working with parents and school staff to develop individualized plans to meet each students' needs. She is the mother of two girls, and enjoys spending time with family and friends!
EARL GREY, PhD, LMHC, LPC, ACS, NCC, CEMDRT-AC/FacEducator, Researcher, & EMDR Specialist
Early Childhood Development Consultant
Dr. Grey is a published author in peer reviewed journals, professional books, and as a self-help author. He has been working with people in the helping professions for over two decades. He finds his purpose in helping the world thrive, one person at a time! drearlgrey.com
Media
Gil Franco
Character Design
Gil Franco is a character designer and 3D artist living in New York City. Hailing from Northern California, Gil worked for seven years in commercial art and animation. He is now working on an upcoming animated feature film slated for release in 2023. Specializing in characters and 3D modeling, his style is playful, whimsical, and full of color. gilfranco.com
Melody Moore
Photography
Melody Moore is a portrait photographer that captures timeless images with her lifestyle and photojournalistic photography. She combines her passion for photography, twenty years of professional acting and her new journey of motherhood to bring a creative edge to her work. She truly cares about the experience that each client has and will stop at nothing to deliver an exceptional product. melodymoore.photography
Erin Tyler
Graphic Design/Logo
Erin Tyler is a graphic designer and illustrator based out of Austin, TX. She specializes in publication design and branding for small and midsize companies.
For samples of her work check out erintylerdesign.com