Tina Lauro

Rita Sarli​

Native to Brooklyn and residing in Long Island, Mahi is an Indian-American actress who juggles being a wife, mother, teacher, as well as working in theater as a director, music director, and choreographer. Mahi has been performing in skits and playing instruments all throughout her childhood and adult life. She got a taste of real acting in high school, when her drama teacher introduced her to Stanislavski and sense memory. Mahi’s love for teaching brought her to Long Island University in Brooklyn, where she studied Theatre, Music, Education, and English Literature– focusing on writing and text analysis. She worked as an editor on numerous projects, including Naked I Came, a full-length novel by Ian Kumar (Published on Amazon, 2015), and as the sole editor & dramaturg (2018-2020) for Two Princes, a full-length musical. Mahi has worked as an actor, director, music director, and choreographer for Studio Theatre in Lindenhurst’s Youth Theatre Program, Kenwal Day Camp in Melville, Merrick Theatre and Center for the Arts, as well as various main stage productions. Mahi currently works for the NYC Department of Education as a Paraprofessional, having completed all current mandatory state training regarding working with children, recognizing signs of autism & abuse, as well as CPR and seizure training. She has a lot of experience working with children of all ages (Pre-K to high school), classifications, and special needs. Whether the children have experience with theatre or whether they are just beginning, Mahi aims to use her professional background, as well as her acting experience and interpersonal skills to create a warm, welcoming, and trusting environment for students to grow, thrive, and cultivate their abilities to their highest potential, while being safe and having lots of fun!

Katherine D'Alto​

Alexandra Thomas graduated with her BFA in Theatre Arts Performance from Hofstra University. Since graduating in 2010, she has worked on stage, back stage, teaching, and private coaching. Previous classes have been taught at Merrick Theatre & Center for the Arts, South Shore Theatre Experience, and HAFTR High School. She has also helped her students to win numerous awards at the Hofstra University Shakespeare Scene Competition. She loves to teach cold reading, audition prep, Shakespeare interpretation, scene breakdowns, acting through song, and more!

Mahi Singh

Katie is currently a Math/STEM teacher at HAFTR High School in Cedarhurst NY. When she isn't doing this, her hobbies include teaching theater! Katie directed the shows at Saint Dominic High School for 8 years, before she had her daughter Melanie. Now she is sharing her passion for acting, singing and dancing with her own 2nd grader. If she isn't teaching, Katie can be found on stage as well. Favorite roles include Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Luisa (The Fantasticks), and Gwendolyn (The Importance of Being Earnest).

Rita Sarli is an actor, director, and coach who has spent over 10 years sharing her passion for theater with students ages 4 to 18 at various Long Island theaters and high school programs. With a knack for bringing stories to life, she has directed shows like Once Upon a Mattress, The Mad Ones, The Breakfast Club, RENT Jr., The Jungle Book, and Finding Nemo the Musical. Rita has also created and directed cabarets and musical revues, celebrating the joy of performance. She’s dedicated to inspiring young performers and spreading the magic of storytelling wherever she goes.

Tina's passion for music and performing has always been a driving force in her life. With a background as a music education major, she pursued her love for music by teaching students from Pre-K to 8th grade, where she found immense joy in sharing her passion with young learners. Her dedication to the art form extended beyond the classroom, as she performed in numerous musicals and directed productions for students of all ages. Tina's experience in both performing and directing has allowed her to cultivate a deep understanding and appreciation for live theater. Now, she is thrilled to be a part of the Hardscrabble Theater, where she can continue to share her love for the performing arts and bring the magic of live theater to audiences of all ages.

Virginia Greene

Virginia Green has been a board member at Hardscrabble Theater for several years. She has a bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts from North Texas University. Virginia has been involved in community and regional theater on Long Island for over thirty years, and enjoys performing and working backstage.

Alexandra Thomas

CHILDREN'S THEATER STAFF