Our Team at Talespinner Children's Theatre
Executive Director: Sarah Durham (she/her)
Sarah is a passionate arts leader, performer, and educator who brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, theater production, and arts education to her new role. She has built a career that seamlessly blends artistry and administration, advancing creative organizations through strategic leadership while keeping storytelling and accessibility at the heart of her work.
An accomplished actor, director, and choreographer, Sarah’s theatrical credits span a wide range of roles and genres. Her combined experience onstage and in arts administration gives her a unique perspective on nurturing artists and engaging audiences. Most recently, she served as Business Operations Director at the National Center for Choreography in Akron and has also held key administrative and leadership roles with ICA–Art Conservation, DANCECleveland, Playhouse Square, and Salem Community Theatre.
Sarah holds a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Kentucky and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Wright State University. She has worked directly with youth and artists both nationally and within her community and remains a proud advocate for arts access and education.
Director of Education: Rebecca Burcher (she/her/hers)
Rebecca Burcher was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Slippery Rock University (SRU) in Western Pennsylvania. She graduated in 2014 summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Community Programs for Americans with Disabilities with a specialization in Adapted Physical Activity.
She has combined the two degrees and worked as a teaching artist for outreach programming for Attack Theatre, Dancing Wheels Company and School, GroundWorks DanceTheater, the Center for Arts Inspired Learning, Newbridge Center for Arts & Technology, Foluke Cultural Arts Center, and more. Rebecca has taught dance, arts and crafts, theater, improvisation, Spanish, American Sign Language, carpentry, meditation and more to over 10,000 learners ages 0-93 in the last decade. Burcher has taught dozens of residencies ranging from learning shapes and colors in Pre-K, to wheelchair residencies at Metrohealth Hospitals for SCI/TBI rehabilitation patients, to creative movement for women and children and various homeless shelters, and much more.
“As a teaching artist I have the unique opportunity to teach experientially, and by doing so offer a unique method of understanding for difficult concepts. Once taught, one does not forget how to ride a bike or how to swim. The motor patterns stay in our body years after we have “forgotten” them. The body has an incredible capacity for retention that I feel is underutilized by most of us. I want my students to not only to learn the material being taught to them, but to use problem solving and critical thinking skills to further understand what they are learning. Although I am a movement-based teaching artist, I still believe in homework and in-class written, oral, and physical assignments. Students in my class should still expect to write, read, and verbalize the material they learn. I believe as a teacher it is my job to address all types of learners in my classroom, not just the kinesthetic learners. It is critical that I am able to create space in which my students should be able to find the fine line between creative expression and maintaining a safe and respectful classroom. I work hard to make my classes a fun environment where creative and personal expression is welcome and encouraged, autonomy and decision-making is supported, and each student is set up for their individual success.”
Education Manager: Olivia Queener (she/her)
Olivia Queener is a 14-year veteran of the United States Navy. She proudly served as a Hospital Corpsman, engaging in various assignments and deployments around the globe. After her honorable discharge, Olivia actively pursued acting in film and stage throughout northeast Ohio.
She has gotten cozily settled into Cleveland, Ohio. Olivia began her TCT path with the touring show ‘Everything I Feel’ directed by Mariah Burks. Moving forward, Olivia was requested back to audition for the role of ‘Tortoise’ in ‘Tortoise and Hare’ directed by Will Potts. After seeing all the joy these programs brought to the school staff and students, Olivia applied to be a teaching artist. Ever since, Olivia has conducted in-house classes, productions, school residencies, and summer camps.
Although she has left active duty status, the mission remains the same; to create an environment where people can genuinely feel and be their true authentic selves through the arts. I am truly honored to accept the position of Education Manager. My goal is to help continue the growth of accessible arts for our youth and surrounding communities and to keep a safe and welcoming environment that is conducive to learning and, most importantly of all, fun.
Production Manager: A’Rhyan Samford (she/her)
A’Rhyan is a multifaceted artist and theatre professional whose background includes acting, directing, fight and intimacy choreography, TV production, and theatre education. As the Production Manager at Talespinner Children’s Theatre, she brings strong organizational leadership and a creative vision to the stage, supporting the development and execution of engaging, high-quality productions for young audiences.
In addition to her production management role, A’Rhyan previously served as the theatre’s Education Coordinator and director, helming Kid co. productions of Addams Family Jr., Aristocats, and Stuart Little. Her dual roles allow her to bridge the artistic and logistical sides of theatre, ensuring a cohesive and enriching experience for both performers and audiences.
Beyond Talespinner, A’Rhyan teaches and directs at Oberlin High School, continuing her commitment to arts education. Her past experience includes working with Great Lakes Theater’s education department, where she brought Shakespeare and classical theatre into schools across Northeast Ohio, and several summers with Shakespeare & Company as an actor, director, and educator.