META LASCH
Technical Director of Theatre | M.A. – Art, University of Pittsburgh
Meta Lasch has been teaching Theatre at WLU since 1981 where she has produced well over 100 plays and musicals. A graduate of West Liberty in 1976, Ms. Lasch teaches a variety of courses including costuming, makeup, lighting, drafting, and stagecraft.
Her extensive professional experience includes work as a regional Emmy judge (Set Design category), Casting Director and Costumes for Wheeling Visitors Bureau Commercial series for Walkabout Productions, The West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts, West Virginia with the Arts in Industry Show sponsored by Oglebay Institute, Ohio Valley Summer Theater, the Three River’s Shakespeare Festival, and much more.
“While I’ve been spoiled by amazingly supportive staff at other facilities, and courted by other companies and institutions, no place offers the freedom of expression that you find at West Liberty. If you can’t grow here you weren’t planted right, and I believe that those who can do, teach. ”
MICHAEL AULICK
Theatre Director | MFA, Performance – University of Louisville
Michael L. Aulick trained as an actor and director at the University of Louisville under, among others, James Tompkins and Rinda Frye. He spent a few years touring with the acclaimed Louisville Repertory Theatre Company before taking a position as Professor of Theatre and Artistic Director of the Northeast State Theatre in Blountville, TN. In the nine years he was at Northeast State, the program experienced exponential growth in student-majors, curricular offerings, number and size of productions. He was able to build a program that gained prominence in the area and was recognized for excellence in Theatrical Education. He believes that a contributing artist, one who can make creative and bold choices, are much more likely to sustain a career and pushes his students to not rely on someone else for their performance. He attempts to shape artists who work collaboratively within a rehearsal, sharing ideas in a positive atmosphere to find the most interesting choices they can sustain.
He is proud to have been part of the Historic Barter Theatre/Education Wing in Abingdon, VA where he led workshops and classes in Improvisation and Mask Work. He is proud to join the talented faculty and staff of West Liberty University’s Department of Music and Theatre as the Director of Theatre. As Theatre Generalist, he uses his training in Stanislavski’ System in conjunction with Kristin Linklater’s Vocal Techniques and a Physical Movement Approach to approach a realistic performance that includes the mind, body, and voice. While he has directed everything from Greek Tragedy to Farcical Comedy to Musical Theatre to Shakespeare, his true passion is in the art that reflects life today. He particularly enjoys the works of Samuel Shepard, Martin McDonagh, Tracy Letts, and David Mamet.
He is currently serving as the vice chair for region II of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre festival
His true love is working with students and looks forward to a long career helping student-actors fulfill their potential as theatre artists.
Jill Howard Warren
Adjunct Professor of Dance | MA – Teaching Dance in Professions, NYU
Jill M. Warren is a dance educator from NYU with a certification in Ballet Pedagogy from American Ballet Theatre. Jill teaches dance in a manner that supports her philosophy emphasizing whole-body, developmentally appropriate, well-rounded training. While at NYU, Jill studied under Dr. Susan Koff, Deborah Damast, and Patricia Cohen, and at American Ballet Theatre under Raymond Lukens and Franco De Vita. Jill also holds a BS in Exercise Physiology from West Liberty University. Along with her training in NYC, Jill has also taken classes from Frank Hatchett, LUIGI, and Twyla Tharp, to name a few.
Jill’s choreography has been performed at the University of Kentucky, West Liberty University, New York University, and various dance studios throughout WV.
Jill has performed with the University of Kentucky Dance Ensemble, West Liberty University Dance Ensemble, and in NYU Master’s Dance Concerts as well as the annual Distinguished Faculty Concert. She also performed in NYU Steinhardt Program in Vocal Performance’s production of Bloomer Girl.
Along with her MA in Teaching Dance in the Professions, Jill is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also a member of the National Dance Education Organization.