Jeffryn Stephens

Co-Founder and Artistic Director

Jeffryn has been the visionary and the engine of YPPC since she and her husband Ty founded the company in 1982. She acts as artistic director, teacher, manager and sometimes writer for the company. She has directed well over 500 shows with YPPC over the past 26 years. She teaches in all the YPPC classes, camps and workshops as well as managing the schedules and administration of the company. In addition to YPPC, Jeffryn has directed or taught for:

• The Durham Recreation Department
• The North Carolina Arts Council
• The Durham County Schools
• The Carrboro Art School Theater
• The Duke School for Children
• Durham Academy

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College at Notre Dame in Dramatic Arts with an emphasis on directing and acting and a Minor in Music with an emphasis on voice.

During her career Jeffryn has introduced thousands of young artists to the drama and comedy of the theater and she continues to inspire new students daily with her work at YPPC.

Catherine Alderman

Musical Director

Catherine acts as the musical director on many of the YPPC musical productions. Shows she has directed for YPPC include “The Music Man Jr.” “Rags” and “Little Women – The Musical.”

Catherine is a member of the Long Leaf Opera Company, having appeared in “Down in the Valley” and “Highway One.” Since then she has been heard as Jenny in Ned Rorem’s “Three Sisters” and as the Foreign Woman in Menotti’s “The Consul.” Other Long Leaf productions include, Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah” and Menotti’s “The Medium.” Her most recent role was the title role in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa in Memorial Hall at UNC-Chapel Hill. She regularly performs recitals and concerts locally, most recently singing a Bach concert with pianist Martha Umstead and Flutist Anna Wilson for the Forest at Duke Artist Series and premiering several songs by local composer Southgate Jones.

Catherine is a graduate of the University of Mobile where she studied with Mrs. Melba Brown. She went on to pursue her M.M. at UNC-Chapel Hill where she studied with Stafford Wing and performed in her first Opera production here in Durham in Cosi fan tutti. For several years she sang concerts in churches throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

She is a member of The National Association of Teacher’s of Singing and The National Federation of Music Clubs and sponsors a local club. Catherine is the current President of the Durham Music Teacher’s Association – the local chapter of Music Teacher’s National Association.

Her students have won awards at both the local and state level in Classical and Musical Theater, as well as in Piano Solo and in Jazz Performance.

Susie Kless

Choreographer

Susie has created many musical theater dance programs in New York and North Carolina that are still in place today. Also an accomplished performer, she has appeared in over 100 musicals from Community Theater to National and European Tours. Some of her favorite performance roles include Peter in "Peter Pan", Val and Morales in "A Chorus Line", and The Act 2 girl in "Last of the Red Hot Lovers".

Together with her husband Rich, Susie has toured Europe in 1996 with the European Tour of Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" - he as stage manager and she as a dancer. They have also collaborated to create 2 Peas in a Pod Productions in Wilmington, NC, which was a company of adults performing classic fairy tales as well as contemporary works for kids.

Their greatest collaboration to date is their twin sons, Tyler and Colin.

Rich Kless

Technical & Lighting Director

Rich began performing at age 10 and started building sets and hanging lights shortly after that. Rich has been on the road with such headliners as Perry Como and Garth Brooks. He is currently the Theater Operations Supervisor at Duke University where he oversees the technical details of all of the major campus venues.

Rich has performed in over 100 shows and favorite roles include John Adams in "1776", Tommy in "Brigadoon", and Bill Sykes in "Oliver". Together, Susie and Rich toured Europe in 1996 with the European Tour of Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" he as stage manager and she as a dancer.

They have also collaborated to create 2 Peas in a Pod Productions in Wilmington NC which was a company of adults performing classic fairy tales as well as contemporary works for kids.

Their greatest collaboration to date is their twin sons Tyler and Colin.