OUR TEAM
Josh Landis - Artistic Director
Josh Landis - Artistic director
Josh Landis has been creating theatrical shenanigans on stages for over 35 years. From the time he first stepped into the warm glow of the stage lights (his first role was in his elementary school's musical Clowns), he's been in love with the art form and the ability to create and tell important stories to audiences. He holds a BA in Youth Ministry and Dance from Eastern University and a resume chocked full of performance, chorpeography and directing credits on both amature and professional stages. As the founding director of Academy for Dramatic Arts, he has been leading the theatre in its vision of "transformation through creativity" since its inception. His passion for developing the next generation of theatre-makers can be seen in the care that he takes during the production process with each artist. He believes that theatre should be first and foremost a community where everyone belongs, can be their authentic selves, and allowed to experiment with all the colors of creativity.
Emily Ortolano - Music Director
Emily Ortolano - Music Director
Emily Ortolano is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music at Baldwin-Wallace University. Emily teaches private voice and piano lessons at her home studio, as well as at Brecksville High School, where she also serves as the choir accompanist. She was the director for 10+ years of the Rocky River Community Chorus. She served as an accompanist and the Assistant Music Director for the World-Renowned children’s group, The Singing Angels. During her 8 years here at AFDA, Emily has been the Musical Director for Honk, Freckleface Strawberry, Flat Stanley, Scrooge, Wily Wonka, The Lion King, several cabarets and summer productions, and most recently, Bye Bye Birdie. She has also music directed at other local venues, including Applause and Big River at Cassidy Theater, West Side Story at Wickliffe Civic Center, and Cabaret at John Carroll University. Emily has served as the Musical Director for many summer theater programs at Holy Name High School, Brecksville Theater on the Square, and Aurora Community Theater. Emily’s favorite role is being a mom to her two daughters, Anne and Molly.