
MEET THE TEAM
The Passaic Valley Summer Theater production team works together to bring the most professional scale performance to the stage. This team of industry professionals share the same goal: to give the greatest experience to our young performers, hone their skills, and inspire them to continue in theatre arts.
JENNIFER SHUE
Producer, PR
Jennifer Shue (Publicity & Marketing Director) is one of the founding members of the Passaic Valley Summer Theater program. Her regional theater credits include a Phantom in Rocky Horror Picture Show, Sandra in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Mrs. Strong in Urinetown, Eleanor in Footloose, the ensemble of Pippin, a nun in Sound of Music, a Liebeslieder Singer in A Little Night Music. Other performances include A Celebration of Song in honor of Sandy Blumberg and performed Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall. During the school year she works at PV as a Guidance Counselor, Drama Club Advisor, and directs the holiday and spring musicals.

ROBERT LAVAGNO
Artistic Director, Scenic Designer
Past shows include The Who’s Tommy, Rent, Miss Saigon, South Pacific & Jekyll and Hyde. In addition he has designed the PV Fall and Spring shows; Rumors, Moon Over Buffalo, Noises Off, Cabaret, Damn Yankees, Forum, and The Producers to name a few. He has also designed at other High Schools in the area including Mt. Lakes High School and Kinnelon High School. Past theatrical credits include The George Street Playhouse, Royal Caribbean International, The Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey and The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. Rob holds an Associate Degree from Parsons University for Interior Design.
MAGGIE LETSCHE
Mainstage Director
Off Broadway: JUMP/CUT; KILLING WOMEN; LULU. Regional/Tours: STEEL MAGNOLIAS, MY LITTLE MARTIAN, A MY NAME IS ALICE, HAIR, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, A WILD PARTY, NUNCRACKERS, NUNSENSATIONS, ZOMBIE PROM & FUNNY GIRL across the tri-state area including Papermill Playhouse & the 4th Wall. TV/FILM: SOPRANOS, LAW & ORDER: SVU, WAR OF THE WORLDS, ELIZABETHTOWN, and THE NANNY DIARIES. Her One Women Show: IT’S HARD TO BE A DIVA played to SOLD OUT houses in NY& NJ including the Waldorf Astoria & Taj Mahal. Maggie is also a Director of Musicals in many high schools in NJ, along with evaluating numerous theater education competitions. Maggie is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA.
MICHAEL DELUCCIA
Junior Program Director
Mike DeLuccia is currently the Director of Bands at Passaic Valley High School as well as the Assistant Music Director for the spring musicals were he has worked on such shows as: The Drowsy Chaperone, The Wedding Singer, The Producers, Cabaret and many more. He is also a freelance percussionist and very active member of the North Jersey Area Band. During the summer he directs the Passaic Valley Summer for the Performing Arts camp which includes students entering the 4th grade through high school. The camp gives students an education in the fine and performing arts while keeping the fun alive.
CATHERINE DELUCCIA
Junior Program Assistant Director
Catherine DeLuccia is currently the coordinator and teacher for the Music & Play, Musical Theater, and Mommy & Me programs at the Little Falls Recreation Center. She has a degree in Music/Early Childhood Education and has performed in community theater productions such as Footloose (Ethel McCormick), Into The Woods (Jack’s Mother) and the winner of the 8th Annual NJPC Musical Competition, DISENCHANTED! (Tinker Bell, Esmerelda & Princess Jasmine), which later became an Off-Broadway Musical. After taking a break to raise her two children, Cameron & Ava, she is thrilled to be involved with the performing arts once again!
Mia Preziosi
Junior Program Music Director
Mia Preziosi’s first show with PVST, and first time performing in a musical, was the first junior production: Into the Woods Jr. Today, she is thrilled to be working on the Junior Program’s production team! She’s currently a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where she’s studying Theater Arts and Creative Writing. In addition to her time spent working with the Junior Program, Mia also teaches Acting and Creative Writing at the Passaic Valley Summer for the Performing Arts camp. Favorite performance credits include: Seussical (The Cat in the Hat), Stuck With You (Laura/Estelle), Post, Like, Share (Spencer), The Little Mermaid (Ariel), The Addams Family (Grandma), Clue (Yvette), and Freaky Friday (Gretchen). Mia is currently expanding her horizons, and in the last few years, has taken on multiple different technical roles and production credits in stage management, house management, assistant directing, props, audio assistance, and costumes. She’s pursuing a writing career for the stage and screen, and working year-round as a Staff Usher at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Mia loves returning to Passaic Valley each summer, as it is a reminder that anything’s possible for these young performers.
JENNY LEPROTTO
Mainstage Choreographer
Jenny Leprotto started dancing at age four at Kelly Allen’s renown “For Dancers Only”, including the study of tap with Mike Minery (Tapaholics, Slide, JUMP) and performed works by Ray Leeper (So You Think You Can Dance Choreographer, NUVO Director). While she trained in all forms of dance, Jenny’s current fortes are teaching tap, hip hop and jazz, as well as teaching all styles of dance for young children. Jenny is best known for her tap choreography- most recently recognized by American Dance Awards at their 2015 Nationals in Hollywood, Florida for two of her tap pieces, “Five Guys Named Moe” and “Hiccups.” Her work has been described as “intricate, polished and exciting!” Jenny attended Seton Hall University with a major in Education.
NICHOLAS MARMO
Lighting Designer
Nik is excited to be working with Passaic Valley Summer Theater for the first time on Footloose. Favorite past credits include: Hairspray, RENT, & American Idiot with NJSDA. Shrek & A Christmas Story with The Barn Theatre. Big Fish, The Last Five Years, Hands On A Hard Body, & Avenue Q with 4th Wall Theatre, where he also serves on the Board of Directors. In educational theatre lighting design, Nik has been recognized by the Paper Mill Playhouse with Rising Star Award nominations & honorable mentions five times. His work has also been nominated for the Montclair State Theatre Night Award for lighting design seven times, winning the award in 2011. In "real life", Nik is the technical director for the Theatre at Founders Hall at the Morristown-Beard School.
LAURA MENARD
Mainstage Asst. Music Director, Costumer
Laura Menard is a vocal coach in New Jersey and New York. Educated at the Juilliard School and The New England Conservatory of Music, she has had a long career in the fields of opera and musical theater. Her students have appeared on Broadway in such shows as MATILDA, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, FINDING NEVERLAND, KINKY BOOTS, FUN HOME, MARY POPPINS, and JERSEY BOYS.
CHRIS KRUSBERG
Photographer
Chris Krusberg is the official photographer for Passaic Valley High School. His duties include covering a wide variety of events for the school such as sporting events, documenting specific school events, Prom, Girls' Show, and theatre performances and portraits for the actors involved. Over the past couple of years, he has covered many theater performances like Grease, In The Heights, High School Musical, Rumors, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Chris has had a phenomenal experience working with the talented staff and students at Passaic Valley. He has learned a lot over the years and am very grateful for all the opportunities given to me. Please check out his website, www.chriskrusberg.com, to view the collections of the performances he has covered.