News

Science teacher Andrew Kresyman ’10 joins the lineage of St. Louis U. High musical directors as he prepares to direct next year‘s winter musical. Kresyman looks to continue an era of reputable Dauphin Player’s performances, grown by the late Joseph Schulte ’54 and refined by current dramatics teacher Kathryn Whitaker, through his unique style and involvement goals. 

Kresyman looks towards directing his first solo project in the winter with the pre-Golden Age comedy Anything Goes. He plans to cultivate the SLUH musical theater program further by expanding its reach.

“I really want to grow the numbers and involvement,” said Kresyman. “We do have a storied history, and they're giant shoes to fill. So I hope to do respect to where we've been, and then push us into where we need to go.”

Though the exciting comedy Anything Goes contrasts past works like Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver!, Kresyman will utilize the various directorial skills he learned from Whitaker, both from being her student and her colleague.

“She taught me almost all of the good things that I know,” said Kresyman. “I've had many other directors in the past, and they have taught me many valuable lessons as well. But the way that she really kind of gets into the head of characters is a little bit more Method, and really just the sheer dedication to the world of the story and the world building. I want to continue that in any and every way that I possibly can.”

As a student, Kresyman performed under the direction of Schulte and Whitaker simultaneously. He participated in large-scale musicals like Hello Dolly and 42nd Street with Schulte and plays like House of Blue Leaves with Whitaker. Though he did not perform formally in college, Kresyman has participated in many community theater productions since his departure from SLUH. When he joined the faculty in the fall of 2024, Kresyman quickly reignited his Dauphin Players core.

“It's always been a bit of a dream, but I never really thought it was possible,” said Kresyman. “I came back to teach chemistry and physics, but I started talking to Mrs. Whitaker to get involved.”

 Kresyman played Fruma Sara in the 2024 production of Fiddler on the Roof and carried on to serve as assistant director for this past winter musical Oliver!.

“I asked (Kresyman) to be the assistant director because he was a student of mine and a wonderful actor,” said Whitaker. “And I knew that next year my plan was to mentor and do all the paperwork and things but still help with everything. This signaled that it was time to cultivate a lead person.”

Kresyman’s cultivation period became unexpectedly shortened when Whitaker had to take a break from directing Oliver! for a medical treatment in early January. Kresyman then launched into full director mode during her absence.

“There was a sort of vacancy,” said Kresyman. “I saw that I really can do this, and I want to do this. People trusted me, which is amazing, and I think it went well.”

The success of Oliver! can be much attributed to the collaboration of the creative team as a whole. With Whitaker’s background work, Fine Arts Department Chair Simonie Anzalone’s choreography, choral director Brian Reeves’ musical conduction, and Director of Theater Operations Eddie Teshara’s set design, the scaffolding was already prepared for Kresyman to come in and bring the show together.

“We just work very, very well together,” said Anzalone. “I think everyone on the team is striving to do the best possible work for the students and to make our school community and those in the theater community that have gone before us proud of the work that we put out there. I think we're teaching students what good collaboration looks like and how working together in a group like that can produce really powerful results.”

The high reputation of SLUH theater began when Schulte became director in the 1960s. He drew in dozens of students from an array of backgrounds for each show, creating an exciting buzz about the Dauphin Players. Just like Kresyman learned directing skills from Whitaker, Whitaker learned directing skills from Schulte.

“His heart was so big and he wanted to get so many people involved,” said Whitaker. “I learned a tremendous amount from him because my background is more in classical theater and drama, and directing was new to me when I came to SLUH. I've just learned so much and grew to love musical theater, and a big part of that was because I had such a marvelous team.”

After Schulte’s passing in 2016, Whitaker took over as fulltime director for all performances. Their styles and visions differed significantly, but the passion for SLUH theater remained vivid.

“Working with Joe Schulte is what I knew,” said Anzalone. “I did shows at SLUH (in high school) and he was my director. I knew what to expect when it came to him: we worked more in isolation than in collaboration. Working with Kathryn Whitaker is completely opposite. She's involved in every part of the process, from set design, to sound design, to props, to costumes, to choreography, you name it.”

As the directors change, so do the styles. Kresyman will once again offer a new perspective on how to produce a reputable musical.

“What Andrew Kresyman brings is a combination of Joe Schulte and Kathryn Whitaker,” said Anzalone. “He learned underneath both of them. So I think that he has a very distinct eye the way that Mrs. Whitaker does. But I also think that he naturally has a looser process. I think his preference is a bit more casual than Mrs. Whitaker's preference, but he has the attention to detail in the character drive from studying under her, so I think he brings a really great perspective.”

Headline: Musical theater legacy continues with Kresyman center stage

By Max Marnatti

News Editor

 

Science teacher Andrew Kresyman ’10 joins the lineage of St. Louis U. High musical directors as he prepares to direct next year‘s winter musical. Kresyman looks to continue an era of reputable Dauphin Player’s performances, grown by the late Joseph Schulte ’54 and refined by current dramatics teacher Kathryn Whitaker, through his unique style and involvement goals. 

Kresyman looks towards directing his first solo project in the winter with the pre-Golden Age comedy Anything Goes. He plans to cultivate the SLUH musical theater program further by expanding its reach.

“I really want to grow the numbers and involvement,” said Kresyman. “We do have a storied history, and they're giant shoes to fill. So I hope to do respect to where we've been, and then push us into where we need to go.”

Though the exciting comedy Anything Goes contrasts past works like Fiddler on the Roof and Oliver!, Kresyman will utilize the various directorial skills he learned from Whitaker, both from being her student and her colleague.

“She taught me almost all of the good things that I know,” said Kresyman. “I've had many other directors in the past, and they have taught me many valuable lessons as well. But the way that she really kind of gets into the head of characters is a little bit more Method, and really just the sheer dedication to the world of the story and the world building. I want to continue that in any and every way that I possibly can.”

As a student, Kresyman performed under the direction of Schulte and Whitaker simultaneously. He participated in large-scale musicals like Hello Dolly and 42nd Street with Schulte and plays like House of Blue Leaves with Whitaker. Though he did not perform formally in college, Kresyman has participated in many community theater productions since his departure from SLUH. When he joined the faculty in the fall of 2024, Kresyman quickly reignited his Dauphin Players core.

“It's always been a bit of a dream, but I never really thought it was possible,” said Kresyman. “I came back to teach chemistry and physics, but I started talking to Mrs. Whitaker to get involved.”

 Kresyman played Fruma Sara in the 2024 production of Fiddler on the Roof and carried on to serve as assistant director for this past winter musical Oliver!.

“I asked (Kresyman) to be the assistant director because he was a student of mine and a wonderful actor,” said Whitaker. “And I knew that next year my plan was to mentor and do all the paperwork and things but still help with everything. This signaled that it was time to cultivate a lead person.”

Kresyman’s cultivation period became unexpectedly shortened when Whitaker had to take a break from directing Oliver! for a medical treatment in early January. Kresyman then launched into full director mode during her absence.

“There was a sort of vacancy,” said Kresyman. “I saw that I really can do this, and I want to do this. People trusted me, which is amazing, and I think it went well.”

The success of Oliver! can be much attributed to the collaboration of the creative team as a whole. With Whitaker’s background work, Fine Arts Department Chair Simonie Anzalone’s choreography, choral director Brian Reeves’ musical conduction, and Director of Theater Operations Eddie Teshara’s set design, the scaffolding was already prepared for Kresyman to come in and bring the show together.

“We just work very, very well together,” said Anzalone. “I think everyone on the team is striving to do the best possible work for the students and to make our school community and those in the theater community that have gone before us proud of the work that we put out there. I think we're teaching students what good collaboration looks like and how working together in a group like that can produce really powerful results.”

The high reputation of SLUH theater began when Schulte became director in the 1960s. He drew in dozens of students from an array of backgrounds for each show, creating an exciting buzz about the Dauphin Players. Just like Kresyman learned directing skills from Whitaker, Whitaker learned directing skills from Schulte.

“His heart was so big and he wanted to get so many people involved,” said Whitaker. “I learned a tremendous amount from him because my background is more in classical theater and drama, and directing was new to me when I came to SLUH. I've just learned so much and grew to love musical theater, and a big part of that was because I had such a marvelous team.”

After Schulte’s passing in 2016, Whitaker took over as fulltime director for all performances. Their styles and visions differed significantly, but the passion for SLUH theater remained vivid.

“Working with Joe Schulte is what I knew,” said Anzalone. “I did shows at SLUH (in high school) and he was my director. I knew what to expect when it came to him: we worked more in isolation than in collaboration. Working with Kathryn Whitaker is completely opposite. She's involved in every part of the process, from set design, to sound design, to props, to costumes, to choreography, you name it.”

As the directors change, so do the styles. Kresyman will once again offer a new perspective on how to produce a reputable musical.

“What Andrew Kresyman brings is a combination of Joe Schulte and Kathryn Whitaker,” said Anzalone. “He learned underneath both of them. So I think that he has a very distinct eye the way that Mrs. Whitaker does. But I also think that he naturally has a looser process. I think his preference is a bit more casual than Mrs. Whitaker's preference, but he has the attention to detail in the character drive from studying under her, so I think he brings a really great perspective.”