In the summer of 2022, Leah Mueller, a State College local and former State College Area School District performing arts teacher, purchased the local musical theatre training studio Singing Onstage. While the match was a great fit, the timing wasn’t perfect. Mueller was about to start her last year as a graduate student in Indiana University’s MFA in Acting program. Upon her graduation from the program in May 2023, Mueller will be returning to State College to begin teaching at Singing Onstage full-time.

Singing Onstage has been providing musical theatre training and performance experiences for students in Central Pennsylvania for 20 years. Heidi and Rich Biever founded the studio in 2003 and sold it to Mueller and her husband, Jared Yarnall-Schane, last year when they moved to Wichita, KS.

Mueller is thrilled to be moving back to State College in May 2023 and can’t wait to start teaching summer camps. “The skills I’ve acquired during my time in graduate school studying Acting will immediately apply to the camps I’ll lead at Singing Onstage this summer,” said Mueller. She is excited about the six weeks of camps they will be offering this summer for students ages 5-18.

“Our theatre camps will run from June 12-August 4. Each camp will culminate in a public performance. Students will learn to embody characters, share a story, and sing and dance confidently on stage! This summer we are excited to dive into the stories of Winnie the Pooh, The Little Mermaid, and many others!” said Mueller. Participating in a Singing Onstage summer camp does not require any previous performing experience, just an interest in performing on stage!

While pursuing her MFA Mueller became certified in stage combat and took classes in clowning and Shakespeare. “I am so excited about bringing the skills I learned while pursuing my MFA to the students of Singing Onstage,” Mueller said. After this summer, she plans to start expanding Singing Onstage offerings beyond just Musical Theatre to help students learn mime, clown, Meisner Acting technique, scene study, and Shakespeare. Mueller sees the power of theatre to create community, engage empathy, and build students’ confidence in themselves and their abilities. Mueller also recognizes that theatre should be about PLAY! She stated, “We are putting on plays after all, and play and fun should be the heart of all that we do. At Singing Onstage we work to provide a positive atmosphere that encourages students to take risks and make big, bold choices where they have a community to support them! We value student ideas and creativity and want to build them up with words of affirmation.”

Mueller brings a wealth of teaching experience to her new position as the director and lead teacher at Singing Onstage. She received a music education degree from Penn State with a choral/vocal emphasis in 2008 and went on to serve as the performing arts teacher at the Delta Middle Program for six years where she directed the program’s plays and musicals. At IU Leah teaches Acting I and II to college students and has received rave reviews. One student shared, "Leah was absolutely incredible! Most definitely my favorite instructor I've ever had. She was honest, approachable, compassionate, talented, and clearly always wanted to be there. It was a joy to have been taught by her, and I wish I could take more courses with Leah." Another student reflected on their time in Mueller’s Acting I class by stating "Leah is an amazing teacher. You can tell she cares about students and what they're taking away from the classroom. She never had to try hard to make us feel engaged. Her warm-up exercises, games, and stretches made the classroom feel so much more comfortable. Because of Leah's presence, I never felt intimidated walking to the front of the classroom."

WHAT: Singing Onstage Summer Camps
WHEN: June 12-August 4, 2023, camps are either one or two weeks long
WHERE: Singing Onstage Studios 1108 S. Pugh Street, State College, PA 16801 HOW: Registration for summer camps is now open at www.singingonstage.com For more information please, email info@singingonstage.com