Hahn-Arts

Duane Hahn is a native of Waynesboro, Virginia. He earned his B.A. in Education from Morehead State University in Kentucky and was a teacher in the Waynesboro public schools for more than 30 years. In 2000 he was awarded Virginia Secondary Communication Teacher of the Year.　

Duane was the primary author of the script for Shenandoah Moon, a historical musical about the building of the Shenandoah National Park. The play was successfully produced in 2008. The cast, crew and writers of Shenandoah Moon received special recognition from the Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy for “using [their] talent and time to teach through entertainment.” Duane also authored a novel based on these events. His second play, Tuesday Mourning, premiered in Virginia November 2009 during Veterans Day week and received an extremely enthusiastic response from audiences and area media.　

For several years Duane developed and directed children’s theater for the Waynesboro elementary schools; in doing so he found that there is a lack of quality educational scripts for young children. In response, he co-authored a series of children’s plays, some specifically designed to reinforce Virginia Standards of Learning, but others focused on social issues affecting all young children. Another children’s play, The Queen’s Fairy Quest, an interactive fantasy, was commissioned for The Lost Colony Waterside Theatre, and opened in June, 2010.

Duane has extensive experience in all areas of college and community theaters. He is a past board member of the Wayne Theater Alliance and an emeritus board member of the Waynesboro Players.

Michael Waltz lives in Chicago, Illinois. He has degrees in theater from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania (B.A.) and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana (M.A.). He has experience in all aspects of college and community theaters, and worked briefly on a summer children’s theater workshop and as a college adjunct faculty member. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Old Town Players in Chicago. For nearly 25 years of his business career he developed and/or conducted numerous educational seminars and workshops for client organizations and individuals. For part of his career he managed a training unit for a Fortune 100 corporation, developing and delivering training programs in products, services, and sales to account executives throughout the country.

Richard Adams is a composer, performing musician and educator. He has written the script, music and lyrics for the critically acclaimed “Woody, a Musical Play about Woodrow Wilson”. He has also been commissioned by the Wayne Theatre Alliance and the Augusta-Jamestown 400th Anniversary Committee to write music and lyrics for “Shenandoah Moon” and “The Sprit of Augusta” respectively. Richard wrote the music, lyrics and score for “Tuesday Mourning” in 2009.　

Richard is a recipient of the “Dawbarn Award for Educational Excellence” and won the Augusta Historical Society’s “Educator of the Year” award for his portrayal of Woodrow Wilson in his original musical “Woody”.　　He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree and Masters of Education from James Madison University.　

Noted for his ability to play multiple musical instruments, Richard free-lances as an instrumentalist throughout Virginia and is frequently commissioned to compose, perform and record musical soundtracks for singers, media, theater and dancers.

Richard is an adjunct professor at Bridgewater College and writes, produces and performs motivational music shows in schools throughout the Mid-Atlantic. He is active board member of the Rotary Club and committee member for Hospice of the Shenandoah.

Steven Britt was born in Miami, Oklahoma and spent his early life in Oklahoma and Kansas. When he was around 12 he escaped to Chicago where he lives today.

He received his B.A. in education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He taught elementary school in Chicago for a year, a career ended when his students set his classroom on fire. From teaching he went into health care starting as a play therapist for physically challenged children and eventually moving into human resources. At the age of 41 he had the opportunity to change to his dreamed-of career and received his R.N. from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing in New York City. He worked as a nurse in several major urban hospitals and later as manager of several ambulatory care centers. This is his first book but he has threatened friends and family with a sequel.