Los Altos Stage Company Presents Los Altos Stage Company Announces New Education Director

Los Altos Stage Company (LASC) is saying goodbye to founding Education Director, Jillian Toby Cummings, and hello to new Education Director/Associate Artistic Director, Gary Ferguson, effective August 1, 2020. Cummings has been LASC's Education Director since joining the Company in February 2016, when she founded LASC's now highly successful education programs. Jillian's responsibilities also include management of Los Altos Youth Theatre's (LAYT) three annual on-stage productions.

On her tenure with the Company and the future of the programs, Cummings says, "I have had the best years of my life being the Education Director for LASC. The staff, the students, and the parents have made my world amazing. I have enjoyed seeing our summer camps grow, our cross-over shows bloom, and our mainstage dramatic shows grow.

This program is unique and amazing, and I have been blessed to be involved in it. Even so, while I'll still be involved in a limited capacity, I can't wait to see what Gary Ferguson is going to bring to our program. I couldn't be happier." Ferguson joins the Company with an impressive theatre résumé, both on-stage and as an instructor. He has an MBA in International Business and a bachelor's degree in Arts Management with an emphasis in Dance Management and is an active member of NDEO (National Dance Educators Organization), Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and AGVA (Association Guild of Variety Artists).

An accomplished dancer and choreographer, he brings with him years of performing experience, including Broadway and National Tour productions of Cats, Chicago, The Who's Tommy, and West Side Story. He also has extensive regional credits and local experience as a performer, dance captain, director, choreographer, and Executive Producer.

As an educator, over the past decade, Gary has been the Dance Program Manager and Performing Arts Instructor at Mercy High School in Burlingame, California, where he developed a portfolio of events across multiple disciplines. He designed theater camps that included visual and performing artists, both local and well known, from many different genres and backgrounds. He is currently the Guest Artistic Director for Skyline College where he oversees all aspects of their musical theater productions. To pursue his passion of developing the performers of tomorrow, he is concurrently the resident choreographer at San Carlos Children's Theater.

Speaking about his new roles, Ferguson says, "My journey began as a student on scholarship with the Alvin Ailey and Gus Giordano Dance Companies. It was here that my passion for dance, music, theatre, and movement evolved. I look forward to sharing my experience and passion with the LASC and LAYT families. My goal is to proactively support the development of quality theatre together with programs in arts education that promote diversity, individual creativity, and community outreach."

Regarding Cummings' departure from the staff, LASC Executive Artistic Director Gary Landis comments, "Jillian single-handedly created Los Altos Stage Company's education programs, growing them from a handful of summer workshops to a vast array of summer and year-round programs. She built the foundation on which our merger with the Los Altos Youth Theatre is based."

On the addition of Ferguson to the staff, Landis says, "Gary is an experienced and highly skilled theatre artist with an infectious personality and boundless energy. I look forward to seeing Gary build upon the foundation that Jillian has laid. Beyond education, I am so pleased that Gary has agreed to partner with me around the Company's artistic program, lending his unique voice and perspective to our larger creative endeavors."

If you'd like more information about LASC, LAYT, or our education programs, please contact Gary Landis, Executive Artistic Director at: 650-941-0551, or garylandis@losaltosstage.org.

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