Susan Speidel, Ph.D.

Susan Speidel holds a BA in English and Theatre from Montclair State, an MA in Performing Arts Administration from NYU, and an MA in Liberal Studies from Kean University. She completed her doctorate at Drew University, writing her dissertation on “Elements of the Greek Chorus in the Musicals of Stephen Sondheim.”  She also studied at the Globe Theater in London and HB Studio in NYC.  She was named the first Director of Education for the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse, where she created the Rising Star Awards and Summer Musical Theatre Conservatory and oversaw the Adopt-A-School Project and the Theatre School.  She performed off-Broadway in Olio: A Musical Revue and played lead roles in regional productions of Hello, Dolly!, Sweeney Todd, Company, Follies, Nine, Into the Woods, Gypsy, Dames at Sea, Annie, and The Student Prince. She was a soloist with the Key West Pops, the Portland Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, and the Orchestra of St. Peter’s by the Sea. She performed cabaret shows throughout the northeast and Florida and has directed over 75 professional, community, college, and high school productions. In addition to teaching at Kean, she teaches Musical Theatre History for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Rutgers University.  Awards include the NJ Governor’s Award for Theatre Education, the NJ Theatre Alliance Applause Award, and two Broadway World Awards.  She was inducted into the NJ Association of Community Theatre Hall of Fame in 2022 for her work in educational theatre in NJ. www.susanspeidel.com