Chris Brindley
Producing Artistic Director
Chris Brindley will be returning for his 21st season with Weston Drama Workshop after serving as Executive Producer for seven years and nine years serving as Producer. Chris began his involvement with WDW as a sophomore in high school as a performer and started on staff as stage manager of the morning show. Chris is an active director, producer, and performer in the Boston area. He received his B.A. in Theatre Education and Acting from Emerson College where he received the Howard Waldman Award for excellence in Performing Arts and his M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University. Chris is currently the Department Head of Fine and Performing Arts at Framingham High School and is on staff as drama teacher and director for the award-winning Framingham High School Drama Company. Chris is also an affiliated faculty member of Emerson College Dept. of Performing Arts and previous President of the Massachusetts Educational Theatre Guild High School Division and current President of the Musical Theatre Division. Previously Chris worked as the Theatre Director at Belmont High School. WDW Directing Credits include: Mean Girls, Something Rotten!, The Spongebob Musical, Spring Awakening, Disney’s Newsies, West Side Story, Evita, The Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Blood Brothers, James and the Giant Peach, Les Miserables, Wiley and the Hairy Man, Children of Eden, and the inaugural TYA Afternoon show, Charlotte’s Web. Much love to Ari, Aidan Tristan, Kyle, Judi, Sue, Lynn, the whole staff, and team Phantom for making this summer so fetch! He would especially like to thank Chris Holownia, S.J. and Emily Craver- reuniting with both of his dear friends this summer on the creative team has been a dream. Chris dedicates this and every show to his late mother and father, Linda and Doug, who were his biggest fans and supporters.
Aidan O’Hara
Producer
Aidan O’Hara is the Drama Teacher and Director at Wayland High School. Previous to his 7 years there, he was a Drama Teacher at Weston Middle School for 15 years. This is his 18th summer at WDW – his 8th as a Producer; and 17th as a Director with last summer’s Grease as his most recent production. He holds a MFA in Theatre Education and Applied Theatre from Emerson College. He would like to thank Chris, Ari, Sue, Lynn, the entire staff, as well as the entire Morning Show team in particular, for their commitment and camaraderie. And love to his incredibly supportive family – Beth, Dermot, Róisín, Maeve and Gracie.
Ari Welch
Producer
Ari Welch is extremely excited to return to Weston Drama Workshop for her 12th season on Staff! She received a BFA from The Theater School at DePaul University in Chicago and is a Boston-based event planner, producer, and stage manager. In addition to her production work, she is the Programs & Special Events Coordinator and an Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant for Art & Soul Consulting. Ari has been a part of the producing team for the past several years and was also a participant in the evening show program. At WDW she has stage managed Spring Awakening, Newsies, West Side Story, Evita, The Wizard of Oz and Chicago. Ari would like to thank her family and friends for their support and encouragement.