Meet Our Camp Staff

Award-Winning Instructors Await your Children

Spotlight Camp Director

Rob Tessier

Rob has been directing & teaching theatre, passionate about helping young people to develop their God-given talents and discover their own artistic voice. He always sets the bar high and looks to encourage and teach in a way that brings out the best in his students.

A former Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown and stage & TV actor, Rob holds a Theatre degree, a Professional Clown Diploma, a VA Teaching License for K-12 Theatre, and a Master’s in Catechetics & Evangelization from Franciscan University. He has been named “Best Director” multiple years in the DC/MD/VA area by BroadwayWorld.

After 30 years of dedicated work for the Catholic Church as a Director of Youth Ministry, Founder & Director of Upper Room Theatre Ministry, All Saints Catholic School Religion Teacher, and Member of Youth Apostles, Rob was honored in the fall of 2025 by Pope Leo XIV with the Benemerenti Medal.

Broadway Spotlight

Jack has years of experience in acting, directing, and technical theatre at theaters and schools across Northern Virginia, including Upper Room Theatre, Fauquier Community Theatre, Triune Entertainment, Kettle Run High School, Covenant Christian Academy, and Stone Middle School. He teaches 6th grade English at Manassas Park Middle School and enters his 7th year with Spotlight Camps. Jack holds a BA in Communications from George Mason and is currently working toward his Virginia Theatre Education Certification.

Christine currently serves as the Theatre Director at Westfield High School and Stone Middle School, where she is dedicated to fostering creativity, collaboration, and artistic excellence in the next generation of performers and technicians. She has also served as a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College, guiding students in developing both their craft and their confidence on stage. Christine holds a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre and a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from The Catholic University of America.

Maria has been dancing and choreographing for over 20 years and is excited to return to Broadway Spotlight. She holds a BA in Dance and an MA in Library Information Sciences. Maria has worked with children for over a decade teaching dance classes, theater camps, and working at an elementary school. She has performed in numerous musicals, choreographed Upper Room Theatre’s Into the Woods, and performed as an independent dance artist in Pennsylvania.

Drama Bootcamp

Kirstin holds a BA in Theatre from Franciscan University and has been involved with Spotlight on the Arts camps for over a decade. She serves as a teacher at Sacred Heart Academy and runs their theatre club after school. For the past 20 years, Kirstin has been involved with several community theatres, playing roles both on and offstage as well as being a featured performer for Fools! Comedy Improv Troupe.

Esther brings over a decade of experience as both the Improv Comedy teacher at Spotlight Camps and a performer in Fools! Comedy Improv Troupe. As a professional educator, Esther teaches high school math in Prince William County, and works with the school theater program. She’s also been involved with community theatre in the area for over 12 years, recently directing Into the Sun for Triune Entertainment and White Christmas at Fauquier Community Theatre.

Gabrielle loves teaching young people the art of storytelling through movement. She has taught in the Arlington Diocese for the past seven years, and has choreographed numerous musical theatre productions in the area, including Jersey Boys, Scrooge the Musical, and Tuck Everlasting at Fauquier Community Theatre. In spring 2026, Gabrielle is a featured vocalist and dancer in Prince of Egypt with Triune Entertainment.

Arts and Crafts Fun & Art Explorer

Vanessa is a creative and passionate teacher who helps students develop confidence, creativity, and joyful self-expression. She brings nearly two decades of experience as an illustrator, art educator, and fashion designer both professionally in the field and as an instructor for young students. She currently serves as the Art Teacher for Queen of Apostles Catholic School, where she has successfully organized and presented her own student art show and a fashion show for young artists at the school.

Julie is an experienced Art Teacher from St. Patrick Catholic School. She has worked with students from elementary through college levels, creating a supportive and engaging environment where creativity and skill development flourish. She draws from a diverse background that includes ceramics, film photography, oil pastels, digital art, and calligraphy. Extending beyond technique, self-expression, confidence, and creative problem-solving, Julie nurtures each student’s overall growth and love for art

All “Spotlight on the Arts” staff are approved to work with young people through the Child Protection & Safety Program sponsored by the Arlington Diocese.

Our camps are fully licensed and insured.