GUEST ARTIST BIOs

Steve Lipinsky

Steve Lipinsky holds a B.A. from the USC School of Theatre with an emphasis on performance and education.  An active member of both major performing unions (SAG-AFTRA, AEA) Steve has been working in Southern California theatres as an actor, advisor, and teacher for the past 22 years. In addition to his extensive theatre credits outside of San Diego, Steve has enjoyed coaching and teaching right here in his home town. For six years, Steve sat on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Shakespeare Society and taught classical theatre as an ambassador to that organization throughout the city schools.  He has directed and taught acting and performance for many local theatres and programs including North Coast Repertory Theatre, the American Scholar Academy, and The Old Globe Theatre. His business, Access to Acting, Inc., which he relocated from Santa Monica to Encinitas, offers extensive training in monologue preparation, sense memory exploration, audition technique, improvisation, scene work, and solo performance.  

Katie Sapper 

 Katie Sapper is ecstatic to be returning as a guest artist at CCA. Here, Katie has taught Shakespeare, going deep into understanding the history, iambic pentameter, and the steps to executing a Shakespearean Monologue. She also will be teaching Greek theatre, with an emphasis in mask work and the Greek Chorus. She has been a teaching artist at The Old Globe Middle School Shakespeare Conservatory (five years) and at San Diego Junior Theatre. Katie graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Theatre Arts (emphasis Musical Theatre) from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. While there, she spent a semester studying theatre abroad in London as well as taking an acting intensive with the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin, under the direction of Patrick Sutton. After graduating, Katie has been working consistently in theatres around San Diego. Credits include: Crystal-Kingdom City (La Jolla Playhouse *world premiere), Violet/Young Vi understudy-Violet (San Diego Repertory Theatre), Alais-The Lion in Winter (Moonlight), Glinda-The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Lambs Players *world premiere), Ivy-bare: A Pop Opera (Diversionary Theatre), Nancy-A New Brain(Diversionary), Astrid- September and Her Sisters (Scripps Ranch Theatre *world premiere), Trixie- Knuffle Bunny (North Coast Repertory Theatre for Families). She is also an avid surfer and loves her Portuguese Water Dog, Ringo. 

 Leigh Scarritt 

Miss Leigh Scarritt holds a degree in Voice Performance from Arizona State University, and has performed all over North America for over 30 years. A veteran of TV, film, and the stage, Miss Leigh brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Of the hundreds of students she has taught, many have gone on to perform on television, movies, theater, and commercials. Over 87 of her students have appeared in The Old Globes’ production of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. 

College Preparation should be an integral part of any young actors’ career and Miss Leigh has had students successful at acceptance into such prestigious universities as NYU, Yale, Boston Conservatory, UCLA, Syracuse, Berkeley and Emerson. Leigh Scarritt is San Diego's Premier Voice and Acting Coach.

Shirley Johnston

Shirley began tap dancing at the age of 6 and fell in love with dance so immensely, she soon added ballet and jazz. At the age of 16 she was a member of an award winning dance company that went on to win a National Tap Dance Championship. Shirley taught dance all over San Diego for over a decade before becoming a high school show choir choreographer. This put her on the path to musical theatre. In 1999, she was cast in her first professional show Some Like It Hot, at Starlight Musical Theatre in Balboa Park. Since then, Shirley has performed, choreographed and directed all over San Diego County and in New York City. This past summer, she launched her own Musical Theatre training program (Break A Leg Productions) where serious young artists took classes in acting, voice, and dance and were taken through the production process. Currently she teaches Musical Theatre Dance at Culture Shock Dance Center as well as teaching individuals and small groups privately. Most recently, Shirley was seen on the Moonlight Amphitheater Stage as The Witch in Big Fish. In the Summer of 2016, she will once again run the Break A Leg Productions Musical Theatre Boot Camp at Culture Shock Dance Center.

Skyler Sullivan

Skyler Sullivan is an actor and arts educator recently transplanted from New York. While in NYC, he worked with The New Victory Theatre for ten years as a veteran teaching artist, where he honed his skills as a curriculum developer, and facilitator. He has also been a teacher and site director for Circus Minimus for the past 15 years and enjoyed three seasons on the faculty of the Sitka Fine Arts Camp in Sitka, AK. Other NYC teaching credits include: The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, the Professional Performing Arts School, and on-set coaching on two P.B.S. shows: Sesame Street and The Electric Company. Skyler is thrilled to be working with Diversionary Theatre as it continues its tradition of arts education and outreach. Currently in San Diego he also teaches for Young Audiences, Fern Street Circus, San Diego Circus Center, and The La Jolla Playhouse. Keep an eye open to learn about upcoming classes and opportunities. Education: B.F.A. in acting Emerson College, M.F.A. in Acting Brooklyn College.

Blake McCarty

Blake McCarty is an artist and educator, whose most recent production premiered to critical and popular acclaim in New York City last year. Created and produced by McCarty, Play/Datefeatured new works by seventeen playwrights and was hailed as “broadening the definition of theater” by The New York Times. Blake is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the San Diego Film Festival, and a Teaching Artist with San Diego Junior Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse. His work has been seen in productions at Dixon Place, Theatre Row, Provincetown Playhouse, and La Mama E.T.C. among others. He holds a BFA in Film Production and an MA in Educational Theatre, both from New York University.