Program Staff
Emily Gill - Theatrical Production Director and Theatre Classes Teacher
Emily Gill is a Twin Cities area director, actor, and teacher. She holds a BA in Theatre and Dance Education from Gustavus Adolphus College and an MFA in Directing from Illinois State University. Currently she teaches theatre and AVID at St. Paul Central High School.
Directing credits include: The Women of Lockerbie (Illinois State University); Veronica's Room (Chameleon Theatre Circle); The Playboy of the Western World (Illinois State University); and Grease, Moon Over Buffalo, Working, Guys and Dolls, Into the Woods, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Addams Family, These Shining Lives, The Little Mermaid, and Clue (all at St. Paul Central).
Alex Ferderer - Vocal Director
Alex Ferderer is the vocal music instructor at Central High School. He holds a BA in Vocal Music Education from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and a Master's of Music Education from the University of Minnesota.. He has led choir tours to Boston, MA and New York, NY, and his choirs have been selected and performed at the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota State Conference.
Vocal music directing credits include: The Addams Family and Grease (both at Open World Learning Community); and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Addams Family, and The Little Mermaid (at St. Paul Central).
Matthew Oyen - Instrumental Music Advisor
Matthew Oyen has been a music educator in St. Paul Public Schools for 26 years and the Director of Instrumental Music at Central High School for the past 23 years. A native of St. Paul and a graduate of Central High School, Mr. Oyen received his BA from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and a MA in Music Education from the University of St. Thomas.
Mr. Oyen has served in leadership roles including as the Minnesota Music Educators Association Region Representative, serving on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota High School Music Listening Contest, and as the Band and Orchestra Chair of the St. Paul Public Schools Ordway Honors Concert and Art Exhibit. Award and recognitions Mr. Oyen has received include the Minnesota String and Orchestra Teacher Association's Master Teacher: School Orchestra Program award and the Rotary Club of St. Paul Teacher of the Year.
Josh Hirman - Lighting Advisor
Josh Hirman has been an ELA/AVID teacher at Central for the past 15 years. He holds a B.A. in Theatre from St. Cloud State University, a B.S. from Metropolitan State University, and an M.Ed. from the University of Minnesota. Prior to teaching, he co-founded a non-profit theatre company and participated in theatre around the Twin Cities. Mr. Hirman is excited to have returned to Central’s Drama program, as he had previously been one of the advisors for the program and productions for several years.