The Speakers

Robin Lithgow and her brother John may be the only persons on the planet who had seen all of Shakespeare’s plays in all stages of production before entering adolescence. Her father produced the entire cannon in seven years, in the mid fifties, at the Antioch Shakespeare Festival in Ohio. (When asked how he did it, he replied, “Nobody ever told us we couldn’t.”)

Robin is the retired Director of the Arts Education Branch of the Los Angeles Unified School District. She was a principal designer of the Arts Program Schools program, placing dance, music and visual arts teachers in LAUSD elementary schools as core curriculum. During her tenure, She directed the writing of the district's K-6 Arts Instructional Guide and edited the theater modules. Robin has served on the College Board's Academic Advisory Committee for the Arts, where she was the advocate for an Advanced Placement track in theater and a greater role for theater in education across the nation. She is the author of the recently released book, “Lessons from Shakespeare’s Classroom: Empowering Learning Through Drama and Rhetoric.” She believes, quite simply, that the arts are the best way to teach all things.

Patricia Tripp Jahangiri, CTE, Educator, Costume Designer, “MAMA J”, as she is affectionately  nicknamed, is a professional Costume Designer, based in LA, for all theatrical arenas. Her  passion & priority continues in the Arts, as she begins her 12th year as a Technical Theatre Educator with LA’s top performing arts high schools. 

As a Professional Teaching Artist, Technical Theatre Department, at the Los Angeles County  High School for the Arts, her focus is with the Costume Design’s technical collaboration and  production. Her class participates in 6-10 productions a school year. She has guided her students  to maintain the highest regard of professional integrity as they collaborate with the Directors, and  sound, lighting, and set designers. She has provided a professional setting where students are  responsible for the costume plots, concept sheets for each character, sketches, fittings,  construction, alteration, properties sourcing & procurement. Mama J is also a qualified theatrical  make-up, hair & wig artist and per show, students are taught to apply these elements as needed. 

Her success has allowed Mama J to take her teaching process to other performing arts high  schools in the greater Los Angeles area which include the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual  and Performing Arts, Calabasas High School, Burbank High School, Alexander Hamilton High  School, Teenage Drama Workshop-California State University Northridge, El Camino Real High  School, Charter High School of Arts-Multimedia & Performing, Marlton School for the Deaf, Greater LA Agency on Deafness, & Inner City Education Foundation Public School. 

Most recent awards include the Jerry Herman Award Nominations for Costume Design, In the  Heights, & Singin’ in the Rain. 

Mama J is an advocate for continuing as she herself just completed her certification designation as a CTE, Certified Technical Educator.  

Personal quote:  

“We must ensure that the next generation of young artist are prepared. I teach life  lessons!” 

Other Related Experience: Spanish, ASL, Actor, 28 years corporate professional, cruise industry,  Certified Meeting Professional, CMP, Certified Travel Counselor, CTC.

Cori Stevenson is a passionate advocate for the arts and a seasoned professional in the world of theatre. Currently serving as the Director of Outreach and Membership at the Houston Shakespeare Festival (HSF) within the University of Houston (UH), Cori has made a significant impact since joining the organization in the fall of 2016.

At UH, Cori has led over 120 Shakespeare workshops as part of the Houston Public Library's Camp STREAM initiative. Additionally, she has successfully developed a community membership program that provides vital financial support for HSF's free public performances, allowing over 20,000 Houstonians to experience the magic of free Shakespeare performances each summer.

In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, Cori and the artistic team at the Houston Shakespeare Festival produced online resources for teachers in the midst of the momentous digital transformation of the educational space. Two compelling video series, "One Role, Two Actors" and "Knucklehead Knows," were created to invite students into the rehearsal room, and each offers teachers a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate Shakespeare's language in a dynamic and engaging way.

Cori's journey in the professional theatre world spans 25 years, during which she has donned numerous hats and contributed to various aspects of the industry. Her diverse roles have included Arts Administrator, Executive Producer, Voice Over Artist, Grant Writer, NPR local host, Performer, Membership Director, Volunteer Coordinator, Educational Director, Teaching Artist, and Stage Director. This wealth of experience has allowed her to collaborate with a wide range of organizations, both large and small, in her pursuit of leveraging the power of the arts to build and transform communities.

Some of Cori's notable past collaborators include the Houston Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Shakespeare Festival, Memphis Arts Council, Aesthetic Education Institute (Memphis), Germantown Community Theatre, Deep Ellum Opera Theatre, Garland Civic Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, Queensbury Theatre, the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, and Theatre Under the Stars. 

Cori holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Sam Houston State University, where her passion for theatre education first flourished. She further honed her skills and knowledge by earning a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from the University of Memphis. With a deep-rooted belief in the power of community building through the arts, Cori Stevenson strives to enrich the lives of individuals and communities through accessible theatre, community engagement, and arts education.