Directors
Dave Feranchak
Dave Feranchak has been involved in some aspect of theatre for over 30 years. He has a Master's degree in Educational Theatre from New York University. His time at NYU gave him the opportunity to work overseas (in London, England, and Dublin, Ireland) with world-renowned leaders in the field of Educational
Theatre, including Dorothy Heathcote, Cecily O'Neill, and Philip Taylor, among others.
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Mr. Feranchak is a recipient of the 2018 Dr. David Gottlieb Outstanding Teaching in Fine Arts Award presented by The Woodlands Arts Council. In 2022, he was inducted into his high school's Woodrow Wilson Hall of Fame in Youngstown, Ohio.
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During the summer of 2010, he participated in a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Curriculum Development Seminar in Brazil, studying the arts programs there (and the Theatre 2, 3, and 4 classes created a Brazil project during the 2010-2011 school year). In October, 2004, he spent 3 weeks in Japan as part of the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program. There, he visited Tokyo and Shiojiri City (in the Nagano Prefecture) and observed and studied the Japanese educational system along with other U.S. teachers who were also chosen for this highly selective and prestigious cultural exchange program.
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He received his undergraduate degree (a B.A. in English) from Youngstown State University in Ohio. At YSU, he appeared in many theatre productions (his favorites include The Lion in Winter, Modigliani, and Macbeth). He also worked backstage as a set and lighting designer and in various other technical positions. While at YSU, he was the University Theatre Box Office Manager for two years. There he also received training in stage fight choreography from several fight masters of The American Society of Fight Directors.
His professional theatre credits include serving as a Stage Manager for the Pasadena Shakespeare Company in Pasadena, California, and a stage carpenter for Lakeside Dinner Theatre in Oswego, New York.
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He has extensive acting and directing experience in community theatre as well. He has worked with The Montgomery County Theatre Project, The Backstage Ensemble in Old Town Spring, Playhouse 1960 and The Youngstown Playhouse in Youngstown, Ohio, one of the oldest and prestigious community theatres in the United States.
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He has taught theatre for over 20 years and has directed over 60 productions here at Conroe High School, during which the department has had unprecedented successes. In 2014, Conroe HS Theatre advanced the furthest in the school's history, advancing to the Regional U.I.L. One Act Play Contest with scenes from The Servant of Two Masters.
In 2011, CHS's production of Once Upon a Mattress was nominated for numerous Tommy Tune Awards, including a "Best Actress" nomination. The Tommy Tune Awards, sponsored by Theatre Under the Stars, was created to recognize excellence in musicals produced by high schools in the greater Houston area.
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Before coming to Conroe High School, he taught at Humble High School (where they advanced to the State U.I.L. One Act Play Contest in 1996), Campbell Junior High (Cy-Fair ISD), and Liberty High School in Ohio. He has taught the Summer Drama Conservatory at Kingwood College several times, and taught drama for the Montgomery College Summer Youth Program. Some of his favorite plays he has directed are House of Blue Leaves, Bye Bye Birdie, Vieux Carre, The Lion in Winter, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Pack of Lies, Ring Round the Moon, The Glass Menagerie, Uncle Vanya, The Playboy of the Western World, House of Blue Leaves, The Shaughraun, and Awake and Sing!.
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He also worked in film and television while in Los Angeles, including serving as the Script Coordinator for King World Productions' Hollywood Squares for two seasons. His other time in Hollywood was spent as an administrative assistant in the Marketing Department of DreamWorks Pictures, the Music Department of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, and for Dick Clark Productions. He also worked for two years for HBO on the staff of the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado, and as a production assistant on a feature film for Stone Soup Productions.
Ms. Sydney Boyenga has been dedicated to theater for 15 years— but she knew she wanted to teach when she directed Anton in Show Business by Jane Martin during her senior year of high school.
Pursuing this passion, Boyenga attended Texas State University, where she majored in theater education, with a minor in business. While at Texas State, she tried every aspect of theater— from stagehand work to performance to direction.
Highlights of her technical work at Texas State are costume construction for Evita, stage management of Peter and Alice, and set/lobby design for Texas State’s first annual Tedx Conference in 2017. Her favorite college performance was as Lee in the gender-blind casted True West, and her favorite community theater role is that of Diedre in I Hate Hamlet.
As an arts administrator, Boyenga was fortunate enough to co-found a reader’s theater troupe for the San Marcos Public Library, produce and organize the Texas State Ten Minute Play Fest, and direct a summer production of Macbeth.
After graduation, Boyenga found herself a position as the head theater director of Splendora High School. Teaching 6 different “preps” for theater arts, she participated in UIL Prose/Poetry and One Act Play, produced a number of student directed festivals, and directed Splendora High School’s first ever musical (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown). Her favorite plays she directed at Splendora are She Kills Monsters, Trojan Women, Beauty and the Beast, and The Wizard of Oz.
She is expected to graduate from the University of Northern Colorado in December 2022, with a master’s degree in Theater Education. In her program, she’s been fortunate enough to take courses in devised theater, technical design, musical theater, and dramaturgy. Her graduate thesis is a continuation of her undergraduate thesis topic, theater arts integration in the core classroom.
Boyenga is so excited to join the Tiger team at CHS and see where this year takes her!
Sydney Boyenga
Amanda Gutierrez
Amanda Gutierrez (Ms. G) graduated from Earl Warren High School in San Antonio where she was under the direction of Mandy Epley. Mandy Epley made Ms. G. fall in love with theatre. She followed in Mandy’s footsteps and attended Sam Houston State University to study theatre arts.
At SHSU, Ms. G. was exposed to wonderful professionals of her craft that taught her to respect and appreciate every aspect of theatre. Ms. G. was able to work as part of the theatre management team where she helped with publicity, running the box-office, and ushering. Ms. G. was involved in many productions at SHSU but the most memorable production was A Midsummer Night’s Dream that traveled to London to perform in Hyde Park.
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Prior to teaching at Conroe High School, Ms. G. was the co-director at Lynn Lucas Middle School and The Workshop Theatre. Ms. G. got to work alongside her mentor, Susan Burge. Burge was a fountain of knowledge, and she shared every bit of her expertise with Ms. G. Burge and Ms. G. enjoyed producing Don Zolidis shows: The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza, Snappy’s Happy Half Hour, and 10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse along with numerous Christmas plays. On the more serious side, Ms. G. was involved in the direction of 1984 which performed at the Theatre Network of Texas Quad IV Festival in Baytown and at the American Association of Community Theatres National Festival competition in Gettysburg, PA, as one of only eight youth groups invited. As part of Workshop Theatre, Ms. G has experienced all aspects of theatre: director, actor, and technician. She has directed many OAPs, blackbox shows, and talent shows. As an adult actor, Ms. G. has been on stage at the Owen Theatre (The Foreigner) and at Gettysburg Community Theatre (monologue from Southern Hospitality). Her technical skills have been showcased in her backstage managing roles in One Act Play competitions and community theatre productions. Some of Ms. G.’s favorite productions with The Workshop Theatre were 1984, Les Mis, No Time for Sergeants, Of Mice and Men, The Foreigner, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Steel Magnolias.
Burge also runs the Jim Bingham Theatre Camp at the Crighton Theatre. Ms. G. has assisted in several productions including Peter Pan, Treasure Island, The Wiz, School of Rock, and The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland. Ms. G. was the lead director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ms. G.’s favorite summer camp was Treasure Island because she got to work (and wreak havoc) with Becky Bell, former Conroe High School theatre teacher.
Ms. G. feels passionately about how essential theatre arts is to young people. Theatre arts prepares young people for the workplace. They learn skills such as; preparing yourself for success, positive self-talk, staying composed and professional in stressful situations, the importance of focus and work-ethic, collaborating with a team and problem solving, learning to think for yourself and outside of the box, meeting deadlines, and, of course, public speaking on multiple levels, not just speaking in front of a crowd. These are real life skills that will not only make students successful in the workplace, these skills will make them leaders in the workplace. Theatre arts prepares students for real life, it is just disguised as kids at play.
Ms. G.’s significant other’s name is Joshua Cole. They have three fur-kids.
