Marissa Barnathan (she/her), Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre, is a director, choreographer, performer, educator, and artist-activist. She holds an MFA in Directing from Arizona State University (ASU) and a BA in Drama and Psychology with a Ballet Minor from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to ASU, Marissa worked as a Part-Time Lecturer at Rutgers University in Camden, NJ for two years, teaching Musical Theatre Dance, Jazz, and Ballet.

A Philadelphia native, Marissa spent 9 years working as a professional performer at several companies in the Greater Philadelphia area including the Walnut Street Theatre (The Music Man, A Christmas Carol), the Media Theatre (West Side Story), People’s Light and Theatre Company (Aladdin: a Musical Panto, The Three Musketeers), the Eagle Theatre (Footloose, Catch Me If You Can, Smokey Joe’s Café, Beehive), and the Candlelight Theatre (Fiddler on the Roof).

As a director and choreographer, Marissa’s favorite credits include: Miss You Like Hell and The Wolves at ASU, Anything Goes at Rutgers U., House of Desires at Southwest Shakespeare Company, and Ranked and The Addams Family at Friends Select School.