Meet the Production Staff

Andy Cooper-Leary (Director) has directed over 40 plays and musicals with students ranging in age from kindergarten through high school during his teaching career. Before coming to Poly Prep in 2022, Andrew was the Performing Arts teacher at Leadership Prep Brownsville Elementary Academy. He has also taught/directed at New York area independent schools, including the Hackley School and Friends Academy. From 2009 to 2018, Andrew was part of the Emmy Award-winning research team at MLB Network. He has a degree in Drama & English from Tufts University and an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU. In between degrees, Andrew trained professionally as an actor at Circle in the Square and Brandeis University.

Maddy Wyatt (Music Director) is excited to be conducting her sixth musical at Poly Prep. In addition to her work as a music educator, Ms. Wyatt is also an accomplished singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, having toured the country both solo and with her band WYATT, released three albums of original music, and composed film scores and the occasional toothpaste jingle. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, and her work can most recently be heard in the feature film Breaking Fast, now streaming across all platforms. Thanks to Andy, Ashley, and to our wonderful cast and creative team for all their hard work.

Ashley Hacker (Choreographer) began her endeavor as a lifelong dancer at the age of 2 ½. She continued her dance studies as an undergraduate at The College at Brockport, where she earned a BFA in Dance, and a BS in Psychology with a minor in Music. After graduation, she made the move to the Big Apple to dance, teach, and pursue her MA in Dance Education with a PreK-12 Dance Certification from New York University. Ms. Hacker continues to perform in NYC with her most recent performance at the Peridance Capezio Center; is a member, attends yearly, and presents at the National Dance Education Organization Conference; and regularly participates in arts outreach and in-reach programs in the NYC community. In addition to teaching and choreographing at Poly, Ms. Hacker has also been working hard in her second year as the Dance, Debate & Drama Coordinator. She is certified as a yoga teacher, a Strong Nation and Zumba instructor, and a FRC mobility specialist, using her knowledge regularly to support Poly students.

Kim Griffin (Costume Designer) has designed for theater, musicals, dance, and opera; collaboration with directors, the design team, and the actors is integral to her process from beginning to end. Kim has worked at theaters including the Williamstown Theatre Festival, New Jersey Repertory Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars, Ohio Light Opera, Stageworks Theatre, Boomerang Theatre Company, Opera in the Heights, and The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston. She has toured with the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Legends Blue Unit and has stitched for The Met Gala, New York Fashion Week, The Golden Globes, Broadway shows, and national tours. She has also designed for Theatre for Young Audiences tours, along with university and high school productions. Kim is originally from Houston, Texas and earned her BFA in Theatre Design & Technology with a minor in music from Baylor University and her MFA in Costume Design from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. As part of the fulfillment of her master’s at MGSA, she studied at Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare’s Globe and The School of Historical Dress in London, England.

Daniel Patrick Hogan (Scenic/Set Designer) has designed scenery, props, hair, and makeup for numerous productions. As a scenic designer, his favorite projects include Little Shop of Horrors, The Seafarer, The Pirates of Penzance, In the Heights, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and A Doll’s House. Recently, Daniel designed scenery for The Wallace Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd. He created an immersive, multi-levelled set that placed the audience in between different locations. His design utilized existing elements of the derelict Wallace Theatre and offered a unique viewing experience for each audience member. Daniel thoroughly enjoys transforming found spaces and designing new works.

David Higham (Lighting Designer & Technical Director) is in his thirty-first year at Poly, where he has been responsible for designing the lighting, sound, and scenery for over 170 productions. In addition to his work at Poly, Mr. Higham has designed lighting for productions at The Public Theatre, Lincoln Center, the Irish Arts Center, The Women’s Project, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, and The National Shakespeare Company. Mr. Higham also has worked as a lighting designer for several New York City architectural and landscape design firms.