Melissa Lubina

Facilities Assistant

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Melissa is a recent graduate of the Stage and Production Management MFA program. She returns to the school of drama as a full time staff member assisting with the management of the classroom and theatrical facilities. Some of her duties include room scheduling, key maintenance and distribution, processing of work orders, and assisting DR with any and all facility needs. She holds a BA in Theatre from Cal Poly Pomona in California where she studied acting and stage management, and also got overly involved in the general workings of the theatre department. Her undergrad instilled in her a learn-by-doing approach to theatre which she brought with her to grad school at CMU and continues to implement in her work in facilities. Theatre is the best community in the world, and she’s grateful for her small part in it. She hopes to continue to grow and serve within the community at the School of Drama.

Sara Novelly

Business Manager

Sara joined CMU as a temp assisting with Commencement 19 years ago.  The Events team liked her so much they hired her, after which she moved through a series of positions with University Communications and Marketing to land as their business manager in 2014, where she stayed until coming to Drama in 2023.

Sara previously worked as a paralegal at an immigration law firm and as an elf at Macy’s, just like David Sedaris. She has a bachelor’s degree in theatre and political science from Fordham University and a master of public policy and management degree from Heinz College. She loves reading and traveling and cooking and baking, going to concerts and hanging out with her rambunctious and charming husband and son in her spare time.

Ben Brosche

Staff Accompanist

Ben Brosche is a free-lancing pianist, accompanist, and music director in Pittsburgh, PA, performing nationally and internationally.

In the Pittsburgh theater scene, Ben has been involved in multiple productions working with CLO, Pittsburgh Public, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, The New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh University Theater Dept., Stage 62, Comtra, and others working in multiple positions throughout various productions. Ben worked as music director for the New Hazlett’s production of Monteze Freeland and Michael Meketa’s “Kalopsia.” He has been piano conductor for multiple University of Pittsburgh musicals since 2018. Ben was music director of Stage 62’s “Mamma Mia,” which won Pittsburgh’s “Best of the Burgh.” Ben has worked for CLO as music assistant for SPARK festival as well as shows in the Cabaret (“Game On” and “Double Threat Trio”). Ben performed with the talented pit of Pittsburgh Public for “Little Shop of Horrors,” music directed by John McDaniel and piano conducted by Catie Brown.

In the Jazz scene, Ben has worked with a variety of musicians in the city such as: The Boilermaker Jazz Band, Mike Tomaro, Tom Wendt, Jeff Bush, Tony Depaolis, The Bliel Brothers, Artistree, Lee Robinson, and ISKA. Ben performed with the Mid Atlantic Big Band under the direction of Ted Nash (2016) and Delfeayo Marsalis (2017) at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York City. As a child he was selected to represent the Yamaha Music Education Systems Corporate division to perform his original compositions in New Jersey, Washington DC, California (Biola), Arizona, Canada, and at the NAMM show in Anaheim, California.

Ben received his BM in at James Madison University and his MM at Duquesne University. At JMU, he performed in masterclasses and worked with John Hollenbeck, Theo Bleckman, Bobby McFerrin, Nate Smith, and Branford Marsalis. Ben is excited to be a part of the CMU School of Drama!

Valerie Haley

Senior Administrative Coordinator

Val has been a member of the administrative staff in the School of Drama since 2011. In addition to working in the Box Office to assist with management of the house, ticket sales and student ushers, Val is the Associate Director for the CMU Drama PreCollege program which hosts over 100 high school students for a six-week residential program each summer. Val is also the events manager for the School of Drama, planning and catering various events, meetings and celebrations throughout the year.

Val, originally from Berea, Ohio, has her B.A. in Acting from Indiana University, Bloomington and her M.F.A. from West Virginia University. She’s lived in Monroeville for the past 27 years with her husband Robert and their recent addition of two new kittens. She has two grown children, Jess and Luke. She enjoys playing her 100 year old Steinway grand piano and has been singing since her musician mother put her in front of her first audience at age 4. She spends her free time with her close group of friends, traveling, and enjoying her love of sports, particularly as a devoted fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Browns.

Shannon Musgrave

Director of Communications & Special Projects

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Shannon has been with the School of Drama since 2021. As Director of Communications & Special Projects, she oversees the school’s internal and external communications, website, marketing of season productions, social media engagement, alumni relations, and special events. She serves on the team that organizes CMU’s partnership with the Tony Awards and oversees many of the School’s special projects throughout the year, including “Behind the Scenes” – a program in partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust; the annual Actors’ Showcase & Creators’ Expo in Pittsburgh, New York City, and Los Angeles; and ColLABo, for which she is Associate Producer.

Shannon has worked in artistic and management capacities in the theater and arts world for more than 15 years. In Pittsburgh, she has worked as Communications Director for the Allegheny Regional Asset District; in Salt Lake City, she spent five years as Associate Artistic Director for the Salt Lake Acting Company; and in Washington, D.C., she worked in the Artistic Development office of Arena Stage while pursuing her Masters of Arts Management at American University.

In addition to her work as Director of Communications & Special Projects, she also is Associate Producer for ColLABo, a production development incubator hosted at CMU each summer. Favorite freelance theater projects include directing the world premiere of MERCURY by Steve Yockey, and associate producing Winter Miller’s NO ONE IS FORGOTTEN, presented at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in NYC.

Shannon currently serves on the advisory boards of WQED and the National New Play Network. She holds a BA in Musical Theatre and an MA in Arts Management. After work, find her on a mat at Sneha Yoga & Wellness Collective, trying a weird wine at the Allegheny Wine Mixer, or at home in Lawrenceville with her person, pup, and plants.

Alaire Naedele

Director of Recruitment & Enrollment

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Alaire serves as the Director of Recruitment and Enrollment for the School of Drama, where she leads strategic efforts to recruit and enroll students in both the BFA and MFA programs. She oversees the prescreening, audition, and portfolio review processes, plans and manages the national audition tour, and coordinates campus and virtual visit experiences for prospective students and their families.

With over 13 years of experience in higher education, Alaire brings deep expertise in enrollment management, student recruitment, communications, and admissions-related event planning. She began her career as the Assistant Director of Artistic Recruitment at Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts.

Since joining Carnegie Mellon University in 2022, Alaire has served as Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission, acting as a liaison to the School of Drama and the School of Music. She also contributed to the Office of Enrollment Management, leading strategic communications initiatives for The HUB, the Office of Undergraduate Admission, and Study Abroad. Her accomplishments include launching a Student and Community Blog (https://www.cmu.edu/admission/student-community-blog), managing virtual engagement efforts, and overseeing social media strategy.

Alaire holds an MBA in Sport, Art, and Entertainment Management from Point Park University and a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from Slippery Rock University.

Outside of work, Alaire enjoys spending time with her husband and their three energetic sons. When not on mom duty, she loves traveling with her girlfriends and exploring new restaurants!

Shannon Lown

Academic Program Manager & Graduate Advisor

Shannon is the Academic Program Manager and Graduate Advisor in the School of Drama. She is a point of contact for graduate students and campus partners at the program level. Shannon provides advising, administration, and academic support for current MFA students, and School of Drama programs.

Originally from the Pittsburgh region, Shannon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication. Following her graduation, she began her career in corporate banking, where she gained valuable experience before joining the CMU community in 2008.

Shannon’s time exploring different areas of higher education at Carnegie Mellon University led her to her current role with the School of Drama, where she naturally enjoys supporting students and academic programs. Shannon is dedicated to helping students by centering acts of care, support, and accessibility that may add to a rewarding academic journey.

In addition to her professional endeavors, Shannon integrates a similar focus into her personal life. She is a proud mother of twins, a registered RYT Yoga instructor, and holds a Reiki certification in the Usui System of Natural Healing.

Maria Stoy

Box Office Manager
Associate Director, PreCollege Program

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Maria joined the School of Drama as the Box Office Manager in 1998. She has also been the Associate Director of the Drama PreCollege Program since 2002.

Before coming to Carnegie Mellon, she worked for eight years as group sales manager, outreach coordinator and marketing assistant at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. In association with productions of the Playhouse Jr., she created field trip study guides for student audiences, conducted in-school workshops in association with productions, and spoken on the many aspects of theater production at school career days. Maria holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Point Park University, and has performed in and directed children’s theater productions for several local theaters including the Pittsburgh Playhouse Jr., the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, and Gemini Theater Company.

Louis Stein

Network Administrator
In-House Photographer

Louis is an Information Technologies Specialist with more than 35 years of industry experience and joined the CMU School of Drama in July of 2003.

A native of Pittsburgh, Louis’ background includes computer and network support at the University of Pittsburgh, Y2K conversion at Mellon Bank, and before joining Carnegie Mellon, as the West Coast network administrator for RedLeaf LLC, a silicon-valley venture capital firm.

In addition to his enthusiasm for technology, Louis is an amateur photographer and is responsible for many of the images on the CMU Drama website. You can see more of his photography at lbsphoto.com.