Staff Bios

Stephanie Wozniak

Artistic Director

Stephanie Wozniak graduated from Marymount Manhattan College in New York with a degree in Acting before working at Meredith College in Raleigh North Carolina for three years as the Assistance Technical Director of the Dance and Theatre Department. She received her Masters in Classical Acting from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and studied briefly at the Moscow Art Theatre School before returning to the states. Ms. Wozniak spent several years working as an actress and casting director in San Francisco where she eventually signed with an agency and found moderate success as a commercial actress. Highlights of these years include playing various roles in Tony and Tina's Wedding for a year, working with Boxcar Theatre, SF Shakespeare, California Shakespeare, and starring opposite a real bear in a national commercial.
Ms. Wozniak began shifting away from onstage work to dedicate her time to youth theatre. From 2009 to 2013 she ran the audition-based youth theatre program The Dream Team for Starting Arts in the South Bay. She was the Youth Theatre Conservatory Director for Broadway By the Bay as well as the director of Hillbarn Theatre's Teen Company.
Ms. Wozniak is incredibly honored to be working to train future theatre professionals or theatre fans here at San Mateo High School.

Music and Vocal Director

Rick Reynolds

Rick Reynolds teaches our Musical Theatre class with Ms. Wozniak and is our Music Director and Vocal Director for the SMHS Drama musicals. Rick has worked with schools, colleges, community & professional theatres on hundreds of shows, including Theatre Royal (Drury, London), Chester Repertory (Wales), Gilbert & Sullivan (Bedford, UK), and the Royal Derngate Theatre (North Hampton, UK). He served as Resident Music Director for Peninsula Center Stage, Palo Alto Players and L’Act. World/Regional Premieres including: Secret Garden, Triumph of Love & Krieger & Russell’s Side Show and Lucky Duck. Recognized with awards and nominations for best musical direction by Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Theatre Bay Area Awards for 42nd Street, Damn Yankees, Jesus Christ Superstar, Bells are Ringing, Oklahoma, Assassins and Sweeney Todd. Orchestrator for Jinx the Musical, and Pitch In. Contractor for artists & music preparation for studio recordings for theme parks including: Kings Entertainment and Marriots. With over 35 years of musical theatre experience in the US and Europe, Rick brings his incredible musical expertise to our classroom and our orchestra pit. Our performers and musicians alike benefit from his knowledge!