Meet Our Directors!
Samantha Daynes -
High School
Samantha Daynes is a teaching artist, actor, director, playwright, and theatre technician based in Northern Virginia. Born in Hong Kong, she has lived and worked on theatre productions in Singapore, Hawaii, Utah, and California. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis on Education. She worked as a teaching artist for Synetic Theatre, where she taught theatre workshops at Elementary schools across the Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. area. Her playwriting and directing work includes the Vera Hinckley Mayhew Award-winning production “Different: The Musical,” which played its debut to sold-out audiences in 2022.
Ms. Daynes’ work is focused on telling creative stories that reach diverse audiences and impact them for good, with a goal to help young people develop confidence in themselves and compassion for others. She believes every voice needs to be heard and that theatre is one of the best ways to break down the barriers between humans and find empathy for each other.
When not in the theatre (though really, when is she not in the theatre?) Ms. Daynes enjoys reading, learning Chinese, visiting her family in San Diego, and watching movies with her husband JC. She is thrilled to be working her dream job at Robinson Secondary School amongst such a dedicated theatre community!
Katie Brunberg -
Middle School
Katie Brunberg is an active professional Theatre artist in the DC Metro Area with a focus in Theatre Arts education, specializing in performance and scenic design. Ms. Brunberg has worked for over 10 years as a teaching artist with Acting for Young People. She was the proud director of the Annandale High School Theatre company for 8 years where she built a student-centered program and inclusive spaces both in and outside of the classroom. She is a regular contributor to the Fairfax County Public Schools Theatre curriculum development. Ms. Brunberg graduated with a Bachelors of the Arts in Theatre and a K-12 Theatre Education certificate from George Mason University.
Ms. Brunberg aligns with Robinson’s mission to empower students to take accountability for their learning and to become better people through a well-rounded education. As an educator, she has always valued a student-centered classroom that responds to the unique needs and skills of each student. She believes the theatre classroom is the best place for students to develop skills such as empathy, resiliency, and accountability. Middle school is a pivotal time in a child’s development, and theatre helps them find out who they are and who they can become. She is proud to continue the tradition of Robinson Theatre as a place where all students feel valued, accepted, and safe to grow into themselves through the vehicle of a rich theatre curriculum and thriving after school program.
When Ms. Brunberg is not creating theatre on stage or behind the scenes, she can be found painting and working through her extensive board game collection with her theatre-loving husband, Josh McCreary.
Jessica Poole (McCurdy) - Middle School / High School
Ms. Jessica Poole (McCurdy) is returning to theatre education after taking some time away to pursue Montessori early childhood education and to raise her three children. She has an extensive background in many aspects of theatrical design and specializes in scenic construction, painting, and fabrication, as well as Stage Management. Ms. Poole worked for over 11 years as a teaching artist with Acting for Young People. She was a Montessori early childhood educator for 7 years. No matter what type of classroom, the thing that never changes is her passion for learning, creating, and meeting students where they are. Ms. Poole graduated with a Bachelors of the Arts in Theatre and is currently finishing her K-12 Theatre Education certificate from George Mason University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland.
Ms. Poole is especially excited to be joining the Rambunctious Theatre Company team, as she lives in the Robinson community and her children will be attending Oak View Elementary School. Something that she has noticed over her years in education is that students who are encouraged and supported show exponential growth, and in theatre, we have the benefit of being able to see that tangible progress over the course of a semester, or a year, or a production. Supporting and encouraging students to try new things, and to build up their knowledge, confidence, and skill set is something that she has been working on over the course of her career.
When Ms. Poole is not helping bring things to life on stage, she can be found working in her garden with her three children (and three dogs), rocking out to Coheed and Cambria with her husband TJ McCurdy, baking something delicious, preparing for Halloween, or enjoying the Maryland Renaissance Faire.
All throughout the years the Rambunctious Theatre Company is active putting on fundraising events, cabarets, and volunteering and supporting other companies and people. We can’t do it without our boosters!!
