COURTNEY YOUNG SOCHER
Executive Artistic Director
Courtney Young Socher is a director, choreographer and mother who has maintained a career in the arts for over three decades. Her work centers the voices of women, human connection, and her passion for new work. Through making sure all stories have a platform to be told, one of Courtney’s missions is supporting neurodiverse artists and ensuring accessibility in this art form. As a director/choreographer, she has worked at The National Opera (Kennedy Center), Casa Mañana, The Paper Mill Playhouse, City Center (Encores!), Coachella Valley Rep and more. Courtney has also directed productions at universities like Ithaca College and The Pennsylvania State University. Her career began as a performer, having appeared in several Broadway shows and national tours, including: The Producers, Young Frankenstein, The Full Monty, Little Me, Cats, Fosse, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the iconic Radio City Rockettes.
MIA JUMBO
Managing Director
Emelia "Mia" Jumbo is a multidisciplinary production, events, and facilities manager with a rich background in technical theatre, educational leadership, and creative problem-solving. Currently serving at Ithaca College, Mia oversees the operations of theatrical facilities, coordinates complex production schedules, and leads educational programming within the Center for Theatre and Dance.
She is also pursuing an MBA in Entertainment and Media Management at Ithaca College, further deepening her strategic and financial leadership in arts organizations. Mia brings a collaborative, student-centered approach to her work, mentoring future theatre professionals through hands-on experience in production design, safety, and execution.
With more than a decade of experience spanning academic institutions, regional theatres, and her own fabrication business, Mia has held positions such as Production Manager, Instructional Support Associate, and Props Master at organizations including Binghamton University and the Hangar Theatre. Her skill set spans welding, rigging, scenic construction, AutoCAD drafting, event coordination, inventory systems, and vendor management.
A graduate of the University of New Mexico (BA in Design for Performance, Cum Laude) and National University (Certificate in Marine Technology), Mia combines artistic excellence with operational acumen. She is passionate about equity, access, and fostering environments where creativity and logistics meet seamlessly.
GAVIN MAYER
Gavin has worked extensively as a resident director at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, a regional LORT B theatre in suburban Denver, where he directed the world premiere and regional premieres of numerous musicals and plays. Some of his directing credits include: Elf, the Musical,I’ll be Home for Christmas (Henry Nomination for Best New Musical) The Mountaintop (Henry Nomination for Best Director of a Play), White Christmas (Henry Nomination for Best Director of a Musical), Disney’s Tarzan, She Loves Me, The Great Gatsby, A Christmas Carol the Musical, Curtains (Henry Nomination for Best Director of a Musical and Best Musical), Miracle on 34th Street and Legally Blonde (True West Award winner for Best Musical and nomination for Best Director of a Musical.) Gavin has also worked with the Arvada Center's Education Department where he directed the summer high school musical productions for ten years.
Other professional credits include Baby Dance, 4000 Miles, Over the River and Through the Woods (Cherry Creek Theatre), Guys and Dolls: in Concert (Lone Tree Arts Center) and Forever Plaid (Post Playhouse). Other favorite directing experiences include Company, Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, Bus Stop, Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, Urinetown, Run for Your Wife, West Side Story and the high school world premiere of The Laramie Project. Gavin also served as the Founding Co-Artistic Director for Denver’s Historic Elitch Theatre New Works Festival at the 130-year-old Elitch Theatre.
Gavin is the current Chair of the Ithaca College Department of Theatre and Dance Performance and is currently collaborating with composer/lyricist Eric Leigh ('22) to adapt the French-Canadian play Les Feluettes (Lilies) by Michel Marc Bouchard into a musical.
