About Us
Jay Brian Winnick
Artistic Director
Jay (or Mr. Jay as the kids call him) directs the after-school musicals at Portola Charter Middle School, Wilbur Charter Elementary, Lanai Road Elementary and AE Wright Middle School and is the founder and camp artistic director for 5 years at the Winfish Theatrical Portola Summer Performing Arts Training Camp. Mr. Jay has also taught theater classes at Lanai Road Elementary, Bay Laurel Elementary, and Van Ness Elementary. In addition to teaching, Mr. Jay is a renowned actor. Jay’s Broadway credits include Sondheim’s The Frogs (Nathan Lane’s Understudy) directed by Susan Stroman at Lincoln Center and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Lefou). National Tour and LA credits include Guys and Dolls (At the Pantages) directed by Jerry Zaks, The Merry Widow (Kromov) at the LA Opera, The Producers (Max Bialystock-Ovation Nomination) for 3d Theatrical, Kiss Me Kate (Man #2-Ovation nomination) for Reprise, The world premiere of Oy! ToThe World at the El Portal Theater, and Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors at 5-Star Theatrical. TV Credits include Fuller House, Will and Grace, How I Met Your Mother, Two Broke Girls, Victorious, Good Luck Charlie and That Girl LayLay.
Jayne Ava
Choreographer/Musical Director
Jayne Ava has been immersed in the entertainment industry for as long as she can remember. She attended Victoria School for the Performing and Visual Arts, spending countless hours after class dancing and singing. Her passion for the stage led to her acceptance into the prestigious Musical Theatre program at Sheridan College in Toronto, Ontario. After earning her degree and performing in numerous productions across the country, Jayne moved to Los Angeles—following a brief stint in New York working for MTV—to pursue writing and performing pop music. She has since performed at many esteemed venues throughout LA.
Jayne currently serves as a musical director and choreographer for Winfish Theatrical’s after-school programs, as well as the musical director for Center Stages Theater Academy. She is also a private vocal and studio coach, working with students of all ages.
Farnaz Simantob
Producer
Farnaz is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice who is also the enrichment and intervention coordinator at Portola Charter Middle School. She has a love for the arts and has a strong belief in that they contribute immeasurably to psychological well-being. Over the years, Farnaz has been involved in both fundraising and the organization of multiple community events including productions and talent shows.
Adrienne Littleton
Choreographer
Adrienne is a choreographer and actor who has been teaching kids in musical theater since she was one herself! Growing up in Seattle, Adrienne assisted her mom while she taught dance and Adrienne’s love for performing grew from there. She earned degrees in Drama and Dance at the University of Washington before performing full time with a professional touring theater group for 5 years. Since moving to LA, she’s been lucky enough to work with Winfish on productions at Wilbur Elementary, Lanai Road Elementary, Portola Middle School, and to choreograph and teach dance at Winfish’s incredible summer camps! Adrienne is also a teacher at Relevé Studios in Northridge and a parent of 3 kids who can’t wait to take the stage someday in a Winfish show!
Bob Remstein
Musical Director
For many years, Bob Remstein has contributed his musical talents to projects across the entertainment spectrum. He arranged and produced music for the hit film, “Little Miss Sunshine,” accompanied singers such as Tia Carrere, Ben Vereen, Melanie Chartoff and
Annette Warren, and, as co-leader of the lounge/electronica group Supercasanova, written and produced tracks used on the TV shows “Without a Trace,” “Chuck,” “Inside the NFL,” “Monday Night Football,” and “The Guiding Light.” The group is currently finishing its fourth full album. He has scored close to a dozen SceneIt video games, and is also the accompanist for the San Fernando Valley Master Chorale.
Bob is a prolific composer of Jewish liturgical music, having written over 50 works that are performed across the U.S. and Canada. He is a founding member of the Helfman Institute composers’ group, through which he premiered his setting of “Hashkiveinu” in 2011 and his first sermon in song, “Moses and the Rock,” in 2012. In 2016, he was commissioned to write “A Heart of Wisdom,” which was performed in Springfield, MA, by a full orchestra and chorus. More recently, he composed several settings of poems written in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks in Israel, and these have been performed in both New York and Los Angeles.
Jonna Walsh DeWyze
Producer/Set Designer/Props
Jonna Walsh is thrilled to be assistant directing and teaching acting for Winfish Theatricals! Her career spans modeling, film, and TV, including campaigns with Taylor Swift, feature films like Couples Retreat (playing Jon Favreau’s daughter) and Faster (alongside Dwayne Johnson and Billy Bob Thornton), as well as recurring roles on No Ordinary Family, The Fosters, and Baby Daddy. She has also appeared in numerous Hallmark movies. Jonna loves seeing the talent and creativity in every student and strives to make each child feel important, valued, and inspired.
Pedro Coelho
Assistant Director
Pedro Coelho is an aspiring actor using his skills to help the up-and-coming generation of artists to hone their craft as assist director. Originally born in Brazil, Pedro moved to Seattle, Washington at the age of seven, discovering the wonder, warmth, and impact that theatre can offer. There, he took part in numerous theatre intensives and classes that allowed him to become proficient in the areas of signing, dancing, and acting, along side being cast in musicals and plays in his community. After high school, Pedro attended University of Southern California, earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting for Stage and Screen. Notable roles he’s portrayed on stage are Peter in The Heidi Chronicles, Roger in A New Brain, Tony Blair in Stuff Happens, and Narcissus in Polaroid Stories. Through his work at Winfish, he hopes to inspire young artists, pushing them to make choices that bridge the gap between actor and character in order to make the most authentic and compelling performance possible.
Tally Ballas
Choreographer
Tally trained in dance at Center Stage Dance LA from the time she was in 5th grade through her senior year. She currently studies at the University of Utah— a BFA in Musical Theater.
Marissa Staino
Summer Camp Dance Instructor/Assistant Choreographer
Marissa Staino is currently studying dance at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts to recieve her BFA in dance and her Master's in Dance Education. She has been dancing since she was 3 years old, getting the opportunity to dance in productions such as dancing at Walt Disney World's Disney Springs, in the Miss America Parade, and doing a few ballets like the Nutcracker, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, which led her to pursue a dance career.
Tina Ballabio
Technical Director
Tina Ballabio is WinFish's Technical Director, managing sound and lighting while teaching students the technical skills needed to run a stage.
David Schmidt
Set Design
Mr. Schmidt teaches 7th and 8th grade
Science and Robotics in the Highly Gifted Magnet at Portola Middle School. Mr. Schmidt has a BFA in Theatre Performance with a minor in Dance from Missouri State University. He received his Master’s Degree from National University. Mr. Schmidt has worked as a master carpenter on collegiate showings of Working, Into the Woods, Strange Romance, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Anything Goes, Little Shop of Horrors, and Cabaret. He also performed as Action in West Side Story. He has enjoyed working on the set for WinFish produtions and looks forward to being involved in future productions .
Sean Taylor
Summer Camp Counselor/Makeup Design
After 2 summers at WinFish, Sean has found immense joy in counseling the younger kids, stage managing, and doing all of their makeup backstage. She absolutely loves spending time with all of the littles, and making lifelong memories through theater. After doing theater in high-school, Sean is starting Nursing School in the Fall, where she will she hopes to be the most musically inclined Nurse that ever lived!
Emma Winnick
Summer Camp Counselor/Costume Team/Choreographer
Emma has worked with WinFish since 2022 as a counselor, associate costume designer, and, currently, choreographer for the elementary school productions. She’s been in countless shows as a performer, her favorites being Something Rotten (Nostradamus) and Wizard of Oz (the lion) at Calabasas High School. Other favorite credits include the recurring character of Bria in the Nickelodeon hit series That Girl Lay Lay. When she isn’t performing on stage or behind the scenes in costumes, she loves to craft, sew, make jewelry, and dance (especially tap)! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for making this wonderful program a reality!
Summer camp
Our History
We're back for our sixth summer with the WinFish Theatrical Musical Theater Training Camp. Discover your star power or master technical skills at our amazing 4-week camp, culminating in a full production of Seussical Jr.! Open to kids entering 2nd to 12th grade (fall of 2026) are welcome.
Important Details!
- Location: Portola Middle School in Tarzana.
- Dates: June 15 – July 10.
- Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm daily.
- No Camp: June 19 and July 4.
- Performance: Friday, July 10 (end-of-camp performance day!).
Our Programs
Two Exciting Options!
- Performer Track: Traditional acting, singing, and dancing classes in the morning with rehearsals after for our fully produced production of Seussical Jr.
- Full-Time Crew Option: New for Summer of 2026! Learn valuable technical skills like set building, lighting & sound operation, costume design, make up design and stage management. Crew members take morning technical classes and work on the Seussical Jr. production in the afternoon.
Register Now!
Cost & Registration
- Camp Fee: $1,400 (plus a $50 costume fee, which includes a camp t-shirt).
- Early Bird Discount: Register before March 1, 2026, to receive a $50 discount. Cost increases to $1,450 after May 15, 2026.
- Sibling Discount: Available!
Click Below to Register!