Brian Welch, Instructional Leader Performing Arts Department, Upper School Theatre, has been teaching theatre, speech, and English for the past thirty-two years.  He has been a teacher here at Villa for twenty-three years, serving as the chair/instructional leader of the performing arts department and the director of performing arts.  Mr. Welch has directed over 70 plays, everything from GYPSY to THE GLASS MENAGERIE, from ANYTHING GOES to Moliere's THE LEARNED LADIES.  Mr. Welch is extremely active with the Educational Theatre Association, the umbrella organization for the International Thespian Society.  He has served as the Missouri State Director, a Territory Director, and a member of the leadership development team.  Presently, he serves on the Board of Directors of EdTA.  Mr. Welch has been chosen as the Missouri Theatre Teacher of the Year, he has been inducted into the EdTA Hall of Fame, and he has received honors and awards from ISACS, the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, and the University of Southern California.  Mr. Welch has traveled numerous times with Ms. Connie Schmollinger and Villa students to England, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Greece.
	Steve Neale, Middle and Upper School Choir, Director of Show Choir, is an award-winning pianist, vocalist, conductor and composer.  As a member of the a cappella octet, Pieces of 8, he toured the nation, performing at Lincoln Center, the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Festival and appearing on national television and radio.  Mr. Neale attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA as a Film Scoring major and graduated Summa Cum Laude.  While at Berklee he was awarded the BMI Award for Film Scoring.  Since graduating, Mr. Neale has scored numerous short films and television commercials and worked as a sound designer and composer for theatrical productions (and one circus) at Arrow Rock Lyceum Theater, Muddy Waters Theater, Webster University and Northwestern University in Chicago.  He has also received commissions for choral works in Massachusetts, Missouri and Illinois.  In addition to his composing work, Mr. Neale is the Director of Music Ministries at St. Joseph’s parish in Manchester and has worked at St. Louis Center of Contemporary Arts (COCA) and the STAGES academy teaching vocal music and musical theater classes.  Previously he worked at Babson College in Boston as the director of their collegiate a cappella group.
	Janis Valdes received her BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa and her MA in Media Communications from Webster University. In addition to being the middle school theatre teacher and director at Villa Duchesne, Ms. Valdes is an adjunct faculty member of the School of Communications at Webster University. She serves as an educator and consultant for the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis and an instructor for COCA during the summer months. Professional affiliations include the Educational Theatre Association (edTA), and the International Thespian Society.