TAYLOR SMITH (Benny) is delighted to be playing Benny in Dora The Explorer once again. Taylor will be a senior next year at Eastport South Manor High School. He was lucky enough to do his first shows at Gateway Playhouse last summer, in Les Miserables as Jean Valjean and as Benny in Dora the Explorer. He is so excited to put on his Benny costume again this summer. Since then Taylor has been taking acting classes at Gateway and loving every moment of it. He hopes to do more shows at Gateway and work with all his friends on stage again. Taylor would like to thank Min, Matt, Peter, Michael, Robin and Paul for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations to the cast and crew again on another great run of Dora! 

ALISON CORDARO (Baby Jaguar) Alison is 10 years old and lives with her family in Ridge, NY.  Alison's love of acting began at the tender age of 6 when she was enrolled in classes at Gateway.  Her acting has brought her many exciting opportunities including some commercial work, playing the role of "Vicky" in the feature film Brooklyn's Finest,  and taking part in the Mainstage Gateway shows; A Century of Christmas, Holiday Spectacular on Ice, and A Christmas Carol.

Alison has also been part of the Gateway Children's Theater Productions of The Wizard of Oz, Les Mis (Young Eponine),and most recently, Dora's Pirate Adventure(Baby Jaguar). Along with continuing her acting studies, Alison enjoys dance lessons, playing the clarinet, drawing, and spending time with her family and friends. She would like to thank Ms. Robin, Mr. Paul, and the rest of her family here at Gateway for continuing to give her the opportunity to grow and do what she loves to do.

JOE MINNUTILLO (Director) I have worked at Eastport South Manor School District since 1980 and have created the model High School Theatre Program for the NY State. I have worked at various theatres around the state and have given workshops in directing, acting and how to promote theatre education in schools. I am one of the founding fathers of the New York Theatre Education Association (NYSTEA) and have helped in the development of a theatre certification for teachers in the NY State Education department.  I have been working at gateway since 1994 as a director and teacher but also directed the young playwright’s festival at Bay Street Theatre and also for the YAWP Young American Writers Project with Emma Walton Hamilton and Will Chandler at Stony Brook University, Southampton Campus.

MEGHAN GUNTHER is thankful to be a part of Gateway’s production of Dora the Explorer: Pirate Adventure. This is her second show at Gateway. She is involved in dance at The Stage Door Dance Studio and has been involved in Gateway’s acting school for two sessions. Meghan has been involved in the productions of Once Upon a Mattress, The Pajama Game, and Once on this Island, all under the direction of Jeff Hoffman. She has also been seen in Bye Bye Birdie, Little Shop Of Horrors, Grease, Joseph…, The Music Man, and Gateway’s student production of Les Miserables. She has been seen in NYPD IDOL, as well as showtime’s Live at the Apollo

DR. PETER A. PECE-  has been professionally involved in music for over 40 years and has been an educator since 1973. Peter received his doctorate in the field of Neuromusicology where he examined the issues involved in how the brain processes music, memory and language, and what the effects of brain trauma has upon these processes. He has lectured in Neuromusicology and the Mozart Effect in districts on L.I. and spoke at the New England Symposium for Music Education. Peter has performed at Lincoln Center as well as having arranged and performed musical revues for former President Bush and former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Peter was also involved in a musical arrangement for Tony LoBianco’s “LaGuardia.” He has also been the musical director of Gateway Playhouses Children's Theatre since 1992, where he musically directed over 30 productions. Peter is the musical director and musical arranger for “Courting the Jester: A Salute to Danny Kaye” and “That’s Amore” A Musical Salute to the Composer Harry Warren which have been performed in the tri-state area since 2001.  He is also an adjunct professor in the School of Professional Development at Stony Brook University where he teaches graduate courses on Music and the Brain, Thesis Writing and Early Adolescent Development.