Meet our Theatre Director, Ms. Miriam!

Miriam Durrie-Kirsch is very excited to be back at Protege teaching her true love, theater. Training from the age of seven in Los Angeles in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, voice and acting, she then moved on to New York City to receive a degree in Musical Theatre at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. After graduation Miriam went on to work professionally in a multitude of shows, off Broadway, dinner theater,  and in regional theater in New York and L.A. Some of those shows include Guys and Dolls, Annie, Oliver, Mame, and For Me and my Gal to name a few. She also starred in a few independent films. Gradually the teaching jobs started rolling in. Miriam taught at several dance schools throughout Southern California for 12 years. She was artistic director of The San Fernando Valley Youth Ballet and choreographed several ballets. In addition, she ran award winning tap, jazz and musical theater competition teams. After taking a break from teaching to start a family, Miriam was welcomed into the Conejo Players Theater initially as a choreographer, then went on to direct and choreograph several musicals. Some of the most recent shows have been Singin’ In The Rain, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sweet Charity, and Catch Me If You can. She has also worked at other local theaters such as High Street, Young Artist Ensemble and Panic Productions as a choreographer and director. Throughout this time Miriam has always remained connected to Protege either through her daughter, who was Miss Kelly’s first student at Protege or as a tap teacher and for the last few years as a co-choreographer and co-director of Protege’s annual Nutcracker. She is thrilled to be once again on the teaching staff at Protege. 

"Movies will make you famous; Television will make you rich; But theatre will make you good." - Terrence Mann

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