Faculty and Staff

Christopher Shorr directs the Theatre Program on campus, is the Artistic Director of the Moravian University Theatre Company and is a member of the Touchstone Theatre company. Primarily a stage director and playwright, Shorr also works as a set designer and composer for theatre. Through all of his work, he strives to prevent students, audiences, collaborators, and himself from succumbing to complacency. He is particularly interested in the creation of new theatre pieces and in the aggressive re-working of classic texts.

His documentary play “Tribute: September 11” was commissioned in 2002 by the AmeriCulture Arts Festival in Fitchburg, MA to mark the first anniversary of 9/11, and was revived for the tenth anniversary and performed at Moravian University and at the University of Baltimore. “Rina,” his two-person, one-act re-working of Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters” was produced at New York’s “Chekhov Now Festival” in 2002. His play “Clytemnestra’s Daughters,” a reimagining of the Greek tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, was workshopped at the Southampton Writers Conference, prior to a reading at Touchstone Theatre. “Faust in France,” his World War One adaptation of Marlowe’s “Doctor Faustus,” was produced in 2012 at Moravian University, and then workshopped in residence at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre on Cape Cod. His play “Everyman on Trial”—a contemporary adaptation of the classic morality play “Everyman” was produced at Moravian in 2016 in conjunction with the University’s Medieval and Early Modern Studies Conference. His satirical musical “DICTATORS 4 DUMMIES” premiered at Touchstone Theatre in 2018 and then toured to Poland, where it was presented by Teatr Brama. During pandemic quarantine, he made a feature film adaptation of the musical, titled "Tyrants of Tomorrow Telethon," using action figures instead of actors. The film has been featured at a number of festivals, winning awards including "best animated feature" at the New York City IO Film Festival, and the "breaking the rules award" for feature film at the Paris International Film Festival.

In addition to his work as a solo writer, he has co-authored several plays and musicals. With James Jordan (Artistic Director of Touchstone Theatre, partner in Jordan & Shorr, LLC), he co-wrote the musicals “The Pan Show: A Cautionary Tale,” and “The Pan Show: In Pan We Trust” (both produced at Touchstone Theatre and named “best original play of the year” by the Bethlehem Press) and a musical adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey called “Ulysses Dreams.” Together, they conceived, wrote and designed “Dear Tamaqua—In a New Light,” which used language, music and light to turn a mile of city streets in the Pennsylvania coal-region borough of Tamaqua into a transformative community experience. Shorr and Jordan (with contributions from the Touchstone Theatre ensemble) co-wrote “Bhudoo”—an interactive musical fable—which premiered at Touchstone in Spring, 2016, followed by performances in Italy (Teatro Potlach) and Hungary (Maladype). Working with Touchstone Theatre founder Bill George, Shorr co-wrote “Journey from the East”— combining the mythic Chinese Journey to the West with the mythic American Western—premiering in Spring 2015 with a large-scale outdoor production in Bethlehem, PA.

He has directed more than 50 productions, working in a range of styles and periods, in professional and academic and venues, and has designed some combination of set, sound and video for more than 50 productions as well. Much of his design work is done collaboratively through Jordan & Shorr Creative, LLC.

He moved to Bethlehem from Petersburg, Virginia, where he was the founding Artistic Director of Sycamore Rouge—a professional, non-equity theatre and arts center. While in Virginia, he served as a panelist for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and on the boards of the Southside Virginia Council for the Arts and the Petersburg Arts Council. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Drew University, and an MFA in Stage Directing from Virginia Commonwealth University.

"Theatre brings together the resources of many parties to create a single work that, in turn, brings a community together in a collective experience. In a college environment, this sort of collaboration can involve students and/or faculty coming together from different departments, and can be incredibly rewarding—adding texture, depth and new perspectives to their academic work. I want theatre at Moravian to build bridges. It should bridge the gap between different segments of our campus community, and between the college and the wider community of Bethlehem. It should also test boundaries. It should raise questions, stimulate discussion, and challenge preconceptions. Through it all, theatre at a liberal arts college needs to focus on the growth and development of the student participant. Our work should take our audiences and our artists on a journey that enriches them.”

James has called Touchstone Theatre his artistic home for its last thirteen seasons. He has helped produce over seventy productions since arriving at Touchstone, serving in multiple capacities including director, designer, composer, actor, and playwright. Some of James’s most notable contributions were his leadership as Project Director for Touchstone’s last two community-based productions A Resting Place and Journey from the East and his original series of musical comedies under The Pan Show title, which chronicles the misadventures of the Greek God Pan as he is placed into modern day America, co-written with Touchstone Ensemble Affiliate Christopher Shorr. Both projects have brought accolades in the form of awards given by Bethlehem’s local press; notable amongst these honors were “Producer of the Year” and “Best Original Play.” Before coming to Touchstone, James worked at the Zoellner Arts Center on Lehigh University’s campus. During his five-year tenure as Zoellner’s Stage Coordinator, he helped in the production of hundreds of events – from lectures to Broadway musicals to some of the best ballets and orchestras in the world. While at Zoellner, James freelanced with many production companies and as a sound and lighting designer. James holds a BS in Telecommunications (video production) with minors in both Theatre and Music from Kutztown University, an MA in Performance from the University of Chichester, and an MFA in Creative Practice from Plymouth University’s Transart Institute.“  

"Each of us must become the master of our own art.  It is this unique voice within us which is our most valuable possession   It’s imperative that we learn the sound of this voice.  We don’t learn this by sitting in a seat, we learn this by doing.  It is not an idle activity of observation, but rather one of vigorous engagement"

Lisa Jordan is the Managing Director and an Ensemble Member at Touchstone Theatre; she holds a BA in theatre and minor in music from Kutztown University. A company member since 2001, she has filled many creative roles, including: stage manager, lighting designer, props designer, costume designer, and director. On the administrative side of things, she manages the finances, marketing, development, special events, and human resources for the 38-year-old theatre company whose motto is "theatre that transforms". Lisa is also a core teaching artist for the company, mentoring young theatre artists and teaching life skills through theatre for elementary through college-aged students. In the community, she serves on the Southside Arts District Organization Committee (Chair), Southside Arts District Advisory Council, ArtsQuest Comedy Committee, Southside Vision 20/20 Development Committee, Bethlehem Rotary Foundation Committee (secretary), and Bethlehem Rotary Club Board of Directors.

“As a teaching artist, I am continually in awe of how transformative the act of theatre creation can be for participants at any age or experience level, and how many of those skills are transferrable beyond the stage. A successful theatre maker embodies both skills of collaboration and an independent work ethic; can easily switch between the role of leader and follower; has the ability to look at something both objectively and with compassion; and, perhaps most importantly, has courage, drive, and passion to put themselves and their art into the world. Whether it’s the once-shy 3rd grader who confidently plays his part alongside his classmates or the college student who discovers their own creative voice, theatre is a powerful tool.”

Mary is a professional storyteller, playwright, actress, costumer and director who has over 30 years of experience teaching in arts based residencies from pre-k through college. As an Ensemble Member at Touchstone Theatre, she has written and directed five plays, performed in more than a dozen, and been the coordinator for the award winning arts-education program Young Playwrights’ Lab for more than eight years. As a professional storyteller she has performed for over 6000 children and adults. She has led workshops, given personal performance coaching, and coordinated storytelling conferences and festivals. She teaches performance and playwriting skills, is a performed playwright and published writer. She is Rostered with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Arts In Education program, a Lehigh Valley Arts Council Rostered Artist, a member of the Lehigh Valley Storytellers Guild, the National Storytellers Network. In addition to her work with Touchstone Theatre, she is on the faculty at Pennsylvania Youth Theatre and the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts. In 2014 she received the Tribute to the Arts Award from the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission for her body of work to date.  

“Storytelling is the seed of good art. By exploring the variety of ways in which story can be created, transformed and transmitted, we deepen our understanding of ourselves and our world. I believe passionately in the power of the arts to transform lives – both individually and in community. Theater is storytelling writ large. By affirming the importance of imagination in an increasingly technological world, story-telling and theater work together to build community. I believe strongly in the power of artists to engage students of all ages in dynamic and creative ways, helping them discover their own creative voice. It is vital that artists not only be effective at their own art form but also be able to transmit their knowledge in ways that challenge, engage and help transform their communities. Our aim is to imagine, create and inspire.”

Emma holds a B.A. from Gettysburg College, where she double majored in English and Theatre Arts with a minor in Classical Studies, and an M.A. in Performance Studies from the University of Chichester. Other theatrical work includes internships at Williamstown Theatre Festival and the Gettysburg Arts Festival, as well as onstage work at Actors’ NET of Bucks County and Renegade Shakespeare troupe. In her time at Touchstone, she has enjoyed extensive hands-on involvement in production, with roles including stage management (Shipwrecked, The Tempest, YPF), lighting design (The Pan Show, The Whitman Piece, Fresh Voices), and performance (Dr. Horrible, Follies, Journey from the East). When not immersed in production, Emma manages the groups who rent Touchstone’s space; assists with marketing, print design, and social media; directs the annual spring drama at Moravian Academy Middle School; leads weekly physical theatre exercises in the rehearsal room; and teaches in Touchstone's Young Playwrights’ Lab classroom.  

“Theatre-making can be such an inherently visceral activity, grounded in ourselves, body and voice. When we make good theatre— really good theatre, the kind that makes an audience sit up and inch forward in their seats without even meaning to— the audience and performers are in that physical, visceral, present place together. Sometimes, it’s good theatre that makes you think, and sometimes, it’s just something spectacular, eye-catching, awe-inspring, and our hearts are already along for the ride, with our brains running to keep up. But exposure to that kind of artwork, and learning to make that kind of artwork together, is an incredibly powerful tool for students of all ages.”

Jan Cohen-Cruz was A Blade of Grass Director of Field Research from 2014-19 and, more recently, content editor of its magazine. She directed Imagining America: Artists and Scholars in Public Life (2007–2012) and co-founded and edited its journal, Public. A longtime professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Cohen-Cruz taught applied theater and produced community-based arts projects. She received the Association for Theatre in Higher Education’s Award for Leadership in Community-Based Theatre and Civic Engagement (2012). Jan was evaluator for the US State Department/Bronx Museum cultural diplomacy initiative smARTpower as well as for New York City’s Public Artists in Residence (PAIR) project. She wrote Remapping Performance, Local Acts, and Engaging Performance, edited Radical Street Performance, and, with Mady Schutzman, co-edited Playing Boal and A Boal Companion.  

"My approach to teaching is dialogic, focused on engaging students in a process of inquiry. When possible, I include a hands-on component so students experience the combination of action and reflection. I want students to learn how to think critically, identify and pursue their passions, and consider various perspectives on the subject under consideration."

Chris Egging is an actor/director/designer originally from Sidney, NE. Chris moved to Bethlehem in 2014 and is very happy to call the Lehigh Valley home. He currently works as an Ensemble Associate and Technical Director/Facilities Manager for Touchstone Theatre. Chris has worked professionally as an actor with The Virginia Shakespeare Festival (Williamsburg, VA), NTC Productions (Omaha, NE), Gaslight Dinner Theatre (Dickson, TN), among others. He has been seen as an actor locally with Civic Theatre of Allentown, Between the Lines Studio Theatre, Star of the Day, Global ImpACTors Group, Allentown Public Theatre, and the Pennsylvania Playhouse. He is also a working director and adjunct professor with Northampton Community College. Directing credits include: The Mousetrap, SubUrbia, The Pillowman, Waiting for Godot, and Man of La Mancha, among others. Chris received a BFA in Theatre & Dance Performance from the University of Wyoming and an MFA in Acting from the University of Houston Professional Actor Training Program. Chris believes that an education in the theatre works best when it is holistic - incorporating an immersion in all aspects in some form (be it acting, directing, designing, working in the scene shop, business office, playwriting or working with a playwright on a new work). It is through this understanding of how each piece of the machinery making up the ensemble of creative artists in the theatre that students gather all of the necessary knowledge for a career in the arts. Students should have the flexibility to study many different schools of thought in their area of discipline to learn best what works for them. A safe space in which to experiment, fail, succeed, fail again and know that the work holds value even in moments of frustration. An educator in the theatre works as the guide and coach to help each student reach their full potential.