Faculty & Staff

Melissa Pieja

Theatre, Dance

Melissa has had a love for the theater since her debut performance of “On the Good Ship Lollipop” at the age of 6. She has collegiate level training in acting, voice, and dance, and has been actively involved in the performing arts for more than 30 years as both a performer and choreographer. She has performed in numerous theater productions across the DC area. Favorite past roles include Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (Good Shepherd Players), Ariel in The Little Mermaid (Allegro Community Theater), and Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street (Sterling Playmakers). However, her favorite role thus far has been performing on stage alongside her daughter in several Allegro productions.



Melissa holds dual degrees in both Biology and Marketing from DeSales University and is the Sr. Manager of Quality Control and Testing Services at ATCC, where she leads a team in the testing of biological/molecular material across six departments. She brings to class a healthy right brain/left brain balance, teaching her students proper technique, leadership and problem solving skills, while at the same time allowing them to explore their creativity and imagination. She is passionate about the theater and is excited to share her love of everything performing arts with her students.