Director of Education, Tap & Music Instructor

Gavan is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and now a permanent resident of Sanford, NC. He is a director, choreographer, music director, actor, educator, and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Gavan received his musical theater training at Point Park University and he began his professional acting career West Virginia Public Theatre. He enjoyed a long association with Pittsburgh Musical Theater serving as Artistic Director from 2001-2004, where he directed and choreographed numerous award-wining productions. He served as Associate Director/Choreographer for the national tours of The Goodbye Girl and Hello, Dolly! and his choreography has been seen at WVPT, Pittsburgh CLO and other theaters in the Pittsburgh area. Gavan was proud to open the Greer Theater in Pittsburgh, PA as PSM for the original run of Forever Plaid and returned for My Way (Choreographer) and Xanadu (PSM).

Gavan served as Founding Artistic Director of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Founding Director of Theatre for Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and helped create Henry Mancini Arts Academy, the 50th All-Steinway School in the world. He was a faculty member of PMT’s Studio G and the Young Performers Institute, Carnegie Mellon University and Point Park University, instructing students in dance, acting and musical theatre.

As a performer he toured nationally in CATS (Mungojerrie), 42nd Street and A Chorus Line and has performed with numerous theaters in Pittsburgh and across the country. His Temple Theatre credits include direction, choreography and musical direction for Joseph, Annie, Beehive, Big River and Anything Goes; musical direction for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grille, A Christmas Carol, The Last 5 Years and Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust Road (Conductor).

Additional Temple credits include Beauty and the Beast (Cogsworth/Choreographer/Musical Director) Million Dollar Quartet (Music Supervisor) The Musical of Musicals (Director/Choreographer), All Shook Up (Musical Director/Choreographer), Unnecessary Farce (Mayor Meekly), Murder for Two (The Suspects), My Way (Director/Choreographer/Man 1), Always… Patsy Cline (Director/Musical Director), Oliver! (Fagin), 1776 (John Adams), and The Addams Family (Uncle Fester). Gavan is the Associate Artistic Director
for Temple Theatre and Director of the Temple Teen Ensemble.