IMADA News
Summer 2025
IMADA, the Ipswich Music, Art & Drama Association, is a 501(c)3 volunteer charitable organization that partners with the Ipswich, Massachusetts public middle & high schools to support and promote fine arts education and appreciation. Our mission is to advocate for the fine arts as an integral part of secondary education, enhance performing and visual arts education experiences, and help ensure that all students have access to the highest quality arts education.
We are gearing up for fall, which means an new program book and new fundraising initiatives, and we hope to have some new members to share their time and talents with us! Please click here to complete our Volunteer Interest Survey and let us know how you would like to help!
Brian Coelho, High School Dance and Theater Arts Teacher
Brian joins us from the Masconomet Regional School District, where he has served as the Middle and High School Theatre and Dance Teacher since 2022. At Masconomet, he taught Acting and Stagecraft, Public Speaking, Musical Theatre, and Dance, while directing and choreographing numerous productions including Grease, Chicago, and Mamma Mia (a MET Award nominee for Best Musical and winner for Best Dance and Acting Ensemble). Brian’s productions have reached both the semi-final and final rounds of the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s annual 40-minute play competition for the past three years.
In addition to his work at Masconomet, Brian has taught dance at High Street Studios in Ipswich and has a long history with the Ipswich High School and Middle School Theatre Departments, co-directing and choreographing productions such as A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, and Chicago: Teen Edition. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from Dean College and a Master’s in Education in Moderate/Severe Disabilities from American International College.
Nicole Zadykowicz, Middle School Visual and Media Arts Teacher
Nicole comes to us from Gloucester Public Schools, where she taught Visual Media Arts at O’Maley Innovation Middle School. She has also taught at Garfield Middle School in Revere and completed student teaching placements at West Springfield High School and JFK Middle School in Northampton.
Nicole’s personal work as an interdisciplinary artist spans theatre, digital media, and studio arts, and she brings that breadth of experience to inspire her students. She is also an active collaborator, having co-led grant-funded projects such as the integration of ceramics into the curriculum and community service initiatives like Empty Bowls, which raise funds to fight food insecurity.
In Memory
The Ipswich Arts community recently lost an important member of our circle. Debra Faust was an English and Theater teacher at Ipswich High School from 1983 until she retired in 2012, supporting countless Ipswich students in their literary and theatrical pursuits. At last year's IMADA ceremony honoring the McPhail scholarship, Deb fondly shared stories of her time with the McPhail brothers at Ipswich High. She passed away on August 7th, and will be deeply missed by many. Click here for her obituary.
Perry Moskowitz, Robin Silverman Scholarship
IMADA awarded Ipswich High School graduating senior Perry Moskowitz with the 2025 Robin Silverman Scholarship in the amount of $1,500. An accomplished musician, Perry has won several awards for piano performance, including at the Miclot International Music Competition, Sempre Musik Concerto Competition, Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition, and Irvine Conservatory International Music Competition. In 2024, he performed on National Public Radio as a “From the Top” fellow for classically trained young musicians. As a talented violinist, Perry has been active in the Ipswich High School orchestra and chamber orchestra, in addition to jazz band (piano) and chorus. He received the IHS Outstanding Progress in Orchestra award and has served the community by providing many piano and violin recitals for seniors. Perry will be attending the Cleveland Institute of Music in OH, where he plans to major in Piano Performance.
Cory Binette, IMADA Scholarship
IMADA awarded Ipswich High School graduating senior Cory Binette with a $1,500 IMADA Scholarship. A brilliant actor and singer, Cory has served in leadership roles as President of the Ipswich High School (IHS) Theatre Company, President of IHS Concert Choir, and Assistant Director of the Ipswich Middle School Theatre Company. He was also a member of the IHS Chamber Singers. He held lead roles in recent IHS Theatre productions such as Chicago: Teen Edition, Clue, and Legally Blonde the Musical, delivering thrilling performances. Cory has received many accolades in high school including for his Outstanding Progress in Choral Music, Outstanding Achievement in Music and in Theater, and Achievement in the Arts - Best Actor. He was named to the Thespian Vice President List Scholar and nominated by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild for his role in Clue. As a senior, he served as a volunteer IMADA Student Ambassador. Cory will attend The Hartt School of the University of Hartford in CT, where he plans to major in BFA Actor Training.
Clara Dos Santos, IMADA Scholarship
IMADA awarded Ipswich High School graduating senior Clara Dos Santos with a $1,500 IMADA Scholarship. A “triple-threat” extraordinary actor, singer, and competitive dancer, Clara is no stranger to the stage. She has held leading roles in Ipswich High School Theatre and North Shore Music Theater productions, including in (IHS) Chicago: Teen Edition, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Clue, Legally Blonde the Musical, and (NSMT) Mean Girls and Descendants. Clara received the IHS Outstanding Achievement in Theater award and was nominated by the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild for her performances in Chicago and Legally Blonde. Clara held a leadership role as section leader in the IHS Concert Choir. She is a varsity athlete in volleyball. Clara will attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, where she plans to major in BFA in Musical Theater.
Chloe DeFrank, IMADA Scholarship
IMADA awarded Ipswich High School graduating senior Chloe DeFrank with a $1,500 IMADA Scholarship. Chloe has participated across IHS fine arts disciplines as a skilled and creative visual artist, actor, and singer. She is a two-time winner of Ipswich’s “Art All Over” contest and received the 2022 Orchestra on the Hill Poetry Contest award. In taking Honors Advanced Portfolio, IHS’s most challenging visual art course, Chloe’s teacher remarked on her dedication and ability to create hauntingly thought-providing artwork. In addition to art, Chloe held roles in the IHS Theater Company’s productions of Clue, The Sound of Music, and Legally Blonde the Musical, and volunteered as a school mentor for the Ipswich Middle School Select Choir. Chloe will attend Suffolk University in Boston, where she plans to major in History. She intends to participate in college extracurricular theater and choir programs.
Samir Harb, IMADA Scholarship
