Marissa Barnathan hails from the Philadelphia suburb of Havertown, Pennsylvania. She began dancing at the age of 3 at the JCC, which led to 15 years of dance lessons at Radomile Academy of Dance. Around the age of 6, Marissa also discovered she liked to sing, performing a duet of “Beauty and the Beast” in her first grade Disney Show. By 7th grade, Marissa decided: if she could dance and sing, why not be in a play?! So after auditioning for the school musical Bye Bye Birdie, Marissa landed her first role as Randolph, the ingenue’s younger brother. Yes, her quirky, open-mindedness began at a young age, willingly accepting a male role, and from here, her passion for theater began to grow.
After continuing to do musical theater throughout high school, Marissa studied at the University of the Arts (RIP) in their Pre-College Musical Theater Summer Institute. This was her first chance to really delve into the study of acting, and she fell in love. Upon graduating from Haverford High School, Marissa chose to study theater and dance at Washington University in St. Louis. She graduated with a B.A. in Drama and Psychology, with a minor in Ballet.
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It was through Washington University in St. Louis that Marissa studied at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, England. This amazing educational opportunity grounded her classical acting work. This experience also led to her first Shakespearean roles, including her first professional gig, playing the role of Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor at St. Louis Shakespeare.
In 2012, Marissa returned to her roots in Philadelphia, PA, where she completed the Dorothy Haas Acting Apprenticeship at the Walnut Street Theatre. In addition to performing, Marissa worked as a teaching artist for about 10 years in the Philadelphia area. Some of the companies she taught for include: Wolf Performing Arts Center, Walnut Street Theatre, People’s Light & Theatre Company, ZoomDance, and more! She also worked as a Part-Time Lecturer at Rutgers University - Camden, teaching Ballet, Jazz, and Musical Theater Dance.
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After pivoting her professional focus from acting to directing/choreography, Marissa received her MFA in Directing from Arizona State University in May 2024. At ASU, she directed and choreographed the Arizona premiere of the musical Miss You Like Hell. ​​​
And most recently, in Aug 2024, Marissa started a new position as an Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre at Rockford University in Rockford, IL. She is very grateful to finally use all of her skills in one full-time gig. Huzzah!
