Mary-Jo Okawa - Director

Mary-Jo is Copperstar’s founder and Artistic Producing Director, Mary-Jo Okawa is an award winning educator who has been a professional director, choreographer and performer for over 25 years. A talented educator in theatre, dance and vocal music, Mary-Jo is also an accomplished professional singer who has traveled throughout the United States, Asia and Southeast Asia sharing her talents. She is proud to have entertained our troops in the USO. Over the past three years, Mary-Jo has built Copperstar into a reputable theatre company which offers enrichment, education and entertainment to community members of all ages through high quality theatrical productions, camps, workshops and classes. In 2010, Copperstar was honored with six Gilbert Mayor’s Arts Awards nominations and was awarded the Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery Award for providing Gilbert with services enabling an expansion in the scope and quality of the arts. She is the proud mom of two amazing children, Shanti will be a junior at Mesquite High School and Chris will be entering University of Arizona as a Musical Theatre major. Mary-Jo teaches voice and acting privately and is grateful for her loving supportive husband David. Mary-Jo finds great joy in the journey of creating in the theatre, enriching the lives of community members of all ages.