Press Release: Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts Welcomes Three Acclaimed New Faculty Members

Tony nominee L Morgan Lee, Broadway veteran Shonica Gooden, and renowned stage manager Matthew Stern join faculty this fall

Image

Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts today announced the appointment of three distinguished artists to its faculty for Fall 2025: Tony Award nominee L Morgan Lee as clinical assistant professor of musical theater, Broadway performer Shonica Gooden as clinical assistant professor of commercial dance, and Broadway stage manager Matthew Stern as clinical assistant professor and program head of stage management.

“These extraordinary educators bring unparalleled professional experience and a passion for nurturing emerging talent,” said Jennifer Holmes, dean of the Sands College of Performing Arts. “Their artistry, leadership, and commitment to students will further elevate the exceptional training we offer here at Sands.”

The appointments come at a pivotal time for Sands College, which continues to gain national recognition for its programs in acting, directing, musical theater, commercial dance, production and design for stage and screen, and stage management. Sands College is recognized by Playbill as one of the top 10 most represented colleges on Broadway for the 2023–2024 season; named by Backstage.com as one of the top acting colleges you should know; and ranked among The Wrap’s top 20 great schools for acting and theater.

Sands is preparing to open a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center as part of Pace’s renovation of One Pace Plaza East and the transformation of its campus in lower Manhattan.

L Morgan Lee

Lee is an award-winning actress, emerging director, writer, and educator. She made history as the first openly trans actor to be nominated for a Tony Award for her standout turn in the Pulitzer Prize–winning A Strange Loop on Broadway. The role also earned her an Obie Award, along with Drama League and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. Her studio work includes The Sugar Maple Series (Osiris Media), Drama: An Aural Experience (AKS Immersive), and recordings with Ghostlight Records, Broadway Records, Sh-K-Boom Records, and the Grammy-nominated A Strange Loop Original Broadway Cast Recording.

As a theatre-maker and educator, Lee brings a distinct and nuanced perspective to storytelling—illuminating identity and the complexities of the human experience through lenses often overlooked. Her writing has appeared in Playwrights Horizons’ Almanac (Vol. 03), When the Lights Are Bright Again, and Musical Theatre Today (Vol. 2). Her short play The Learning Curve was presented in BLISS, the finale of the 2023 Breaking the Binary (BTB) Theatre Festival at The Public Theater and is published by Broadway Licensing. She is a recipient of the Mark O’Donnell Prize and a 2024 HRC Visibility Award.

"We are shaping young artists who may one day become some of the brightest lights on Broadway and beyond,” said Lee. “I'm thrilled for a fuller opportunity to walk alongside them—to help nurture their individual voices, refine their craft, as well as share lessons I've gathered (and continue to learn) from over more than two decades in this industry. Pouring into their artistry is not simply a job; it’s a privilege that I carry with the deepest of respect and gratitude.”

Shonica Gooden

Gooden, a multi-hyphenate artist from Atlanta, is currently a member of the Broadway company of Hamilton: An American Musical (original cast). She has appeared in some of Broadway’s most acclaimed productions, including CATS (Rumpleteazer, Broadway revival), and Bring It On: The Musical (Broadway and First National Tour). Her credits also include Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Memphis (Felicia, Cape Fear Regional Theatre), the national tour of Matilda The Musical, Sister Act (Deloris, Music Theatre Wichita), and Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope (City Center Encores!).

Gooden’s screen appearances include Fosse/Verdon, Manifest, and Almost Family, Ted 2, The First Purge, and The Dutchman. Gooden is also the Executive Artistic Director of The Black Artists Dance Collective (TBADC), a community arts nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, GA. The mission of TBADC is to provide Atlanta's BIPOC Dance Community with resources and opportunities through education and community engagement.

“When I attended the 2025 Senior Dance Showcase, I loved the fact that you could tell that there’s a major value placed on individuality and artists' identity at Sands College,” said Gooden. “Not one dancer is the same. This isn’t a program for cookie cutter dancers, it’s a program for dancers that understand that versatility and sharing your true self through your artistry are the keys to your success in this industry. It excites me to be an educator in a program that champions those values!”

Matthew Stern

Stern is a veteran Broadway stage manager with credits on more than 20 productions, including Come From Away, Finding Neverland, On the Town, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, An Evening with Patti LuPone & Mandy Patinkin, The Little Mermaid, Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, The Full Monty, and Death of a Salesman. His career also includes the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Blue Man Group at the Hollywood Bowl, national tours such as John Lithgow’s Stories By Heart, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays, Les Misérables, Grease, and In the Fiddler’s House with Itzhak Perlman, as well aswork in dance with Martha Graham Dance Company and Ballet Iowa, and corporate events for global clients in the tech, finance, and auto industries.

Stern is the founder of the Broadway Stage Management Symposium, a professional development platform for stage managers, and serves on the board of The Stage Managers’ Association, USA. He is committed to fostering leadership, collaboration, and creativity in the next generation of stage managers.

“I'm thrilled to work alongside the highly regarded faculty at Pace to help train future generations of artists,” said Stern. “Working with young adults is a great responsibility. As the head of the stage management program at Pace, I welcome the opportunity to educate and support stage managers in their journey to find their voice, develop their aptitude for leadership, and advocate for themselves and the artists they support. I look forward to continuing the great traditions and standards at Pace and instilling valuable leadership qualities for people and organizations to thrive.”

About Pace University

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

About Sands College of Performing Arts

Sands College of Performing Arts is a cutting-edge performing arts school that nurtures artistic innovation and develops future leaders and changemakers in the profession. Renowned for its diverse range of highly-ranked programs, Sands College is committed to cultivating top-talent performers, designers, and production professionals. From Hollywood to Broadway, Sands College students and alumni have appeared in major film and television productions and theater performances such as & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, A Strange Loop, Almost Famous, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge, Ohio State Murders, Wicked, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Recognized by Playbill as one of the 10 most represented colleges on Broadway, Sands College continues to inspire the next generation of artists on stage and screen.