The Team

Producing Director
Eric Keen-Louie

Eric Keen-Louie (he/him/his) joined the Playhouse in September, 2018, after seven years at The Old Globe, where he started as Associate Producer and later became Associate Artistic Director. At the Globe, he helped guide nearly fifty productions, including the pre-Broadway productions of Bright Star, Allegiance and the Tony Award-winning A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. He co-created the theater’s new play development initiative The Powers New Voices Festival and helped launch the arts engagement programs Community Voices and Globe for All. Keen-Louie spent three years at The Public Theater as the Assistant to the Associate Producer and then Director of Special Projects, working on world premieres by Richard Nelson, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Stephen Sondheim, as well as the Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of Hair and the creation of The Mobile Unit. Independently, he produced Kingdom and the GLAAD Media Award-winning when last we flew. He also assisted Broadway producer Margo Lion on Hairspray and Caroline, or Change. He is a recipient of The Edward & Sally Van Lier Arts Fellowship for Producing and an alumnus of American Express’ Leadership Academy. He serves as Secretary for the National Alliance of Musical Theatre’s Board of Directors and chairs the organization’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Committee and New Works Committee. He graduated with a B.A. in Dramatic Literature from New York University and an M.F.A. in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University, where he received a Dean’s fellowship. He shares his commute to La Jolla with his husband Anthony Keen-Louie, an administrator in student affairs at UC San Diego. He is a proud third-generation Chinese-American.

Director of Artistic Development
Gabriel Greene

Gabriel Greene joined La Jolla Playhouse’s artistic staff in 2007. In addition to curating and producing the annual DNA New Work Series, he has dramaturged over two dozen new plays and musicals for the Playhouse, including The Squirrels, Wild Goose Dreams, At the Old Place, Escape to Margaritaville, Miss You Like Hell, JUNK, The Last Tiger in Haiti, Blueprints to Freedom, Up Here, The Darrell Hammond Project, The Who & The What, Milk Like Sugar (also off-Broadway) and Memphis (also Broadway and London; four Tony Awards). With Alex Levy, he wrote Safe at Home, a site-specific show which was developed through the DNA Series and received its world premiere at Mixed Blood Theatre in 2017 (Ivey Award). Goosebumps Alive, his immersive adaptation of R.L. Stine’s best-selling novels (co-written and directed by Tom Salamon) received its world premiere at The Vaults (London) in 2016. He is a graduate of University of Michigan and Trinity College, Dublin.

Director of Philanthropy
Julia B. Foster

A native New Yorker, Julia B. Foster has dedicated the majority of her career to the non-profit arts, in both performance and administration. After earning a B.A. in dance at Washington University in St. Louis, she pursued a professional career in modern dance, musical theater, singing and acting, including six years as a soloist with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company. Later transitioning to arts administration, Foster most recently worked at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, as Vice President of Development, overseeing their successful annual fund campaign that raised a record $10.5 million goal in FY18, and leading the Center’s annual Candlelight Concert gala to its highest net profit finish in its 44 year history. While at the Center, she previously served as the Director of the Capital Campaign, where she oversaw the Center’s $73 million Next Act Capital Campaign, and planned and implemented successful campaign events, including the groundbreaking and opening celebrations for the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Past positions at Segerstrom Center include Director of Major Gifts and Director of the Annual Fund. She also co-chaired the Orange County Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day fundraiser luncheon. Prior to the Segerstrom Center, Foster held the post of Chief Development Officer at both Project Access and at Irvine Barclay Theatre and served as the Cultural Development Manager for the Vail Valley Foundation in Colorado.

Director of Communications
Mary Cook

Mary joined the Playhouse’s Communications team in 2007. During her tenure she has overseen the launch of the marketing campaigns for the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, the Page To Stage Production of the on and Off-Broadway hit Peter and the Starcatchers, the West Coast premiere of the Tony-nominated play 33 Variations and the world-premiere musicals Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Side Show and Little Miss Sunshine. Under her direction, the Playhouse was named one of the “Top 100 San Diego Brands” by the San Diego Ad Club and was the recipient of a 2011 Telly Award. She and her team played an instrumental role in launching the Playhouse’s groundbreaking Without Walls Festival in 2013, which garnered major national press coverage. Prior to joining the Playhouse, Mary held a marketing position for Advanced Marketing Services, a national book distributor that serviced Costco and SAM’S Club. In this role she managed a $4 million cooperative advertising budget and launched the in-store promotional campaigns for numerous major book releases, including Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Jimmy Carter’s Our Endangered Values. She attended the University of California Irvine where she graduated Cum Laude and was a member of the Humanities Honors Program.

Director of Public Relations
Becky Biegelsen

Becky joined the La Jolla Playhouse staff in 2009. During her tenure, she has garnered major national coverage in such publications as The New York Times, Time Magazine, American Theatre, LA Times, USA Today for the Playhouse’s world-premiere productions of Hands on a Hardbody, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Who & The What and the 2013 Without Walls Festival, among others. Prior to working at the Playhouse, she served as Associate Director of Alumni Communications at UC San Diego and as Director of Public Relations at The Old Globe. She has also held communications positions at Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center and WNCN-FM classical radio station. Alongside her career in arts administration, Becky has performed professionally, with credits ranging from a European tour of Jesus Christ Superstar to regional productions of Into the Woods, Once Upon a Mattress and The Gift of the Magi, among others. She is a graduate of Carleton College and the American Musical & Dramatic Academy.

Interim Director of Education and Outreach
Bridget Cavaiola

Bridget has been with La Jolla Playhouse since 2017, first as a Teaching Artist, and now as the Interim Director of Education and Outreach. She is a San Diego based educator, improviser, and facilitator and has been performing and teaching improv theater and communication strategies to adults and children since 2005. She has been a Master Teaching Artist with Arts for Learning, San Diego, La Jolla Playhouse, and San Diego Junior Theatre and is a performer and teacher with Finest City Improv. She is the former Education Director for the Baltimore Improv Group as well as a former Teaching Artist for Young Audiences of Maryland. She was a Baltimore County Public Schools High School (MD) English and theater teacher for seven years. Bridget is a graduate of the Young Audience of Maryland Teaching Artist Institute and has extensive training in inclusion, professional development, and arts integration. She holds a masters degree in Communicating in Contemporary Cultures and teaches adjunct at the college level. She has performed improv in Baltimore, DC, New York, Chicago, Austin, Philadelphia, London, and San Diego.

General Manager
Ryan Meisheid

Director of Operations
Ned Collins

Director of Finance
Laura Killmer

Production Manager
Benjamin Seibert

Ben Seibert (he/him/his) joined the Production Management team at La Jolla Playhouse in 2014. During his time with the Playhouse, he has overseen production activities for dozens of Playhouse-born plays and musicals including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Darrel Hammond Project, Come From Away, JUNK, The Last Tiger in Haiti, Blueprints to Freedom, Escape to Margaritaville, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Diana and Fly. He began his career as a technician in the Chicago area after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Barat College in Lake Forest, IL. Ben has toured nationally as a technical director and technician and worked in theaters across the country of all sizes. He has worked prominently in the past with The Colorado Shakespeare Festival (Production Manager) and the University of San Diego (Production Manager/Technical Director).

Randall L. Clark
Chair

Sheri L. Jamieson
First Vice-Chair

Michael Flaster
Second Vice-Chair

Susan Tousi
Secretary

Scott M. Stanton
Treasurer

1947 Founders
Mel Ferrer
Dorothy McGuire
Gregory Peck

Trustees
Christopher Ashley
Michael Bartell
Denise Bevers
David Bialis
Andrew Boyd
Ralph Bryan*
Debby Buchholz
Robert Caplan
Hope Carlson
Peter Cowhey, Ph.D.
Doug Dawson
Edward A. Dennis, Ph.D.
Brian Dovey
Susan Dubé
Emily Einhorn
Teri Evons
Dr. Lawrence Friedman
Judy Garrett
Hanna Gleiberman
Lynn E. Gorguze
Luke Gulley
Kay Gurtin
Dwight Hare
Osborn Hurston
Debby Jacobs
Joan Jacobs
Cynthia James-Price
Jeanne Jones
Kathy Jones, Ph.D.
Pradeep K. Khosla, Ph.D.
Lynelle Lynch*
Ayse Ozkan
Lorne Polger
Karen A. Quiñones
Jeffrey Ressler*
Becky Robbins
Don Rosenberg
Tim Scott
Shane Shelley
Karen Silberman
Steven M. Strauss*
Andy Thomas
Carrie Vilaplana
Mary Walshok, Ph.D.

Honorary Trustees

Richard Atkinson, Ph.D.
Ivan Gayler
John Goodman
Joel Holliday*
Julie Potiker
Geri Ann Warnke*
Gary Wollberg*
Robert Wright, Esq.

Emeritus Trustees

David Copley (1952-2012)
Ted Cranston (1940-2012)
Milton Fredman (1920-2005)
Ewart W. Goodwin, Jr.* (1938-2019)
Hughes Potiker (1925-2005)
Roger Revelle (1909-1991)
Willard P. VanderLaan, M.D.* (1917-2012)
Arthur Wagner, Ph.D. (1923-2015)
Mandell Weiss (1891-1993)

Emerita Trustees

Rita Bronowski (1917-2010)
Marian Jones Longstreth (1906-1997)
Sheila Potiker (1930-2011)
Ellen Revelle (1910-2009)

*Past Chair of the Board

As of August 24, 2020

Producing Director
Eric Keen-Louie

Director of Artistic Development
Gabriel Greene

Producing Associate
Amy Ashton

Artistic Programs Manager & Local Casting Director
Jacole Kitchen

Executive Assistant to Christopher Ashley
Rick VanNoy

Director Emeritus
Des McAnuff

General Manager
Ryan Meisheid

Assistant General Manager
Samantha De La Riva

COMPANY MANAGEMENT

Company Manager
Erica Martin

Company Manager Assistant
Jacob Daniel Sinclair

LEGAL COUNSEL

Corporate/Legal Counsel
Robert C. Wright, Wright & L’Estrange

Theatre/Legal Counsel
F. Richard Pappas, Esq.

Director of Finance
Laura Killmer

Staff Accountant
Sara Kiebooms

Controller
Jared Jackson

Accounts Payable Manager
Sharon Ratelle

Human Resources Manager
Jennifer Boaz

Director of Philanthropy
Julia B. Foster

Associate Director of Philanthropy
Bonnie Broberg

Philanthropy Operations Manager
Tony Dixon

Corporate Relations Manager
Rebecca Pierce Goodman

Individual Giving Manager
Cristina Hernandez

Special Events Manager
Samantha Watkins

Philanthropy Coordinator
Sarah Huddleston

Philanthropy Assistant
Anna Juarez

Director of Communications
Mary Cook

Director of Public Relations
Becky Biegelsen

Director of Sales & Marketing
Mia Fiorella

Communications Manager
Grace Madamba

Senior Multimedia Designer
Nancy Showers

Multimedia Designer
Jane Sanders

Marketing Specialist
Jacey Aldredge

Marketing Database Analyst
Dani Meister

Patron Services Sales Specialist
Paul Preston

Sales Concierge
William Guiney

PATRON SERVICES

Associate Director of Ticketing Services
Pearl Hang

Senior Patron Services Manager
Travis Guss

Patron Services Assistant Manager
Mike Brown

Lead Patron Services Representative
Bill Washington

Patron Services Representatives
Devon Gonzales, Devin O’Reilly, Heidi Smith

Interim Director of Education & Outreach
Bridget Cavaiola

Education & Outreach Coordinator
Hannah Reinert

Teaching Artists
Frankie Alicea-Ford, Julie Benitez, Leticia De Anda, Julia Cuppy, Kelly Derouin, Farah Dinga, Kristen Fogle, Kirsten Giard, Samantha Ginn, Cory Hammond, Jeffrey Ingman, Justin Lang, Bernardo Mazon, Ursula Meyer, Wilfred Paloma, Michael Shantz, Bex Walker, Gary Ware, Sofia Zaragoza

Contact Education & Outreach: [email protected]

Director of Operations
Ned Collins

Operations Manager
Jen McClenahan

Network Systems Specialist
Daryl “Scooter” Davis

FRONT OF HOUSE

House Manager
John Craft

Production Manager
Benjamin Seibert

Associate Production Manager
Becca Duhaime

Assistant Production Manager
Carrie Bates

Production Office Manager
Caren Heintzelman

SCENE SHOP

Technical Director
William Hartley

Associate Technical Director
Jonathan Gilmer

Assistant Technical Director
Michael Strickland

Shop Foreman
David Weiner

Production Carpenter
Laura McEntyre

Carpenters
Kyle Ahlquist, Mihai Antonesco, Ryan Beasley, Michael Brodsky, Jacob Bruce, Amanda Cohen, Adam Day, David Hanna, Nick Jackson, Eszter Julian, Scott Kinney, Stephanie Lee, Ryan Lewis, Brylan Ranscht, Ernest Saldana, Syd Svetz, Tim Van Der Lind, Adam Torpey, Zane Whitmore, Andrew Zenner

Shop Helper
Doug Collind

Charge Artist
Melissa Nalbach

Scenic Painters
Edee Armand, Dwaine Best, Jennifer Imbler, Caroline Kvaas

PROPERTIES SHOP

Prop Shop Supervisor
Deb Hatch

Lead Prop Artisan
Zlatko Mitev

Props Artisans
Melinda Barnadas, Rai Feltmann, James Michael McCullock, Zachary Zeringue

COSTUME SHOP

Costume Supervisor
Jennifer Ables

Resident Costume Design Assistant
Desiree Hatfield-Buckley

Draper
Alexander Zeek

First Hands
Kyle Everett, Rebecca Fabares

Stitchers
Amanda Bergman, Stephanie Gift, Sonya Levin, Keira McGee, Carissa Ohm

Craft Artisan
Tess Mattraw, Teri Tavares

Costume Shop Assistant
Jacqueline Rosa

Shopper
Justin Hall

ELECTRICS

Electrics Supervisor
Jeff Brewer

Master Electrician
Kristyn Kennedy

Electricians
Alex Cluff, Jessica Dean, Sean Murray, Ernest Saldana

SOUND/VIDEO

Sound/Video Supervisor
Timothy Riggs

Head of Sound Department
Haley Wolf

Sound Technicians
Jordana Abrenica, Amanda Cohen, Jonathan Fredette, Stephan Jensen, Daniel Silva