Ellen Richard, Executive Director, comes to Laguna after serving as Executive Director of the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco. There she oversaw the purchase of the Strand Theatre, secured grants enabling ACT to offer no-cost rehearsal space to local artists and greatly expanded the company's education programming. Prior to that, she served as Executive Director of the Second Stage Theatre in New York City. There she oversaw the purchase of the historic Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway, and provided the initial home for the Broadway productions of Everyday Rapture, Next to Normal, and The Little Dog Laughed. Ellen also enjoyed a rich and varied career with Roundabout Theatre Company. When Ellen first joined the Roundabout, it was a small nonprofit theater company in bankruptcy. By the time she departed as Managing Director, Roundabout had become one of the country's largest and most successful theatre companies of its kind, with net assets in excess of $67 million dollars. Ellen produced more than 125 shows at Roundabout, and is the recipient of six Tony Awards as producer, for productions of Cabaret (1998), A View From the Bridge (1998), Side Man (1999), Nine (2003), Assassins (2004) and Glengarry Glen Ross (2005). She began her career working as a stagehand, sound designer and scenic artist assistant.

Ann E. Wareham, Artistic Director, joined Laguna Playhouse in 2010 as Associate Producer and assumed the role of Artistic Director in August 2011.  She worked for 27 years as a producing partner and Producing Associate to Gordon Davidson at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, producing such plays as Ain’t Misbehavin’, Pippin, Spring Awakening, No Child…, Sweeney Todd, Distracted, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, Edward Scissorhands, In the Continuum, Pyrenees, The Black Rider, Without Walls, Stuff Happens, Like Jazz, The Talking Cure, A Perfect Wedding and Putting It Together. Ann was part of the producing team for Deaf West Theatre’s production of Spring Awakening at Inner City Arts and the Wallis Theatre in Los Angeles as well as for its critically acclaimed production on Broadway in 2015.  In 2010, she supported the Pasadena Playhouse as Associate Producer for the West Coast premiere of Dangerous Beauty. Her early producing career included productions at the CAST Theatre, the Met and Theatre Rapport in Los Angeles, and The Victory Theatre where she served on the board of directors.  

Denys Baker, General Manager, recently joined the Playhouse following a six-year stint as the Administrative Project Manager at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) where she is proud to have worked on the $34M conversion of the Strand Theater. Prior to her work at A.C.T., Denys spent 25 years in NYC managing Broadway productions including the Tony Award-winning production of CABARET at Studio 54. She holds an MFA in Performing Arts Management and first came to Southern California in 2010 as General Manager for threesixty Entertainment’s production of PETER PAN performed in a circus tent. Denys is thrilled to be in Laguna where she can pursue her love of open water swimming and continue training to climb Kilimanjaro in 2019.

Donna Inglima, Director of Youth Theatre, Education and Outreach, is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and of Actors’ Equity Association. She served on the Drama faculty of Syracuse University, University College, Utica College and the American Musical and Drama Academy in New York.  She was the Director of the Apprentice Program at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and Artistic Associate for the American Playwrights Theatre in New York.  For Laguna Playhouse, she is a director, teacher, writer, producer and actress. She’s directed over 50 plays and has built the curriculum- based TYA Professional outreach program, TheatreReach: Bringing Books to Life. She’s adapted plays for the touring program as well as for the Youth Theatre stage;  The Sign of the Beaver, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Give a Boy a Gun, and By the Great Horn Spoon!  Donna founded Animal Crackers Unlimited, a troupe that produced plays for adults and youth in upstate New York.  Inglima received her MFA in Theatre from Syracuse University. In 2017 she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance.

Dee Dee Irwin, Director of Marketing and Communications, joined Laguna Playhouse in fall 2013. Under her direction, the Playhouse was named "Best in OC" in Live Theatre in 2017, 2016 and 2015 by the OC Register, and 2017 and 2016 "Best Theatre Group" by Orange County Hot List. She served as part of the producing team for a number of shows including Blues for an Alabama Sky, Twist (Director, Debbie Allen), and Dangerous Beauty, as well as the marketing and box office team for Puppet Up! at the historical Jim Henson Studios, Eddie Izzard at the Ricardo Montalban, Baby It’s You (pre-Broadway run), Eric Idle’s What About Dick and John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown. She has extensive experience in large-scale multi-day music, television and film festivals and she served as the ticketing and events manager for Visa’s Hospitality program at the 2000 and 2002 Olympics. Prior to joining Laguna Playhouse, Dee Dee spent 14 years as the Director of Marketing at an internationally renowned Top 10 law firm, overseeing multiple offices. Dee Dee holds her BA in Theatre, her Masters in Humanities, and is a proud member of IATSE Local 857/ Treasurers and Ticket Sellers. Memberships include: Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (Secretary), Visit Laguna Beach Marketing Committee and TLCC 2018, 2017 and 2016 Planning Committee. She lives in Laguna Niguel with the true love of her life, her dog Pickle.

Glenn Powell, Production Manager, joined the Playhouse in 1998 as the in-house Master Electrician and in 2010 became the Associate Production Manager. He served as the Assistant Production Manager and Lighting Director for the National Tour of Belle of Amherst, and as Production Manager and Lighting Director for the National Tour of Copenhagen. While at Laguna Playhouse, he supervised the installation of a lighting system and upgrade. Glenn has also designed the lighting for many of the Laguna Playhouse Youth Theatre productions, where he also teaches the students about lighting design and how to run the lights for a production. He has also served as the lighting designer for a number of local productions, including No Square’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and local productions of Metamorphoses and Thoroughly Modern Millie. When not at the theatre, Glenn can be found spending time with his lovely wife Rebecca and sons Dylan and Henry.

Veltria Roman, Director of Data Operations, joined the Laguna Playhouse team in fall 2014 as Box Office Manager, bringing with her almost 20 years experience working in performing arts and live events in every aspect of including stage management, artistic planning, theater management, human resources, event production, and ticketing operations. Prior to coming to Laguna Playhouse, Veltria spent 3 years working in New York at the Kaufman Music Center restructuring their venue rental and ticketing operations to increase sales in both areas. During this time she also expanded her event production experience working with DeVoe Signature events, the leader in Plus Size Fashion Events. She is responsible for all Ticketing Operations at the Laguna Playhouse and lends her 8+ years experience in the Tessitura ticketing software to assist in improved patron interaction and Customer Service.  Veltria holds a Bachelor's degree in English with a Theater Emphasis and was a panelist and conference planner for TLCC 2016.

Irene Samadoff, Controller, is happy to be joining the Playhouse family, beginning in Fall 2016. She was previously the Accountant & Operations Manager at  Corazon de Vida Foundation (CDV) and worked tirelessly side by side with the President and CdV Staff to break the vicious cycle of poverty from perpetuating child abandonment by providing support for orphaned and abandoned children in Baja, Mexico. At CDV she was responsible for the oversight of all financial, accounting and reporting activities. This included ensuring that all the systems and procedures were in place to support program implementation, developing controls designed to mitigate risk and ensure the accuracy of reported financial.  She successfully managed their annual Gala and various fundraisers throughout the year.  Additionally, she has significant experience with public and private accounting. Irene has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Doug Vogel, Director of Development, comes to the Playhouse from Community Action Partnership of Orange County where he oversaw a $1.8 million fundraising and branding campaign for the organization’s 50^th anniversary.  Prior to that, he served as Director of Major Giving for Catalina Island Conservancy during the initial stages of the $150 million Imagine Catalina Capital Campaign.  Doug has produced highly acclaimed fundraising events including East LA Meets Napa and OC AIDS Walk, which was named “Best Charity” by OC Weekly in 2007.  A native of Orange County, Doug is an alumni of the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts, has sang in Carnegie Hall, and has professionally written and performed music.  He holds a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University, Fullerton and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Paul Singarella
Partner, Latham & Watkins LLC
Board Chair

Joe Hanauer
Principal, Combined Investments, LLC
Immediate Past Chair  

Glenn E. Gray
CEO, South County Bank
Treasurer 

Terri Turner
Investment Advisor
Secretary 

Toni Alexander
President and Creative Director, InterCommunicationsInc.

Gregory Andrews
Senior VP and Principal Advisor, US Bank

Timothy D. Carlyle
Partner, Songstad Randall Coffee & Humphrey, LLP

Jamie Walters El-Erian
Partner, Walters Law Firm

James Hale
Managing Partner, Parallax Capital Partners, LLC

Lisa Hale
Partner, Parallax Capital Partners, LLC

Mo Honarkar
4-G Ventures

Dr. Gary Jenkins
Pediatrician

Barbara MacGillivray
Executive, MacGillivray Freeman Films

Greg MacGillivray
Chairman, MacGillivray Freeman Films

Melinda Masson
CEO, Masson Strategic Advisors LLC

Jared K. Mathis
CEO, The Moulton Company

Jeff Meberg 
Environmental Recycling and Restoration 

James R. Mellor
Retired Chairman, CEO General Dynamics Corp.

Heidi Miller
Owner, Tight Assets, The World Newstand

Susan D. Morrison
Partner, Impact Giving

Justin Myers
Entrepreneur

Tim Spangler
Partner, Dechert LLP

Nicholas Yrizarry
President and CEO Nicholas Yrizarry Advisors

Ann E. Wareham
Artistic Director, Laguna Playhouse

Ellen Richard
Executive Director, Laguna Playhouse