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.
Jeremy Ancalade, Chief Financial Officer, joined the Laguna Playhouse after serving as Finance Director for Project Angel Food where he built a framework for organizational growth, financial sustainability, and foundation for a $5 million capital campaign. A Louisiana native, Jeremy started his career in New Orleans, freelancing as a stage manager in the Big Easy. After relocating to Southern California in 2005, Jeremy joined the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles as General Manager, working on the nationally recognized Will Power to Youth program and launching Veterans In Art, using theatre to reintegrate veterans into the workforce. As Vice President of Operations for The Trevor Project, Jeremy led national business operations, leading change during one of the most dynamic periods for the LGBTQ movement in American history, and ensuring that in their greatest hour of need, LGBTQ young people knew that they were not alone. Jeremy holds Master of Business Administration and a Master of Fine Art degrees from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University New Orleans.
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.
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 2018-2015 by the OC Register. She is part of the team that presents Puppet Up! at the historical Jim Henson Studios, and has served as part of the producing, marketing or box office team for a number of shows including Twist (Dir, Debbie Allen), 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, served as the ticketing and events manager for Visa’s Hospitality program at the 2000 and 2002 Olympics, and oversaw Los Angeles’ Coronet Theatre box office. She holds her BA in Theatre, her Masters in Humanities, and is a proud member of IATSE Local 857/ Treasurers and Ticket Sellers and Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (Chair 2019-present; Secretary 2017-2019), 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.
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 50th 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
Susan Gotschall Garcia
Principal, J.S. Pacific Properties
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
Xiaohong Rose
Program Developer
Tim Spangler
Partner, Dechert LLP
Lisa Sparks, PHD
Dean, School of Communications, Chapman University
Ann E. Wareham
Artistic Director, Laguna Playhouse
Ellen Richard
Executive Director, Laguna Playhouse
Ellen Richard, Executive Director
Ann E. Wareham, Artistic Director
Management
Denys Baker, General Manager
Rachel Garlington, Company Manager
Development
Doug Vogel, Director of Development
Teryll Sindell, Director of Major Giving
Michael Garman, Grants & Community Outreach Manager
Julian Leal, Development Manager
Finance
Jeremy Ancalade, Chief Financial Officer
Bonny Yee, Assistant Controller
Education
Dylan Russell, Director of Youth Theatre, Education
Bethanie Knieser, Associate Director, Education
Care'n Chato, Instructor
Erin Sawyer, Instructor
Christopher Smith, Instructor
Facilities Operations
Jamie McGraw, Director of Facilities Operations
Michael Lauterio, Facilities Maintenance Technician
Front of House
Wally Ziegler, Artist & Audience Services Manager
Alex Lum, House Manager
Curtis Pebley, Parking Supervisor
Denise Hughes, Bartender
Troy Huyen, Bartender
Nigel Joslin, Assistant House Manager
Marketing and Communications
Dee Dee Irwin, Director of Marketing and Communications
Johnny Eberhardt, Marketing Assistant
David Elzer, DEMAND PR, Press Consultant
Nancy Pank, Nancy's Media Buys, Broadcast Consultant
Dana Holliday, Halogen Design Lab, Graphics
Melissa, Hughes, Halogen Design Lab, Graphics
Theatre Direct, Season Ticket Sales
Ticketing and Data Operations
Veltria Roman, Director of Data Operations
Jody Reeves, Patron Services Manager
Sean Castro, Box Office Supervisor
Dominick DiGiacomo, Box Office Supervisor
Jadtec Computer Group, IT Services
Andrew Lombardi, Website Consultant
Production
Glenn Powell, Production Manager
Paul Rossi, Technical Director
Kate Wecker, Resident Sound Designer and Audio Engineer
Conni Joslin, Costume Shop Manager
Ben Morrow, Light Board Operator
Dogs-in-Residence
Charlie Brown, Community Outreach
Duke, Donor Liaison
Jack, Executive Department
Marley, Bar Manager
Moe, Education Department
Morgan, Executive Department
Murphy, Artistic Department
Pickle, Head of Security & Actor
Sailor, Human Resources Counselor
Skipper, Development Department
Tamzen, Audience Service Manager