Monday, October 7
Z Space in San Francisco
Conference Schedule
Overview
Check-in: 9:30 – 10:00 AM
Morning Plenary: 10:00 – 11:15 AM
Welcome by Theatre Bay Area and Z Space
Breakout A: 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Lunch: 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Afternoon Plenary: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Breakout B: 3:15 – 4:15 PM
Breakout C: 4:30 – 5:30 PM
Closing: 5:45 – 6:15 PM
Conference Reflections
Closing Remarks
Session Descriptions
Selection from Choir Boy at Shotgun Players
Morning Plenary, Mainstage
We will kick off the conference with a selected performance from Shotgun Players' Choir Boy.
Pharus attends the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys and is the lead singer for their renowned choir. He is not only open about his queer identity, he also questions long-held traditions. With contemporary arrangements of traditional African American spirituals and dance, Choir Boy is a brilliant, moving, and uplifting play from Academy Award-winning playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney. This is not a coming-out story. It's a story about the power of self-love.
Brandon DiPaola
Growing up in Hawaii but originally from the Bay Area, Brandon DiPaola is an actor, fight director, and instructor with Dueling Arts International. Brandon started his training at the Hawaii Conservatory of Performing Arts where he found a love for theater. His passion led him to study at the East 15 Acting School in England where he holds a Bachelor’s in Acting and Stage Combat.
Tom Zeibell
Chachi Delgado
Chachi Delgado is an actor, dancer, singer, and most importantly a Bay Area native! He loves chillin’ with his family, watching Survivor, and tasting new foods! He has been seen in regional theatre (SF Playhouse, Mountain Players, Oakland Theater Project, Shotgun Players), Tour (Mystic Pizza: The Musical), Voiceover (Loop at Pixar Animation), Film (Freaky Tales, We’re Not Strangers, Sweet 15), commercials (McDonald’s, Gig Car Share, Toyota) and a Video Game (2K25). Chachi is super excited to be at the TBA Conference!
Miles Meckling
Miles Meckling, He/Him, is excited for his Shotgun Players debut with Choir Boy. Regional credits include SF Playhouse: Guys and Dolls, 42nd Street Moon: The Scottsboro Boys, Sierra Rep: Premiere of Elvis the Musical, Center REP: A Christmas Carol, Woodminster: On Your Feet, STC: Mamma Mia, HMS Pinafore, Classic Theatre: The Gift of Magi. Much thanks to all who support his journey. Follow on IG: @Leroi23 #whoareyoufightingfor?
Omar Stewart
Omar Stewart, a Michigan native, is excited to dive into the vibrant theater scene in SF. He has been part of productions at Left Coast Theater Company and Theater Rhinoceros. Omar graduated from Florida A&M University and trained at A.C.T.'s San Francisco Semester Program.
Asha Bagal Kelley
Wesley Barker
Wesley Barker is thrilled to be performing for the TBA Conference. A versatile actor, Wesley has previously graced the stage in various roles, including William Barfee in Putnam County Spelling Bee, Hänschen in Pacifica Spindrift’s production of Spring Awakening, and most recently as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho for BAD Musical Theatre. He is on track to obtain a degree in Theater Arts from Cal State East Bay where he honed his craft and developed a passion for storytelling. Wesley would like to thank his family and friends for their unwavering support.
Andrew Mariscal
William Schmidt
William Schmidt (He/They) is a multidisciplinary theatre and performing artist. Starting at age eight, he grew up singing and went on to study Theatre at CSUS. He has worked and performed throughout California and is based in the Sacramento and Bay Areas. In addition to performing, he teaches theatre and music throughout Sacramento for multiple programs and all ages of youth. Some favorite performing credits include Horton in Seussical, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, and lou in Spell #7.
Angel Rodriguez
Land Acknowledgement
Morning Plenary, Mainstage
Ixtlán
Ixtlán is a Northern California based actor and artist. He has acted in theaters as far as New York and Chile. Always on the path of exploration, study, and truth, he aims to do his best in serving the human experience.
Carla Hernandez Ramirez
Arts Advocacy: We are a Forest for the Trees
Morning Plenary, Mainstage
keynote speaker Ted Russell brings his wide-ranging experience to Roots Intertwined. Russell will help us see the bird’s eye view of today’s Bay Area theatre, including the long-term work that can sustain the arts and how we can show up for one another as a community. Because, together as a theatrical forest, we have the knowledge and resources to nurture new artistic possibilities.
Ted Russell
Ted Russell serves as a nonprofit arts management consultant, strategist and facilitator, offering over thirty years of experience launching and scaling initiatives, building the capacity of organizations and helping artists and creative workers thrive. As Principal of Ted Russell Consulting, he currently focuses on arts advocacy, board training, planning, research, strategy and coaching.
Previously, he served as Director of Arts Strategy & Ventures for the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, where he led the Foundation’s strategic direction for the arts, supporting diverse, visionary artists and collaborating with artists, partners and funders to advance systemic change and foster an equitable ecosystem. He also served as the Senior Program Officer for the Arts Program at the James Irvine Foundation from 2005 to 2016. He previously worked at several California nonprofit arts organizations and 20th-century dot coms in various management, marketing and fundraising roles.
Ted’s commitment to the arts and culture field is unwavering. He holds a BA in mechanical engineering from Yale University and an MBA in arts management from UCLA’s Anderson School. In 2021, Ted was named a Nasher Haemisegger Fellow at SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, where he serves as an intellectual partner to SMU DataArts leadership on critical issues. He served as the board chair of Grantmakers in the Arts, a national association of over 350 private and public arts and culture funders, in 2020 and 2021. Best of all, Ted was named a Faces of Theatre Bay Area 40@40 Celebration Honoree.
Mitch Tobias
Virtual Conference Coffee Hour
Morning Plenary, Zoom
This is a space to connect with other artistic leaders in the Bay Area, learn and grow with your peers in the industry, and build community to strengthen our regional theatre ecosystem. Join Theatre Bay Area's Interim Managing Director Ann Marie Lonsdale at a coffee hour for virtual conference attendees to discuss issues, share resources, explore ideas, and connect with one another. All you need to bring is your morning drink of choice, your recent challenges and successes, and your desire to connect!
Ann Marie Lonsdale
Ann Marie Lonsdale is an arts worker with a background as a producer and administrator working with innovative and experimental live performance. She began her career as a performer, stage manager, and producer in theater and dance in Chicago and New York As an administrator, she has worked at Creative Capital, Center for Performance Research, and Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, among others. She is also one of the co-creators of the Freelance Artist Resource Project. Ann Marie has also worked in the performing arts community as an educator, facilitator, grant panelist, speaker, and is the founder of Partake Arts, a consulting practice focused on individual artists and artist-led projects. She has done training with artEquity, and is actively engaged in a national community of practice around anti-racism in the theatre and arts. Ann Marie is a proud graduate of the University of Chicago and holds a master’s degree in Arts Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Continuing the Conversation on Racial Justice
Breakout A, Mainstage
It has been four years since We See You, White American Theatre was published. Four years since our organizations vowed to do better, and sought to become co-conspirators in antiracism in our theatre community. Where are we now as a community? What have we accomplished? Where can we do better? Join us for an engaging and honest conversation on what the Bay Area has done to address racial justice and our next steps toward transforming our theatrical ecosystem.
Karina Gutiérrez
Karina Gutiérrez’s work focuses on the intersection of politics and performance, with a concentration on how digital interventions, institutionalization efforts and historical narrative have affected the development and sustainability of social and politically engaged performance companies and collectives throughout the Americas. Her reviews have appeared in journals such as Theatre Survey and The Journal of American Drama, with forthcoming publications in Modern Drama, Theatre Annual, and the Latino Literature Encyclopedia for Students. Prior to coming to UC Berkeley, Gutiérrez was an assistant professor at Santa Clara University. She earned her doctorate in theater and performance studies with a minor in feminist, gender and sexuality studies from Stanford University in 2020, upon which she was awarded the Carl Webber Prize for integration of Creative Practice and Scholarly Research. Outside of academia, Gutiérrez works as an actor, director and dramaturgist throughout the Bay Area, in addition to co-founding BALTAN, or the Bay Area Latino Theatre Alliance Network. Reviews of her directed productions have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Broadway World and Berkeleyside.
Margo Hall
Margo Hall - award-winning actor, director, playwright, educator, artistic director of Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, and a founding member of Campo Santo. She has graced Bay Area stages for over 35 years. She was last seen onstage in Josephine’s Feast by Star Finch and directed Garuda’s Wing by Naomi Iizuka for Campo Santo and Magic Theatre. She is currently directing The Black Feminist Guide to the Human Body for LHT, which opens September 19th.
Lisa Keating
Facilitated by Ely Sonny Orquiza
Ely Sonny Orquiza (he/him), a 2023 YBCA 100 Honoree, is renowned for his steadfast belief in the transformative power of equity and representation in storytelling to bridge divides and foster understanding. He is the creator of the Living Document of BIPOC Experiences in Bay Area Theatre, which chronicles the pervasive impact of white supremacy in the region. As an artist, activist, and academic, Orquiza uses theater and the performing arts to delve deeply into the role of the Asian diaspora, the Asian American experience, ancestral legacies, and the intricate politics of queerness on the American stage. Learn more about his work at elysonnyorquiza.org/about.
REUSE
Engaging Audiences with Immersive Theatre Experiences
Breakout A, Conference Room & Virtual Conference
Immersive theatre experiences are wildly popular, bringing in enthusiastic younger audiences and grabbing headlines. But what is involved in creating an immersive theatre experience? What are the best practices and pitfalls of this medium? Find out what it takes to do immersive work well with experts Daniel Sherman (Pop Culture Immersives) Ezra Reaves (The Compton Cafeteria Riot), Jax Blaska and Michael French (Walking Cinema).
Daniel Sherman
Daniel Sherman the co-founder and executive producer of Pop Culture Immersives, transforming non-traditional theater spaces in downtown San Francisco to recreate the worlds from cult classic TV and film. In partnership with artistic director Michael Phillis, PCI combines original theatrical scripts with a choose-your-own-adventure style of immersion, encouraging audiences to interact with casts of 40+ performers. This unique format integrates scripted and improvisational theater with burlesque, live music and singing, and choreographed dance. Past shows include Pride in Gotham (Hibernia Bank), Thighs Wide Shut (St. Joseph's Church), Sqream (Oasis), and Sunnydale Prom (Historic Mint Building).
Kelly Mason
Jax Blaska
Jax Blaska (they/them) is a queer creative maker with an emphasis in theater direction, dramaturgy, and production management. Their collaborations have spanned devised theatre, immersive experiences, dance, installation, and performance art, with companies including Cutting Ball Theater, EyeZen Presents, Detour Productions, FACT/SF, and Walking Cinema. Jax holds a BA with honors from Yale University and is proud to be a born-and-raised San Franciscan.
Robbie Sweeny
Michael French
Michael French is a director, writer, actor, and inventor of arty projects, originally from London, England. In an ideal world he would live in Morocco, have another place in Barcelona, spend three months of the year in Ghana, and have a cabin in the woods of Bath, England, where he would go to write every chance he could. He would also meditate every day, practice Tai Chi three times a week, and be fit enough to run a marathon if he suddenly feels so inspired. Mr. French is currently trying to finish his first collection of short stories entitled Babble.
Facilitated by Ezra Reaves
Ezra Reaves (they/he) is an actor, comedian, writer, and director based in San Francisco. TV/FILM: 4400 (The CW), Suckhole (FX), Identiteaze (Nebula). THEATER: VELOUR: A Drag Spectacular (La Jolla Playhouse), Wizard of Oz (A.C.T.), As You Like It and The Daughters (SF Playhouse), The Red Shades (ZSpace). Ezra has also been an ensemble member of the award-winning theatre company The Neo-Futurists for 10+ years, performing nationally and internationally in their shows Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind and The Infinite Wrench. As a comedian, Ezra has opened for Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, John Hodgman, Paul F. Tompkins, and even shared the stage with Michael Ian Black. NEXT: Ezra will direct Compton's Cafeteria Riot, an immersive show based on the historic event of queer resistance. AEA/SAG-AFTRA. www.ezrareaves.com
Huebner Headshots
Staged Readings: Giving Voice to New and Existing Plays
Breakout A, Z Below
Looking to produce more staged readings, but aren’t sure how to make one successful? These local experts will explore the joys of partnering with local writers to develop new work, engaging local talent to perform existing work, and dive into what it takes to make a staged reading experience your audience will love. In addition, our local AEA liaison, Katherine Stein will provide clarity and information on the Equity staged reading code. Plant the seeds for success with this informative staged reading panel!
Leontyne Mbele-Mbong
Leontyne Mbele-Mbong (she/her) has been working as an actor in the Bay Area for over 20 years. She is a founding member of the Actors’ Reading Collective where, as a member of the Steering Committee and resident production coordinator, she has been involved in negotiating with AEA. She has experience with many aspects of theater, having also worked as Production Manager, Stage Manager, Usher, House Manager, Box Office Assistant Head Treasurer, and Board Member.
Sorcha Augustine
Evren Odcikin
Evren Odcikin (he/him) is a Turkish-American director, writer, and arts leader passionately advocating for historically excluded stories and voices in the American theater. He is currently the Artist-in-Residence at Golden Thread Productions where he has been an affiliated artist and Director of New Works. Most recently, he served as Interim Artistic Director (2023) and Associate Artistic Director and Director of Artistic Programming (2019-2023) at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Directing credits include work at OSF, Marin Theatre, Profile Theatre, Northern Stage, Woolly Mammoth, PlayCo, Guthrie, Berkeley Rep, Cleveland Public Theatre, Playwrights Foundation, and Magic Theatre. odcikin.com
Jenny Graham
Richard Jennings
Award-winning composer Richard Jennings (he/him) is a founder of Musical Cafe, producing 40 new musical showcases, in-depth reading and re-writing programs, workshops, and classes. His original musicals have been produced across the country. With 50+ scores for plays, including credits from Tony-winning theatres, film, network TV, PBS, & Disney. “Music for Plays, a Step by Step Guide”, Published by American Theatre Magazine. He’s a member of The Dramatists Guild of America. Visit: rjmusic.org
Scott Hester
Katherine Stein
Katherine Stein (she/her) is a member of Actors Equity Association and the Community Leader for the SF Bay Area (formerly titled AEA Liaison Chair). This means that she serves as a volunteer to communicate the unique challenges that working actors and stage managers face in this region, and to welcome anyone who has recently joined the union or relocated here. She also hosts in-person Equity gatherings and manages an email list and a Facebook group to keep her peers in the loop. She takes pride in being a resource for information, and she would love to tell you an interesting fact she just learned on a podcast!
Vanie Poyey
Facilitated by Zoe Chien
Zoe Chien is an actor, casting director, producer, and arts administrator. She received her BFA in Theater from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Zoe is the Casting and Producing Director at 3Girls Theatre Company. She recently completed a PlayGround Producing Fellowship and is a PlayGround company member. Zoe is proud to represent her mixed-race Taiwanese and Italian-American community, and is inspired by projects that explore identity and celebrate women and traditionally under-represented communities. zoechien.com.
Richard Shiu
Presentation of RHE Artistic Fellowship and Rella Lossy award
Afternoon Plenary, Mainstage
The RHE Foundation Artistic Fellowship makes a significant investment in an individual female or nonbinary artist of color that will allow her to take the next step in their career. Nominees are selected by a diverse panel of established Bay Area theatre professionals.
This program is made possible through a generous grant from the RHE Charitable Foundation.
The Rella Lossy Award honors the memory of Rella Lossy, a lifelong champion of the American theatre and playwriting, by honoring the best new full-length script of a play by an emerging playwright that will premiere in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma in the coming year.
RHE Artistic Fellowship presented by Rolanda D. Bell
Born and raised in Oakland CA, Rolanda has taken the route of a storyteller for her career and has been building relationships with theaters throughout the Bay Area since 2011. Some of her recent accomplishments have been working with the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre as a director for the 2024 High School Theater Festival, receiving the 2023 RHE Charitable Foundation Artistic Fellowship, and continuing her acting career with the hopes of traveling as she does. Some Theater Credits include Shipping & Handling with Crowded Fire Theater, POTUS with Berkeley Rep, Is God Is with Oakland Theater Project, and Paradise Blue with Aurora Theatre. Her next work will be the world premiere of Marcus Gardley’s A Thousand Ships with Oakland Theater Project. Film credits: Blindspotting, Netflix’s All Day & A Night, and voice acting in deleted scenes for the PIXAR Animation films LIGHTYEAR & Inside Out 2. Rolanda is SAG-AFTRA and is represented by JE Talent
Shannon St. Clair
Rella Lossy Award presented by Ashley Smiley
Ashley Smiley is a San Francisco born, raised and displaced multidisciplinary Black creative rooted in the SF Bay Area Performing Arts Industry particularly devoted to the support of new and experimental work. While currently obtaining her PhD, Smiley was also blessed to premiere her full-length original play Dirty White Teslas Make Me Sad at the Magic Theatre after being graciously awarded the 2023 Rella Lossy Award. Currently Smiley serves as the Programs Coordinator for the African American Art and Culture Complex.
Joan Osato
2024 Rella Lossy Awardee Star Finch
Star Finch is a San Franciscan trying her best to hold ground amidst the erasure of gentrification. She is currently the Mellon Foundation Playwright in Residence at Campo Santo and Crowded Fire Theater. She’s also an alumni of the Resident Playwrights Program (2018-2022) at Playwrights Foundation.
Star Finch
Banding Together: Bringing in New Audiences with Radical Space Partnerships
Afternoon Plenary, Mainstage
Radical space partnerships are one of the surest ways to create community, new audiences, and success. We are stronger when our roots intertwine. Join our plenary panel experts as they discuss the joys and challenges of these partnerships. They will share how you can entice new patrons to your production with radical space sharing practices and deepen your connection with these new audiences.
Jon Tracy
Jon Tracy works internationally as an art and culture producer for theatre and film. A director, playwright, designer, educator, and facilitator, he is the recipient of awards from the Kennedy Center Meritorious Achievement Award, North Bay Artys, Marquee Journalists, Ellys, Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle, and Theatre Bay Area, and has also been honored with the Solano College Theatre Alumni Award. He is a grant recipient from Theatre Bay Area, Shotgun Players’ Bridging the Gap, SUI Generis, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Currently Marin Shakespeare Company Artistic Director. Past leadership positions with TheatreFIRST, Groundswell: The International Theatre Intensive, and Darkroom Productions. Jon is a Company Member of both Shotgun Players and PlayGround, a proud member of SDC, the union for stage directors and choreographers, and the father of Evelyn and Jacob.
Lisa Keating
LeShawn Holcomb
LeShawn Holcomb is an educator/ artist in Marin, CA, Serving as Dean of Students at Tamalpais High School, he fosters belonging within a diverse community. As Artistic Director of Griot Theater Company, he promotes equity for students of color through intergenerational theater and entrepreneurial leadership. Holcomb holds a BA in Human Services from CSUF and an MA in Urban Education from USF. He aims to bridge education and theater for healing and social change.
Sean San José
Sean San José is a writer, director, performer and producer. San José is a co-founder of Campo Santo in San Francisco, an award-winning group committed to developing new performance pieces. For 15 years he was the Program Director of Performance for Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco's oldest alternative arts space. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.
Facilitated by Nikki Meñez
Nikki Meñez (they/them) is an artist and arts administrator based in the SF Bay Area who is moved to challenge what performing arts look like and how stories are told. Nikki is the Curatorial Director at Z Space where they cultivate rental partnerships and coordinate Z Space's various residency programs, nurturing relationships and helping art thrive. Nikki also works in artist outreach, casting, and arts advocacy for a more equitable, sustainable, and humane creative ecosystem.
How to Attract and Retain Techs and Designers
Breakout B, Conference Room & Virtual Conference
Stage managers, techs, and designers are always in high demand and short supply. Continuing the conversation from TBAConnect, top-tier designers Carlos Aceves and Devon La Belle tell you how to build lasting collaborations with tech and design talent. As a director or company, become someone theatremakers are excited to work with for years to come!
Carlos Aceves
Carlos Aceves (he/they) is a Bay Area-based designer and theatre maker whose practice centers on new works and social justice theatre.
Lois Tema
Devon LaBelle
Devon LaBelle has been making props in the Bay Area since 2008. She is the Prop Shop Supervisor at SFSU, a Company Member with Shotgun Players and a Resident Artist with Crowded Fire Theatre. She holds TBA awards for her work on Shotgun’s Eurydice and CCCT’s Vanya, Sonya, Masha, and Spike.
Cheshire Isaacs
Co-Production Deep Dive
Breakout B, Mainstage
Co-productions are a great way to share resources, but the complexities of how to sustainably execute one can be challenging to manage. This breakout session will do a deep dive into how to make your co-productions joyful, collaborative, and successful.
Giovanna Sardelli
Before being named the Artistic Director of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Sardelli served for several years as their Director of New Works. Besides Sardelli’s well-received productions with the Tony Award winning TheatreWorks, she has directed and developed plays around the country, including many off-Broadway productions over the past decades. Sardelli’s directing credits include numerous productions of plays by Rajiv Joseph - 17 at last count including the upcoming KING JAMES which starts performances at TheatreWorks on October 9.
Stuart Locklear
Lisa Mallette
Lisa has worked as an actor, director, and manager for numerous theater companies across the Western U.S. She became Managing Director of City Lights Theater Company in 2001 and Executive Artistic Director in 2004, leading the company to significant artistic and financial growth. A graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts and the Neighborhood Playhouse, she is a proud member of Actors' Equity and SAG/AFTRA, a 2023 Silicon Valley Business Journal Women of Influence honoree, and a proud mom of two.
Stuart Locklear
Vinita Sud Belani
Actor, director, producer, writer Vinita Sud Belani is the Founding Artistic Director of US theatre production house EnActe Arts, and a Board member at several non-profits. Belani transitioned to an Arts career after 20+ years in technology in the corporate world. She holds a CS degree from BITS, Pilani, and an MBA from HEC, France.
Facilitated by Josh Costello
Josh Costello (he/him) is the Artistic Director of Aurora Theatre Company. Throughout his career, Josh has worked to make theatre more accessible for more people, sharing a passion for the visceral experience of live theatre with new audiences and underserved communities. Josh was the founding Artistic Director of Impact Theatre and the Artistic Director of Expanded Programs at Marin Theatre Company. His extensive work as a director has a particular focus on new plays, such as Glickman Award winners Eureka Day at Aurora and Ideation at SF Playhouse; his accolades include a Theatre Bay Area Award for Outstanding Direction.
Fundraising Events that Work: Horror Stories and Stories that Inspire
Breakout B, Z Below
It is time to plan your next fundraiser! Monterey Symphony President and CEO Nicola Reilly has all the insider info about what makes an event sparkle . . . or flop. Attend this participatory session and gain better understanding of the basic elements that go into creating and executing a successful fundraising event!
Facilitated by Nicola Reilly
Nicola Reilly (she/her) started playing violin at the age of six. Born into a musical family, she performed in 24-hour chamber music marathons when she was eight and competed in International youth music festivals in Austria by the age of 12. She has collaborated with Book-It Repertory Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre in providing music and soundscapes. In college, she lived in Granada, Spain and worked with the concertmaster of the Granada Symphony. Nicola founded two all-female chamber music groups: The Four Muses and The Bella Trio. She has recorded with Sera Cahoone, Sky Cries Mary, and Mastodon and performed with Orchestra Seattle, Northwest Sinfonietta, Bellevue Philharmonic, Seattle Rock Orchestra, I Cantori, Ensemble Monterey, the Western Stage, Carmel Chamber Players, and New Canon Theatre Company. Nicola is also the President and CEO of the Monterey Symphony.
Nicola Reilly
Cooperative Marketing: Tools to Deepen Support for the Arts
Breakout C, Conference Room & Virtual Conference
We know that our arts ecosystem is deeply interconnected. But how can we harness our collective strength to deepen support for the arts across the Bay Area? Join Theatre Bay Area's Marketing & Communications Officer, Art Quiñones and learn how we can use cooperative marketing tools to draw and retain audiences.
Art Quiñones
Art Quiñones is a visual artist and current Marketing & Communications Officer at Theatre Bay Area. They build cooperative marketing programs that connect dozens of arts organizations and hundreds of productions with tens of thousands of arts patrons. They hold a BFA in Graphic Design from Maine College of Art, where they developed a passion for equitable community building and disability justice.
Developing Musical Theatre as Part of Your Season
Breakout C, Mainstage
Are you ready to create a brand-new musical, and be home to the next big success? The Bay Area is full of so many excellent musical theatre writers and composers with brilliant ideas but it can be hard to know how to start. Join local producers as they share what it takes to nourish a new musical and help it grow into a fully staged production.
Jeffrey Lo
Jeffrey Lo (He/Him/His) is a Filipino-American playwright and director. Recent directing credits include Tiger Style!, Little Shop of Horrors and The Language Archive at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, The Glass Menagerie, Chinglish and The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin at San Francisco Playhouse as well as Bald Sisters, The Great Leap and Between Riverside and Crazy at San Jose Stage. He is also the associate producer of casting and literary management at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
Rogelio Barrera Jr.
Joy Meads
Joy Meads (she/her) is Director of Dramaturgy and New Works at American Conservatory Theater. Previously, Meads was Literary Manager/Artistic Engagement Strategist at Center Theatre Group, Literary Manager at Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Associate Artistic Director at California Shakespeare Theater. Meads has also developed plays with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, NYTW, Berkeley Rep, Denver Center, the O’Neill, among others. Joy is a co-founder of The Kilroys and a proud fourth generation native of Oakland, CA, city of artists and activists.
Jon Hirata
Matt Morrow
Matt M. Morrow (She/They/He) Prior to joining Center REP as Artistic Director, Matt was the Executive Artistic Director of Diversionary Theatre, where she grew the budget from a $500k to over $2 million, led $2.7 million renovation, and was nominated for 35 San Diego Critics Circle Awards. Matt served as Associate Artistic Director of City Theatre, The John Wells Professor of Directing at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, and UCSD’s Graduate Directing program.
Rodney Earl Jackson Jr.
Rodney Earl Jackson Jr. is the Artistic Director & Co-Founder of The San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO), now in its 10th year! Born & raised in San Francisco, he cultivated his love and foundation for the performing arts through public city organizations such as SF/ArtsEd, San Francisco Recreation & Park’s YPTMTC, and RASOTA. He proudly holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama. Special theatre credits: Book of Mormon (Broadway), Ain’t too Proud (Berkeley Rep), Toni Stone (ACT), I, Too, Sing America (SFBATCO).
Holly Kuper
Facilitated by Nina Meehan
Nina Meehan is a director, playwright and producer with 25 years of experience commissioning, producing, directing and writing new musicals. She is also a speaker and coach with expertise in creativity, communication and connection. Her most recent projects include director and book writer for “Grumpy Monkey, the Musical” produced by the Pasadena Playhouse and director and book writer for “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the Musical,” produced by P3 Productions and launching as a national tour in Fall 2025. She lives in Tahoe where she loves to hike and cross country ski with her three kids.
Ash Perlberg
Who's Playing You? A Sneak Peek of the Getting Played Symposium
Breakout C, Z Below
Join Kathleen Antonia Tarr and Princess Washington in a roundtable conversation as we explore how our shared online spaces have impacted equity in our Bay Area theatre community ecology. Lend your voice, and root down into these questions and more: Communal online theatre networks can nourish one another, but where are these resources being directed? Do online spaces increase opportunity for BIPOC artists? Are we meeting our company EDI goals as we use these online spaces? Is there a way we can use them to more effectively further equity?
Kathleen Antonia Tarr
Kathleen Antonia Tarr is founder of the Getting Played Symposium on Equity in the Entertainment Industry and Awards, now in its tenth year. She regularly speaks on the topic, from delivering the General Session at the 2015 State Bar of California Annual Meeting to interviews in feature documentaries Nevertheless, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, and her own Getting Played: Who’s Playing You?! In addition to filmmaking, Kathleen boasts acting credits that include stage, television, film, commercials, video games, and more. Info about Getting Played: tinyurl.com/GettingPlayedSymposium
Tracy Merrill
Princess Washington
Ms. Princess Washington is a multifaceted community leader, artist, and influential presence in Solano County. She currently serves as Mayor Pro Tem of Suisun City and as a Board member of the California League of Cities African American Caucus. Additionally, Ms. Washington is the Vice Chair of The Salvation Army of Solano County Advisory Board, demonstrating her commitment to community welfare.
Richard Shiu Photography
Fifty-Five Women: The Erin Merritt Song
Closing Performance, Manistage
From the Women in Theatre Project inspired by Erin Merritt, music and lyrics by Jen Coogan.
Anne Warren Clark
Anne Warren Clark- Favorite credits include High Fidelity the Musical (Penny/back up chick, Broadway), Hairspray (LouAnn/us Amber, Broadway), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Miss Dorothy, 1st National Tour), Pippin (Catherine, Berkeley Playhouse), 9 to 5 the Musical (Doralee Rhodes, 6th Street Playhouse), Cruel Intentions the Musical (Bunny Caldwell, Ray of Light Theatre). You can also see her in the Golden Globe award-winning film Dreamgirls. She is the founder and executive Director of PLAY Theatre Company.
Ben Krantz
Accompanied by John Johnson
John Johnson’s Broadway credits as conductor and/or keyboardist: Chicago, Les Misérables, Kiss Me Kate, Wonderful Town, Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, La Bohème. San Francisco: Sunday… George (Drama-Logue Award) and A Funny…Forum at ACT; Annie Get Your Gun (w/Donna McKechnie), the original SF production of Nunsense. At PCPA Theatrefest (Santa Maria) he was music director for over 30 productions, including Carousel and Brigadoon (Drama-Logue Awards).
Music and Lyrics by Jen Coogan
Jen Coogan composed the SF Shakes 2024 productions of The Tempest and As You Like it. She was commissioned for Broadway Bares SF and was featured in Broadway World for her work on Lizzie Wilding. She has worked on The Morning After, The New Teacher, The Last Open Mic, Pharma Girls, The Oregon Trail Pages, and created The Women in Theatre Project- featuring personal interviews from some of the most influential women in theatre.
Melody Jane Photo
Nightz @ Z Karaoke
Z Space Lobby
Join us for Karaoke in Z Space’s spacious lobby—the perfect chance to cut loose and belt out your favorite tunes while enjoying a few drinks with your friends. Whether you like torch songs or bangers, whether you are country or rock n’ roll, whether you are an operatic star or punk rock screamer, this is your chance to cut loose and shine. All skill levels are welcome in our no judgement zone!
Happy Hour is from 7pm – 8pm! Join us for our 3, 2, 1, deal - $3 off cocktails, $2 off wine, and $1 off beer. While we have a full bar and some snacks for sale, please feel free to bring your own dinner or have food delivered to our space. No outside beverages, please.
Reservations are highly encouraged for this FREE event, so Z Space knows roughly how many people to expect!
Nurture Bay Area Theatre
Organizational partners and in-kind donations make this event possible! Reach out to Meghan@TheatreBayArea.org to learn more about the sponsorship opportunities available for the Annual Conference.