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Our Team
Staff
Matt Cook
Artistic and Executive Director
READ BIO
Berrie Tsang
Company Manager
Todd McCraw
Technical Director
Rae Shrum
Marketing Director
Mary Baville
Patron Services/Box Office Manager
Pamela Winters
HR Manager
Grace Berry
Audience Engagement and Sales Manager
Michelle White
Accountant, Jitasa
Libby Huebner
Public Relations
Kristin Runnels
Grant Writer, KR Consulting
Board of Directors
David Gordon
President
David, a former art museum director and consultant, became a supporter of the Playhouse because of the quality of its productions. He became President in 2017. He and his wife Sandy live near the Bailey Canyon trailhead in Sierra Madre.
Berenice Castro
Treasurer
Berenice has over 15 years of experience in accounting and the nonprofit sector. She earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a bachelor's degree in Economics with a concentration in Financial Accounting from the University of California, Riverside. She is passionate about the fine arts, particularly theater, opera, and ballet.
Frank Costello
Secretary
Frank was Senior Partner in the Los Angeles office of law firm Holland & Knight LLC and is longtime fan of the Playhouse. He lives in La Cañada with his wife Cindy.
Ward Calaway
Ward Calaway has been active at the Playhouse for many years; he is a past president and his late wife Louise was treasurer. He is an engineer. He lives in Sierra Madre.
John Capoccia
John served on the Sierra Madre City Council for two terms, 2012 to 2020, twice as Mayor. John retired in 2011 from AT&T, where he held engineering, managerial and leadership positions over a 27-year career. John is an avid tennis player and all-round outdoors enthusiast. He and his wife Marta live in Sierra Madre.
Judith Farrar
Judith was for many years production manager at the Music Center Ooperating Company. She has been chair of the Pasadena Playhouse. She is on the Board of Governors at the Huntington Library and was previously chair of the board. Judith and her husband Stan live in Pasadena.
Max Factor III
As a trustee, Max is returning to his roots: his mother and family grew up in Sierra Madre. He spent a legal career of more than 50 years serving in governmental, pro bono and private practice. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. He and his wife Jane live in Pasadena.
Paul Scranton
Paul spent 30 years with the US Treasury in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, DC. He is now retired and loves the arts and theater. His other great passion is for orchids, of which he has a superb collection in his large garden. He has lived in Sierra Madre since 2015.
Grace Shen
Grace Shen’s first involvement with the Sierra Madre Playhouse was in 2019 when she played the role of An Mei Hsu in the successful run of The Joy Luck Club. She has been a supporter of the Playhouse ever since. Grace’s love of the San Gabriel Valley and Mountains began when she arrived in Pasadena from Vancouver, BC to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (now in Hollywood). Grace is a working actor in film and tv. She and her husband, Charles Turner, live in Mar Vista.
Eileen Walker
Eileen Walker is a management consultant with Executive Service Corps of Southern California. Previously Eileen served as CEO and Executive Director of the Association of University Research Parks, an international consortium of universities and research laboratories. She advocates for and strives to support the cultural icons of Sierra Madre and the San Gabriel Valley.
David Zeidberg
David retired in January 2018 after serving 21 years as the Avery Director of the Huntington Library, one of America’s leading independent research libraries. He advises libraries and serves on various boards. His wife Robbie is an active volunteer at the Playhouse. They live in Altadena.
Council of Advisors
Steve Bruno • Estelle Campbell • Tim Dang • Ken Goldstein • John Gong • Suzanna Guzman • Lynda Jenner• Georgie Kajer • Alison Eliel Kalmus • Liza Kerrigan • Rich Procter, Off the Screen Film Series Curator • Mikala Rahn • Jaeda Snow • John Sparks
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Asian American Cultural Alliance (AACA) Committee
John Gong, Co-chair & Advisor to the Board
John had a long and storied career with The Walt Disney Company until his retirement in 2019. John is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Hillsides. John is a Board Advisor for L.A. Works where he serves the Americorps RSVP Program. John is much involved with UCLA including the Chancellor’s Society and the Alumni Scholars Club Advisory Council and was on the Board of the Alumni Association. He was on the board of East West Players. He lives in Walnut.