Alice Bemand, Executive Director
Alice Bemand brings her business experience and love of theatre together as Executive Director for TriArts. A background in leadership and team development in the corporate sector have prepared her for the challenges of overseeing an organization that grows from 3 people to 63 in a few short months. Alice conceived the college credit program as a means of filling a gap in college-aged performers while offering students the opportunity to perform and learn from professionals, while receiving college credit. Under Alice's leadership, John Simpkins joined TriArts as Artistic Director, and solidified the credit program with New York University.
Ms. Bemand was recently selected to participate in the inaugural year-long program for Executive Directors with the Non-Profit Learning Center, a highly competitive program administered by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
A former Director of Marketing, Alice initiated the enhanced outreach that has resulted in TriArts embracing the surrounding community in a bigger way. Bemand revamped the Youtheatre program and brought back the spring musical. She created the Playhouse Stomp, which features the best of the area bands in a one-night concert on the mainstage and started the Bok Gallery Cabaret Series. Ms. Bemand originated the TriArts Trumpet e-newsletter, and initiated the Sharon Center School Theatre Award. She partners with Housatonic Youth Services Bureau, encouraging students to participate in internship programs at TriArts.
Relationships with area theatres have grown resulting in mutually beneficial collaborations and sharing of resources under Alice's leadership. An active participant in the Sharon Economic Development Committee, Alice also works with area restaurants, inns and hotels as well as senior living facilities. Alice has attracted new sponsors to TriArts and has elevated the visibility of all underwriters. She works closely with The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of Northwest CT, the Berkshire Audience Initiative, and the Northwest CT Arts Council. She is on the Women's Advisory Group for Sharon Hospital.
Winter programs that Alice has brought to the Bok Gallery include "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown", directed by Liz O'Neal, who played the original Lucy off and on Broadway and "Tea At Five" a one-woman show.
She is a founding board member for World SOUL.org, a former Hotline Volunteer for Women's Support Services, past president of the Kent Children's Center and past board member for Kent Community Players.
John Simpkins, Artistic Director
Is in his third year as Artistic Director at TriArts Sharon Playhouse – where he has directed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Altar Boyz, Rent, A Funny Thing…Forum and The Wedding Singer.
He directed the three-time Drama Desk nominated Off-Broadway production of Bloodsong of Love: The Rock and Roll Spaghetti Western (by Joe Iconis) at Ars Nova. Upcoming, he will be directing The Black Suits at Center Theatre Group (Kirk Douglas Theatre – Fall 2013). Other New York credits include the Off-Broadway productions of The Bus (59E59 Theatre); ReWrite (Urban Stages); The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (Theatreworks, USA- Lucille Lortel Theatre); Things to Ruin (which he co-conceived and directed productions of at Second Stage, Le Poisson Rouge, Zipper Factory, Joe’s Pub, Ars Nova, NYMF) and The Black Suits (SPF at the Public Theatre – starring Annie Golden, Jason Tam, and Krysta Rodriguez).
Regional productions include Hairspray (North Carolina Theatre – starring Dale Hensley, Dirk Lumbard); The Black Suits (Barrington Stage – starring Ben Platt, Annie Golden); Damn Yankees (Engeman Theatre – starring Andre De Sheilds, Felicia Finley, Austin Miller); A Wonderful Life (Engeman Theatre); Annie (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Mark Zimmerman, Jim Walton, Adinah Alexander); Cabaret (Sacramento Music Circus- starring Teri Ralston, Jacquelyn Piro, Max von Essen); Evita (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma- starring Kate Chapman, Eric Michael Gillet, Dan Cooney).
A strong supporter of the development of new work, he has directed workshops/ readings/ productions of ReWrite (Goodspeed Opera House); Hellraisers (Barrington Stage); Fantasy Football, the Musical; All the Kids Are Doing It; When the World Ends (Blaemire- Ars Nova); Ripper (NAMT); Party Come Here (David Kirshenbaum/ Daniel Goldfarb); Go-Go Beach (NYMF – 37 Arts); Pool Boy (Tsakalakos/ Allard); Next Thing You Know (Berkshire Theatre Festival); Queen Esther (Merkin Hall); Half Married (Cunningham/ Antin); Plastic! (Maddock/ Iconis/ Jacobs - York Theatre), You Don’t Know Jack (York Theatre), Bad Kid School (Barrington Stage), 29 (Alter/ Newman), Lyrical Langston Hughes (New Triad- Lincoln Center), Blood Drive (Rachel Sheinkin), Beasts and Saints (Mindi Dickstein) and Like You Like It (Buck/ Acquisto).
John is on the music theatre faculty at New York University Steinhardt - where he has directed Sweet Smell of Success, Floyd Collins, The Fix, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Violet, Urinetown, Merrily We Roll Along, Parade, Fiorello! and A New Brain. His production of Parade was preserved and is on reserve at Lincoln Center’s Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Miami University and a Master of Arts from NYU. He is active in NAMT (National Alliance of Musical Theatre) as well as the MTEA (Music Theatre Educators Association).
Audrey Brooks, Office Administrator
Audrey Brooks started at TriArts in 2007 as Box Office Manager. She was promoted to Office Administrator the following year while continuing to manage the Box Office. She oversees not only ticket sales, and bookkeeping functions, but also manages all aspects of theatre operation including concessions during the summer months. She recently gave up the Box Office Manager role to focus more on administrative and finance responsibilities.
Audrey is a Co-Owner in a Curves franchise. She has a background in office management and bookkeeping that prepared her for the many different hats she wears in the office. She is also on the Board of Trustees at her church.
Casey Hagwood (Production Manager) is thrilled to be returning to TriArts for the third time, after serving as the Production Manager last season and as the stage manager for High School Musical in 2007. She recently completed a Master of Fine Arts in Stage Management from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has worked as an Equity Stage Manager on countless productions over the past several years. She would like to thank her family, friends, and the entire TriArts community for their continuous support.
Bill Hawkins (Technical Director) Bill is excited to return for his second year at TriArts. A graduate of Emerson College's ('11) BFA Theatre Design & Technology program Bill works as the shop foreman/ATD at New England Scenic and is the owner of Mohawk Theatrical Associates. Recent credits include: ATD for Actors Shakespeare Project - Pericles, Props Carpenter for American Repertory Theatre - Glass Menagerie, and Carpenter/Artisan for American Repertory Theatre – Diane Paulus' Pippin (on Broadway through December '13).
Jesse Hoyer (Assistant Technical Director) is excited to return to TriArts this summer as the ATD. Jesse studied technical theatre at Fitchburg State University. Jesse works in theatre and film around the New England area for the past two years and just finished working the TriBeCa Film Festival in New York City. Some of his favorite productions have been "Sticks and Bones" and "Seascape with Sharks and Dancer." Jesse would like to thank his family for their strength and continued support.
Kcarie Lynn (Company Manager) graduated from North Dakota State University in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technology. She returns to TriArts this summer after an incredible experience in the internship program last year. Recent favorites include stage managing NDSU’s 9 to 5: The Musical and lighting designingAnon(ymous). She looks forward to many adventures as she begins to truly enjoy this crazy world.
Thomas J. Coppola (Stage Manager) is excited to be spending his summer at TriArts. A Berkshire native, Thomas has worked throughout New England and toured the USA . Selected Credits: TOURS: Cinderella (AFT); Classics! (CTP); REGIONAL: Into The Woods, All Shook Up, Laramie Project: Epilogue (Barrington Stage): CATS, Hairspray, Crazy For You, HAIR, (Cohoes Music Hall); Man of LaMancha,Spelling Bee (MWVTC). Much love and thanks to T.G., A.L., C.R., C.H., my cast/crew, and of course to M&D. www.thomasjcoppola.com
Helen Jones (Stage Manager) from Virginia Beach, VA, is a senior stage management major at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music. She was an intern with the Cincinnati Ballet on Frampton and Cincinnati Ballet Live and a stage manager on the Cincinnati Ballet's Academy Showcase. CCM experience includes stage managing La Tragedie de Carmen and The Laramie Project and assistant stage managing Coram Boy and The Threepenny Opera.
Carolyn Day (Stage Manager) is currently studying Dramatic Literature, Communications and Psychology at NYU. Previous credits: West Side Story (SM; Tisch New Theater), City of Angels (ASM; NYU Steinhardt), A Night at the Opera (PSM; NYU Steinhardt), Zanna, Don't (SM; NYU Renegade Theater), Fiorello! (ASM; NYU Steinhardt), FreshPlay Festival (PA; MCC Theater), Political Campaigns (SM; Thirteen Street Repertory Theater), Rumple Who? (SM; TSRT), and Conversation With a Kleagle (ASM;TSRT). Many thanks to family and friends.
Kelly Lipsey (Master Electrician) Credits include (Assistant Master Electrician) The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Alter Boyz, and The Sound of Music with TriArts Sharon Playhouse; (Lighting Designer) Machinal with Millikin University, Cracker with Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre, HAIR with Alpha Psi Omega at Millikin University, Rappaccini’sDaughter with Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre, Solstice: A Concert of Dance with Millikin University; and (Assistant Lighting Designer) The Sweet Smell of Success with Millikin University.
Gabriel Luxton (Sound Engineer) is very excited to be returning to TriArts for his second season. A graduate of ECSU, he has worked as Sound Designer for the past year on each of Eastern’s main stage productions. He spent the winter in Naples, Florida, with Gulfshore Playhouse as their Sound Designer and Engineer. Recent design credits in both CT and FL include; Once Upon This Island, The Birds, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Biloxi Blues, I Am My Own Wife, and Master Class.
Alan Hefferon (Master Carpenter) is excited to be working for TriArts Playhouse this summer. During the year Alan attends Saint Michael's College where he studies Theater and History. Alan works as both a carpenter and an electrician for several companies in Vermont including Vermont Stage Company and Barre Opera House. He also worked for two summers at SMC Playhouse, last summer as the Master Carpenter. He is amazed you read this far, and applauds you for it.
Keri Dumka (Prop Master) has returned for her third season at TriArts Sharon Playhouse. She graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University with a BA in Theatre History, Theory, & Criticism and Technological Design and is currently the Assistant Stage Manager at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT. Favorite productions include: The Island, Thieves Carnival (ECSU),42nd Street, Best Little Whorehouse (TriArts), and Miracle on 34th Street (Seven Angels).
Amber Subelka (Paint Charge) is a freelance Scenic Artist. In 2010 Amber received her MFA in Scenic Arts Design from Brandeis University, and since then she has had the pleasure of working for places such as Shakespeare & Company and The Huntington Theatre, as well as various production companies in the Boston area. Most recently she created a scrim drop for the Boston Ballet’s Song of Psalms performance. She is very excited to be joining TriArts.
Megan Boren (Costume/Wardrobe Intern) is excited to be part of the TriArts theatre for the first time! Boren is from St. James, MO and will be a senior at Truman State University this fall. She is a Theatre major with an emphasis in Costume Design. After college, Boren plans to go to graduate school for her Masters in Costume Design. Boren has been highly involved with theatre at Truman and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Michael DiMauro (Carpentry Intern) is a senior at CCSU. He is excited to be at TriArts Sharon Playhouse this summer. Other theaters he has worked at include Bay Street Theatre, Carriage House Theatre, and Hartford Stage. Past shows include the world premier of Big Maybelle: Soul of the Blues, Men’s Lives, the USA premier of My Brilliant Divorce, Spring Awakening, Middletown, Jekyll and Hyde, Antigone, and Dream Play.
Armelle González (ASM/Props Intern) is a Texas native and a rising sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her recent academic credits include The Wild Party (SM), Adding Machine: The Musical (SM), Richard III (SM), The Normal Heart (ASM), and 44 Plays for 44 Presidents (PA). Armelle’s personal blog and YouTube channel have enjoyed hits from 63 different countries. She’s thrilled and grateful to have this opportunity!
Brooke Jaser (Scenic Paint Intern) is B.F.A. theatrical production arts major at Ithaca College with a concentration of Scenic Art and Properties. She is from Simsbury, Connecticut. Her Ithaca main-stage credits include Paint Charge for Translations and Props Master for Spring Awakening. She has spent last summer working as a production intern at Ivoryton Theatre in Ivoryton, Connecticut.
Kari Litteer (ASM & Props Intern) is a recent graduate from Le Moyne College where she studied Theatre Arts, English Literature, Philosophy, and Music. This is her first time living out-of-state, hailing from Central New York. Her previous credits as Stage Manager include Metamorphoses, Violet the Musical, A Funny Thing Happened..., Conference of the Birds, and Romeo & Juliet. Kari is very thankful for this unique opportunity with the TriArts family and looks forward to a fulfilling summer.
Josh Lutton (Costume/Wardrobe Intern) is a newcomer to the TriArts family for the 2013 season. Josh is from Anderson, Indiana and will be a senior Wabash College, where he plans to major in Theatre while double minoring in Biology and Art. He intends on pursuing a career in costume design. Josh would like to thank TriArts for giving him this opportunity and hopes to learn as much as he can while here.
Marissa Mancinci (Costume/Wardrobe Intern) hails from Pawtucket, RI and is a graduate of Curry College, where she previously served as general manager and costume manager to the theatre’s supervisory board. Last summer she served as costume shop manager and wardrobe head at New Hampshire’s Interlakes Theatre. She is very exciting to be spending her summer in Connecticut with TriArts and would like to thank her parents for their support.
Kevin Neuman (Electrics Intern)is thrilled to be joining the TriArts Sharon Playhouse family. He is currently studying Theatre Design Technology with a concentration on Lighting Design at Central Michigan University and will be going into his Senior Year this fall. He gives thanks to his friends and family back home and at CMU, as well as TriArts for this incredible opportunity.
Andrew Shaeffer (Sound Intern) lives in Weston, CT. He trained in audio engineering at The Recording Workshop, Chillicothe, Ohio (2011) and SAE Institute, New York (completed June, 2012). Worked as a sound engineer in clubs and live venues in Australia and New Zealand (2011), then interned with a regional theater in Waterbury, CT (2012-13). Drew has an avid interest in music of all types, including as a member of an a cappella singing group at college.
Blaze Silvernail (Carpentry Intern) This is Blaze's first season working with TriArts, and he is beyond excited. Blaze Silvernail is a Technical Theater and Design student at Salem State University. Having worked in all manner of capacities since freshman year of high school, he is working this summer in the area he knows best: stage carpentry. Besides theater, Blaze is a radio DJ at his S.S.U, enjoying cooking/baking, photography, and is an amateur self-published novelist.
A Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization. • All information subject to change without notice.
Copyright ©2006 – 2013 TriState Center for the Arts, Inc. – All Rights Reserved. • Site Designed by Print Plus Design, LLC ©2013