A.C.T. Staff
Staff
Pam MacKinnon
Artistic Director
Biography
This is Pam’s third season as A.C.T.’s fourth artistic director. She is a Tony, Drama Desk, and Obie award– winning director, having directed upwards of 75 productions around the country, off Broadway, and on Broadway. Her Broadway credits include Beau Willimon’s The Parisian Woman (with Uma Thurman), Amélie: A New Musical, David Mamet’s China Doll (with Al Pacino), Wendy Wasserstein’s The Heidi Chronicles (with Elisabeth Moss), Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (with Glenn Close and John Lithgow), Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle nomination), and Bruce Norris’s Clybourne Park (Obie Award, Tony and Lucille Lortel nominations). Her most recent credits include world premieres of Bruce Norris’s Downstate (Steppenwolf Theatre Company, London’s National Theatre), Lydia R. Diamond’s Toni Stone (Roundabout Theatre Company, A.C.T., Arena Stage), Kate Attwell’s Testmatch (A.C.T.), Christopher Chen’s Communion (A.C.T.), as well as Edward Albee’s Seascape (A.C.T.). She is an artistic associate of the Roundabout Theatre Company, an advisory board member of Clubbed Thumb, and an alumna of the Drama League, Women’s Project, and Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors’ Labs. She is the most recent past executive board president of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and continues to serve on the board. She grew up in Toronto, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, acted through her teens, but majored in economics and political science at the University of Toronto and briefly pursued a PhD in political science at UC San Diego, before returning to her true passion: theater. She has been recognized as among the 25 Most Influential San Franciscans of 2020 by San Francisco Magazine, along with Jennifer Bielstein.
Jennifer Bielstein
Executive Director
Biography
JENNIFER BIELSTEIN (Executive Director) joined A.C.T. in 2018. She serves on the board of Theatre Forward, is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Advance SF Advisory Panel, was part of Mayor Breed’s Economic Recovery Task Force, and is the immediate past-president of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT)—an organization that represents 76 theaters nationwide—having previously served as LORT’s vice president; chair of its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee; secretary; and on multiple union negotiating teams. She has been recognized as among the 25 Most Influential San Franciscans of 2020 by San Francisco Magazine, along with Pam MacKinnon, and as one of the Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times in 2021. Before relocating to the Bay Area, Bielstein was the managing director of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, managing director of Actors Theatre of Louisville, and executive director of Writers Theatre in Chicago. She has also worked for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, About Face Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and the Lincoln Park Zoo, as well as served on the boards of the League of Chicago Theatres, the Arts and Cultural Attractions Council, and other civic boards. She has received the Center for Nonprofit Excellence’s Pyramid Award of Excellence in Leadership, has been recognized as one of Louisville’s Business First’s 40 Under 40, was named by Twin Cities Business as a Person to Know, and a Minnesota Business magazine Real Power 50 member. Bielstein is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, attended Stanford’s Graduate School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders in the Arts, and received an MBA from Bellarmine University, where she received the MBA Faculty Merit Award, was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society for business programs and in 2021 was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna.
PeopleExtra
Artistic Director Emerita, Carey Perloff
Producing Director Emeritus, James Haire
Conservatory Director Emerita, in memoriam, Melissa Smith
Young Conservatory Director Emeritus, Craig Slaight
Artistic
Andy Chan Donald*, Associate Artistic Director
Joy Meads, Director of Dramaturgy and New Works
Allie Moss*, Literary Manager and Casting Associate
Ariana Johnson, Associate Producer
Commissioned Artists
Kate Attwell, Julia Cho & Seret Scott, Eisa Davis, Aleshea Harris, Naomi Iizuka, Kate Kilbane & Dan Moses, Craig Lucas & David Zinn, Will Power, Mfoniso Udofia, Anne Washburn, Lauren Yee
Coaches
Christine Adaire, Voice and Text
Joel Chapman, Music
Danyon Davis, Movement
Daniel Feyer, Music
Dave Maier, Fights
Danielle O’Dea, Fights
Lisa Anne Porter*, Voice and Text
Production
Martin Barron, Director of Production
Jack Horton, Production Manager
Michael Anderburg, Conservatory Production Manager
Jessie Amoroso* , Costume Director
Enkidu Khan, Production Office Coordinator
Administration
Jess Katz, Executive Assistant
Human Resources
Chrystal Ellis Sweazey, Director of Human Resources
Dao VanQuate, HR Manager
General Management
Louisa Liska, Director of General Management & Operations
Amy Dalba*, General Manager
Sam L. Wong, Company Manager
Finance
Jim Sivori*, Chief Financial Officer
Ning Xiao, Controller
Eric Law, Senior Accountant
Yvonne Chen, Staff Accountant
Information Technology
Thomas Morgan, Director
Joone Pajar, Network Administrator
Operations
Eric Brizee, Operations and Facilities Manager
Jeffrey Warren, Associate Facilities Manager
Leopoldo Benavente, Assistant Facilities Manager
Matt Stewart, Facilities Crew Member
Development
Caitlin A. Quinn, Director of Development
Sasha Habash, Deputy Director of Development
Nicole Chalas, Associate Director of Development
Stephanie Swide, Senior Manager, Development Operations
Hillary Bray*, Donor Relations and Membership Manager
Derek Collard, Development Associate
Marketing & Public Relations
Adam Thurman, Director of Marketing & Communications
Syche Phillips, Deputy Director of Marketing
Kevin Kopjak/Prismatic Communications, Public Relations Counsel
Samantha Lomax*, Digital Engagement Manager
Sarah Sugg, Video Content Producer
Laura Clatterbuck, Lead Visual Designer
Dani Karonis, Graphic Designer
Ticket Services
Jennifer Peterian*, Director of Ticketing and Sales Operations
Mark C. Peters, Subscriptions Manager
David Engelmann, Head Treasurer
Elizabeth Halperin, Assistant Head Treasurer
Andy Alabran, Treasurer
Audience Services
Megan Murray, Audience Services Manager
Jerry Chirip, Audience Services Associate
Genevieve Pabon, House Manager
Mark Saladino, House Manager
Tuesday Ray, House Manager
Sadie Li, House Manager
Loren Lewis, Stage Door & Security
Oliver Sutton, Stage Door & Security
Edris Sow, Front Door & Security
Bartenders
Ramsey Abouremeleh, Monica Amitin, Jeremy Boatman, Leigh Crow, Warren Duprey, Bernadette Fons, Anthony Hernandez, Samantha Hoffman, Jasmine Johnson, Hannibal Jones, Jessica Lim, Ben McGrath, Susan Monson, Scott Phillips, Kacey Wilson, Tygre Wolf
Ushers
Susan Allen, Rodney Anderson, Felix Bishop, Serena Broussard, Philip Carberry, Nancy Chang, Alison De Vries, Kathy Dere, John Doll, Katherine Dominguez, Christine Ford, Melita Foster, Claire Gerndt, Carol Grace, Sophia Halperin, Kathleen Keeler, Ryszard Koprowski, Maria Markoff, Kescha Mason, Val Mason, Ken McKellar, Meechai McKeller, Sam Mesinger, Kathy Napoleone, Mary O'Connell, Melissa Stern, Christopher Willers, May Yasui, June Yee, Sharon Lee
Ambassadors: Urban Alchemy
Education & Community Programs
Juan Manzo, Director of Education & Community Programs
Shannon R. Davis, Director of Community Connections
Natalie Greene, School Programs Manager
Alejandra Maria Rivas*, Conservatory and School & Community Programs Coordinator
Elizabeth Halperin, Student Matinee Coordinator
Teaching Artists
Andy Alabran, Fran Astorga, Reyna Brown, Callie Floor, Paul Flores, Sierra Gonzalez, Lauren Kivowitz, Brennan Pickman-Thoon, Radhika Rao, Annie Rovzar, Kimiya Shokri, Adam Sussman
Conservatory
Peter J. Kuo*, Director of the Conservatory
Christopher Herold, Director of Summer Training Congress
Jack Sharrar, PhD, Director of Academic Affairs
Jerry Lopez, Director of Financial Aid
Charlotte Brockman, Conservatory Manager
Alejandra Maria Rivas*, Conservatory and School & Community Programs Coordinator
Master of Fine Arts Program Core Faculty
Danyon Davis, Director of the MFA, Head of Movement
Christine Adaire, Head of Voice
Peter J. Kuo*, Collaboration Building
Joy Meads, Character and Text
Lisa Anne Porter*, Head of Acting
Jack Sharrar, PhD, Theater History
MFA Program Adjunct Faculty
Milissa Carey, Singing, Director
Matt Chapman, Clowning
Richard Dent, Play Intensive
Andy Chan Donald, Arts Leadership
Julie Douglas, Beginning Mask
Lauren English, The Business of Acting
Daniel Feyer, Accompanist
Janet Foster, Audition
Anthony Fusco, Acting
Jasmin Hoo, Citizen Artistry
Mark Jackson, Performance Making
Darryl Jones, Acting, Director
W. D. Keith, On-Camera Acting
Philip Charles MacKenzie, On-Camera Acting
Heidi Marshall, On-Camera Acting
Hope Mohr, Dance
Danielle O'Dea, Combat
Kari Prindl, Alexander Technique
Gabriel Romero, Latin Social Dance
Lindsay Saier, Stage Makeup
Virginia Scott, Clowning
Elyse Shafarman, Alexander Technique
Lee Strawn, Singing
Lisa Townsend, Director, Choreographer
Brian Thorstenson, The Actor Writes
Library
Joseph Tally*, Head Librarian
Library Volunteers
G. David Anderson, Theresa Bell, Laurie Bernstein, Helen Jean Bowie, Bruce Carlton, Barbara Cohrssen, William Goldstein, Pat Hunter, Connie Ikert, Ashok Katdare, Martha Kessler, Nelda Kilguss, Barbara Kornstein, Gail McGown, Vineet Mishra, Lynnda Means, Maida Paxton, Connie Pelkey, Christine Peterson, Dana Rees, Roger Silver, Jane Taber, Aileen Thong, Susan Torres, Joyce Weisman, Jean Wilcox, Marie Wood
Studio A.C.T.
Mark Jackson, Director of Studio A.C.T.
Emily Cooper, Young Conservatory and Studio A.C.T. Associate Programs Manager
Liz Anderson, On-Camera Acting, Improv
Heidi Carlsen, Acting, Voice, Movement
Eugenie Chan, Playwriting
Julie Douglas, Acting, Clown, Improv
Francie Epsen-Devlin, Musical Theater
Deb Fink, On-Camera Acting
Paul Finocchiaro, Acting
Margo Hall, Acting
W. D. Keith, Acting, On-Camera Acting
Drew Khalouf, Speech, Shakespeare
Dave Maier, Stage Combat
Michelle Maxon, Acting, On-Camera Acting
Carolina Morones, Acting
Kari Prindl, Alexander Technique
Mark Rafael, Acting
Radhika Rao, Improv
Katie Rubin, Stand-Up Comedy, Acting
Naomi Sanchez, Musical Theater
Caitlyn Tella, Movement
Laura Wayth, Acting, Musical Theater
Valerie Weak, Acting
Beth Wilmurt, Acting, Movement, Voice
Young Conservatory
Jill MacLean, Director of the Young Conservatory
Emily Cooper, Young Conservatory and Studio A.C.T. Associate Programs Manager
Andy Alabran, Acting, Voice & Dialect
Robert Allen, Accompanist
Kimberly Braun, Musical Theater
Janel Chanté, Musical Theater, Acting
Meredith Joelle Charlson, Dance/Choreographer
Nancy Gold, Physical Character, Acting
Lore Gonzales, Acting, Improvisation
Michael Mohammed, Musical Theater
Andrew Mondello, Musical Theater, Acting
Dario Johnson, Musical Theater, Voice, Cabaret
Brennan Pickman Thoon, On-Camera, Acting
Thaddeus Pinkston, Accompanist, Musical Arranger
Salim Razawi, Acting, On-Camera, Musical Theater
Ely Sonny Orquiza, Acting, Devised Theater
Kimiya Shokri, Acting, Devised Theater
Valerie Weak, Acting, Shakespeare, College Prep
Krista Wigle, Musical Theater, Voice
San Francisco Semester Faculty
Mark Jackson, Performance Making
Michael Mohammed, PhD, Voice
Patrick Russell, Physical Theater
Jack Sharrar, PhD, Director of Academic Affairs
Dee Dee Stephens, Acting Styles
Mia Tagano, Acting Styles
Conservatory Accompanists
Daniel Feyer, Christopher Hewitt, Louis Lagalante, Paul McCurdy, Thaddeus Pinkston, Naomi Sanchez, Katelyn Tan
Professional Development
Dillon Heape, Ben Quinn, Mark Rafael, Radhika Rao, Katie Rubin, Domenique Salerno
*denotes a member of the Staff EDI Committee
A.C.T. is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the nonprofit professional theater.
A.C.T. is a member of Theatre Bay Area, the Union Square Association, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A.C.T. operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.
The directors and choreographers employed by A.C.T. at the American Conservatory Theater are members of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.
The scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers in LORT theaters are represented by United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the IATSE.
The scenic shop, prop shop, and stage crew are represented by Local 16 of the IATSE.
A.C.T. is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
A.C.T. is supported in part by a grant from the Grants for the Arts.
