Submitted by the San Juan Community Theatre.
San Juan Community Theatre is delighted to share a few updates on staffing, organizational leadership and to discuss how these changes will foster the theatre’s growth and impact in our community!
2024 was a year of transition as we were joined by Hanna Burke and Jen Rotner, our director and assistant director of engagement as well as Adam Parrott and Sidney Herda in new roles as SJCT’s production manager and production assistant, respectively. Burke and Rotner, along with Annie Ryan, are the force behind SJCT’s marketing and fundraising — from the posters you see around town to the website, to our Summer Gala and Holiday Festival. Parrot and Herda’s work keeps productions running smoothly as they coordinate set, lights, sound, guest artists and technical needs of every group that utilizes the Whittier and Gubelman Theatres.
Additionally, after 14 years splitting her time between production and education, Penelope Haskew accepted a new role as director of education in January. She’ll now focus full-time on SJCT’s educational programs and supporting Middle and High School productions at the theatre. Haskew’s teaching and directing began in 2010 when she co-wrote “Stars Lore” for the Family Theatre production with Teddy Deane, Dick Hieronymus and Ian Byington. She offered summer camps the following year and has been steadily increasing and improving SJCT’s educational programs ever since. Asked what she most looks forward to in this shift, Haskew said, “I am excited to continue to support all that kids learn through participation in theatre: giving and taking focus, working with peers and a hard deadline, taking praise and critique with grace, how each small contribution of attention and practice improves the final production. I love how theatre teaches students to be present in their bodies, to have confidence speaking publicly, to participate in real life without devices. We want SJCT to be a place that they can safely be themselves and where they can learn how to support their peers with generosity and kindness.”
Finally, as announced at the theatre’s Holiday Festival in December, SJCT is moving to partnered leadership for the organization, with Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey continuing on as artistic director and promoting Lee Grooms to the role of executive director. When asked about the change, Kessler- Jeffrey said, “When I was hired as Executive Artistic Director in 2018, numerous immediate challenges needed to be addressed. Since then, and even through the pandemic, many of our objectives have been fully achieved, thanks to the many staff members and trustees who have worked with us and the generosity and enthusiasm of this community. Planning for the next five years, it became clear to SJCT’s Board and me that devoting additional time to our programs and artists required sharing the leadership load. The model we’ve adopted (Artistic and Executive Director partnership) is successful in performing arts organizations across the country, allowing Lee and I to each work within our area of expertise for the growth of the theatre. I couldn’t be more grateful and delighted!”
Grooms added, “Nathan and I already work effectively as a team, and we get to work alongside an outstanding community of volunteers and staff. I see my role focused on our ‘ground crew,’ while Nathan continues to lead our ‘flight crew.’ We all want everyone aboard to have the best time possible, sharing many journeys to wonderful destinations. The flights—our productions—are our focus, and both crews are essential for getting where we want to go. We’ll visit some new places, and we’ll also do more of what we’ve been doing at SJCT. Nathan didn’t have organizational room and capacity to do more until and unless I did, too, and it’s energizing to move forward together.”
“This transition creates new opportunities for me to teach, strategize, and curate performing arts opportunities for our community,” said Kessler-Jeffrey. “I’m excited to support SJCT actors, designers, crew, and directors in more rehearsals. Directors in particular don’t often have the opportunity to be in conversation with one another—in every production there could be anywhere from one to fifty actors, but there’s only one director. There are exciting things in San Juan Community Theatre’s future, and Lee, I, and the whole staff are so excited to continue pursuing our mission of Enriching Community Through Performing Arts!”
