Meet the 2018 Board Candidates

Steve Heise has been working with MCCT since 1999 and has served on the board since 2015, in the office of Vice-President since January of 2016. He has acted in numerous plays and readings, most

Steve Heise has been working with MCCT since 1999 and has served on the board since 2015, in the office of Vice-President since January of 2016. He has acted in numerous plays and readings, most recently as Bennett in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, Talthybios in Euripides’ Trojan Women, and Uncle Billy in It’s a Wonderful Life (adapted by Russell McGee).  Steve has also directed many of MCCT’s productions since joining the board, including co-directing Macbeth with Jennifer Whitaker in 2015, directing Much Ado About Nothing and the staged reading of The Importance of Being Earnest in 2016, and both As You Like It and Travesties in 2017 as well as serving as primary set constructor on all shows since Macbeth and serving as a producer on MCCT’s very successful fundraising symposium for Middle Way House in December 2017. Steve plans to devote over 1000 hours to MCCT in 2018, including directing the company’s fall production of King Lear.

 

 

 

 

Roy Sillings has been working with MCCT since 2005 and has served on the board since 2006. He has acted in numerous plays and readings, most recently as Henry Carr (elder) in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, Jacques in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, and Poseidon in Euripides’ Trojan Women. Roy also has the distinction of performing in nearly all the Shakespeare in the Park productions for the last decade. In addition to acting, Roy has written and adapted scripts for MCCT productions, directed and sound edited radio plays, and designed sets, including sets for several Shakespeare productions including Pericles, Henry VIII, As You Like It, and Much Ado About Nothing. Roy regularly does research and serves as our dramaturge as well as a mentor to our newer and younger actors. And he designs the signature cocktail for each of our shows – a masterful feat indeed.

 

 

 

 

Frank Buzcolich has been working with MCCT since 1995 and has served on the board for many years, holding the position of both Board President and Vice President during his tenure. He is currently an at-large member. Frank has been involved in multiple MCCT productions as an actor, director, and producer, including several runs of the Director’s Symposium as well as numerous shows at Third Street Park and the Waldron Arts Center. His most recent role was Mr. Gower in It’s a Wonderful Life (adapted by Russell McGee). Frank would like to continue on the board with the specific interest in compiling a comprehensive history of Monroe County Civic Theater.

 

 

 

 

 

Maryann Iaria has been working with MCCT since 2012 and has served on the board for nearly as long. During her time on the board, Maryann has primarily been responsible for publicity, using her contacts with the Herald Times, WFIU, BEAD, IDS, and the IU Theater Department as well as other community organizations to get coverage and advertising into the press and community arts calendars for nearly every show since joining the board and all show since 2015. Maryann has acted in numerous MCCT productions, most recently as Cecily Carruthers (elder) in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, a Chorus member in Euripides’ Trojan Women, and Cousin Eunice in It’s a Wonderful Life (adapted by Russell McGee). Maryann has also served as a property mistress, stage manager, and written two successful REMC grant proposals with former treasurer Brant Hughes.

 

 

 

 

 

Katelin Vesely has been working with MCCT since 1995. If elected, this will be her first time serving on the board. During her nearly 23 years with the company, Katelin has directed (A Midsummer Night’s Dream: An 80’s Musical 2002, Celestina 2001), assistant directed (Cyrano de Bergerac 1997, Death of a Salesman 1998) and stage managed (Titus Andronicus 1997, Henry V 1999, Othello 2009, Much Ado About Nothing 2016). She has also acted in and helped with production on over 30 MCCT productions, including 9 since 2015. Her most recent acting roles were as Hymen in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Athena/Chorus in Euripides’ Trojan Women, and Cousin Tilly in It’s a Wonderful Life (adapted by Russell McGee).  Alongside an Honors degree in Art History granted in 2013, Katelin also earned a certificate in Arts Administration through IU in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. She would like to bring her academic focus on marketing, social media networking, law and the art, and installation curation to the MCCT board as a member who has a lifelong commitment to the organization and to the Bloomington arts community.

 

 

 

Jason Lopez has been working with MCCT since 2015. If elected, this will be his first time serving on the board. During his time with the company, Jason has acted in 11 MCCT productions, most recently as Tristan Tzara in Tom Stoppard’s Travesties, Amiens in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Harry Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (adapted by Russell McGee), and Claudio in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. Jason has also written and performed musical scores and original songs for MCCT’s productions of Euripides’ Trojan Women and Shakespeare’s As You Like It. He also had his original play Gorilla of Dreams produced for December 2017’s Director’s Symposium. Jason strongly believes that community theater enriches and empowers individuals in positive ways, brings people together, and can strengthen and uplift the entire community.  As a board member, Jason would like to create more opportunities for young people to educate them on the performance process and to express themselves creatively by helping to set up a children’s program for MCCT. He would also like to create ways for MCCT to offer acting and music lessons, script-writing workshops, and create podcasts to share original material.

 

 

 

Isadore James Torry aka I. James Torry has been working with MCCT since 2005. He has served on the board as a non-voting member on and off for a number of years. If elected, this will be his first time serving on the board as a voting member. James has worked as both an actor and director on MCCT productions. As an actor, James has played roles in shows that include Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra, Working (based on the work of Studs Terkel), 12 Angry Jurors (adapted from 12 Angry Men). James recently directed MCCT’s successful Fall 2017 production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version) and is set to direct MCCT’s Spring 2018 production of Mark Medoff’s When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder?. James also has experience working with Bloomington Repertory Theater, Cardinal Stage, and Bloomington Playwrights Project. As a board member, James would use that experience to help grow the company. He feels that MCCT is a great company with a great heart for community theatre and the community.

 

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