Richard Hellesen (Playwright) is the author of over forty produced plays and musicals for adults and young audiences. Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, premiered off-Broadway at Theatre at St. Clement's in 2023 and has been produced at theatres across the country. Nationally, his work has been seen at such theatres as South Coast Repertory, Denver Center, Los Angeles Repertory Company, Olney Theatre Center, Barrington Stage, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, Florida Stage, Geva, Syracuse Stage, Gretna Theatre, Sundance Children's Theatre, Imagination Stage, People's Light & Theatre, City Theatre in Miami, B Street Theatre, and Ford's Theatre in Washington DC, where he is an Associate Artist. Twice playwright-in-residence at the William Inge Center for the Arts, he has received playwriting awards from the National Theatre Conference, the Beverly Hills Theatre Guild, the Philadelphia Festival Theatre for New Plays, and PEN USA-West; among his two dozen short plays are five finalists for the National Award for Short Playwriting. A member of the Dramatists Guild and National Theatre Conference, he also serves as a dramaturg at Ford’s Theatre and at the B Street New Comedies Festival in Sacramento.
Peter Ellenstein (Director) is Producing Artistic Director of the New Los Angeles Repertory Company. From a theatrical family, he’s spent 40+ years in professional theatre, film and television. Peter directed and produced many plays and musicals, receiving multiple nominations and awards. Peter was Artistic Director of the William Inge Center for the Arts (where Eisenhower was commissioned), and Producing Director of the Los Angeles Repertory Company, both for many years. He served as Interim Artistic Director of the Gretna Theatre in Pennsylvania and of the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre at the University of Miami. Peter’s work has been seen in theatres from Alaska to Florida, and California to Massachusetts. He aided the development of over fifty full-length plays and hundreds of short plays, including original plays and musicals by Theresa Rebeck, Lynne Nottage, Tina Howe, Kristoffer Diaz, Michael Lew, Jonathan Mark Sherman, Richard Hellesen, Jennifer Maisel, Michael Silversher, Joe Iconis, Evan Smith, etc... Peter has also produced plays, concerts and industrial shows for other theatres and corporate clients. www.peterell.com
Michael Deegan (Associate Lighting Designer) has designed scenery, lighting & projections since 1970. His focus has been on Opera starting in Boston where he worked with Esquire Jauchem. Was recruited by the Metropolitan Opera in 1977, moved to New York City, married & starting collaborating with Sarah G. Conly costume & set designer. Notable Off Broadway productions were Flight, Dante’s Inferno & Angel of the Amazon. Streetcar Named Desire for Andre Previn in Pittsburgh. New York Times picked their production of Pique Dame a top 10 production of 1991. Won an Emmy for “Bernstein at Seventy”. On Broadway designed the lighting for The Circle & Shadowlands. International designs for Philip Glass’s La Belle la Bete & Dracula. They have designed scenery, lighting and costumes for Opera productions in Iceland, Italy, Japan and China.
Esquire Jauchem (Original Lighting Designer) has had a varied career in the performing arts as a producer, director, and designer: Founder - Boston Repertory Theater; Associate Director (with Sarah Caldwell) - Opera Company of Boston; and Co-Founder - Broadway’s Jauchem & Meeh Special Effects. He produced over 1,000 episodes for network and cable television. His designs, lighting and special effects have been seen in theatre, opera, and ballet, across the U.S. and around the world including the Burning Man Festival. He is very proud to have created the scenery and lighting for the Dalai Lama on the night his holiness won the Nobel Peace Prize. His movie “Bondage,” based on a play by famed Asian-American playwright David Henry Hwang starring Paige Davis is currently available on Amazon Prime. www.EsquireJ.com
Joe Huppert (Projection and Sound Designer) created the original designs for Ike in Los Angeles and New York. Previous projection designs include This Wonderful Life for North Coast Rep, American Blues and other venues; The Dybbuk and The Oldest Boy (Craig Noel Award) for San Diego Repertory Theater; Lizard Boy for Diversionary Theater and The Elephant Man for Backyard Renaissance. Sound designs include Blueprints to Freedom and Peter and the Starcatchers (La Jolla Playhouse); The Fantasticks and Stop Kiss (Pasadena Playhouse), Good Boys, Extraordinary Chambers and Milvotchkee, Wisconsin (Mo’Olelo); Wisdom From Everything (Local Theater Company); Urinetown, Over the Tavern, and King O’ the Moon (Mercury Theater).
Michelle Elizabeth Vasquez (Stage Manager) Hailing from the City of Burbank, Michelle's journey as a Stage Manager has brought her many different experiences and opportunities. From touring shows to concert galas to new show development, her career has been nothing but colorful. When she's not in a booth calling a show, she is working with middle & high school students as a stagecraft mentor and choreographer, utilizing her many years of performance experience. Her notable credits include: Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground (Stage Manager - Barrington Stage), 2nd Annual Music Is Instrumental Concert (Stage Manager – Burbank USD Arts For All), Richard III (Stage Manager –Fury Theatre), End Days (Assistant Production Manager – Windy City Playhouse), Titanic The Musical (Assistant Stage Manager – Griffin Theatre Company), Secret Comedy of Women (Production Stage Manager – Playhouse Production), Is God Is (Assistant Stage Manager - Lobby Theatre) and There Used to be Fireflies (Stage Manager - Cranky Inc). She would like to thank her parents for their support and love. She dedicates every show to them because without them, she would not be doing what she loves. Thank you and enjoy the show! @mich.eliz.vasquez
David Pilchman (Production Manager) was born and mostly raised in OKC. After graduating from OU, he Production Stage Managed for The Crown Uptown Theater (Wichita, KS) and several Norwegian Cruise Line shows. David became a Production Manager in NYC working on World Premieres such as THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS, Mike Birbiglia's THANK GOD FOR JOKES, and CLINTON THE MUSICAL. Since moving back home in 2020, he has had the pleasure of working with many local organizations such as Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, OKC Ballet, Painted Sky Opera, RACE Dance, SPARK! Creative Lab, Theatre Crude Fringe Festival, and Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center. Recently, David ran as the Independent candidate for OK-State Senate District 46, and is currently the president of the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma County. He wants to encourage you to VOTE at every chance you get. Not just “the big ones.” Thanks to everyone creating and supporting theater in his hometown. You can check your Voter Registration at okvoterportal.okelections.gov
Emily Comisar (Executive Artistic Director) has been a theater person her entire life, but on staff at OKC Rep since September 2022. She has worked in fundraising and management positions at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, MCC Theater, and Pipeline Theatre Company. She was the General & Company Manager for the commercial off-Broadway world premiere of THE VIEW UPSTAIRS, and has produced in festivals including FringeNYC, SheNYC, Theatre Crude Fringe Festival, and the Game Play Festival (The Brick). Emily has also spent many years as a playwright. Her full length work includes THE CAMPAIGN (Theatre Crude Fringe Festival 2024), DUMPSTER FIRE (She NYC Festival 2018), UNDROWN'D: SEEKING ASYLUM (co-written with Benita de Wit, Columbia Stages), SWITZERLAND (Lone Star Theatre Co.), MOONLIGHTING (Lone Star Theatre Co.), TRACK TWELVE (FringeNYC), and THE LAST HURRAH (Northwestern University). She is currently an instructor in the OU Online MA in Arts Management program. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies from the Northwestern University School of Communications, with specialties in critical studies, adaptation of narrative for the stage, and multimedia performance. She also holds a Master of Arts in Italian Language and Media from Middlebury College and a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management & Producing from Columbia University.