Fri, May 19th 2023 10:00 am
Artpark’s anniversary celebration begins with international performers, Indigenous artists, rising musical stars
√ Interview with President Sonia Kozlova Clark
By Joshua Maloni
GM/Managing Editor
Artpark & Company’s focus for this summer – its 50th season – centers on five key words: spectacle, drama, Indigenous & global influences.
Indeed, arts and culture will take center stage this year, as the award-winning venue will host educational and entertaining events across the Lewiston state park’s 150-acre campus.
Organizers shared, “Hotly anticipated events this summer include the North American premiere of the spectacular production of ‘Carmina Burana’ by Spain’s La Fura dels Baus; a hot air balloon escape act by the French Cirque Inextremiste and a ‘Cirque Celebration’ fundraiser directed by Sxip Shirey; guitar legend Buddy Guy’s farewell tour; the 13th annual Artpark Fairy House Festival, this year adding a celebration of the culture of Ukraine under the creative collaboration of Kyiv’s theater director Vlad Troitskyi and Tbilisi’s designer Uta Bekaia; concert attractions like Ben Folds and double-headers like Pixies with Modest Mouse; rising music artists like Noah Kahan, Orville Peck and Larkin Poe; and the Artpark Strawberry Moon Festival, celebrating Indigenous cultures of the Buffalo-Niagara Region. …
“Artpark has already announced more than 30 performances and concerts, two festivals, several art installations, six international creative residencies, art camps, and even the launch of Artpark’s ‘Art Ale’ in partnership with Resurgence Brewing Co.”
President Sonia Kozlova Clark previewed the new season in a recent Q&A. This is part one of her interview.
Artpark & Company President Sonia Kozlova Clark (Photo by dellas, traffic east)
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Q: I would say Artpark probably fared better than most over the pandemic – the site remained open, you came up with creative new programming, and received several grants and awards. You had crowds in thick and thin. What have you learned about your audience in recent years, and how do you best serve them in 2023?
Sonia Kozlova Clark: That’s a very good question – and it is complicated because our audiences are changing – and they are changing more rapidly since COVID.
To define what is our audience today versus what it was three years ago, I would say that, during COVID, we were able to think about our strengths, our unique features, and also our future with support from federal and state funding sources and the local community. We were able to strengthen our partnerships with presenters like Live Nation, AEG Live, Funtime; grow our artistic and management team; and with that take some risks. What we learned in the process of trying some new bands and recalibrating some of our event structures and expectations, is that there’s a tremendous new audience for Artpark, both locally, which includes Lewiston, Buffalo, the rest of Western New York, and as far as Canada, as Canadians are starting to come back.
We learned that our audiences are, indeed, interested in the great diversity of music and other programs. They represent different demographics, segments or pockets of the population that we can serve in very different ways.
Artpark itself occupies a vast territory, and its 150 acres offers some very interesting opportunities for engagement. We have several stages: the well-known Artpark Amphitheater with a large capacity of up to 10,000 people. We also have the Artpark Mainstage Theater, which is the enclosed theater with an open lawn with which Artpark opened in 1974.
We also have the intimate Emerald Grove stage, named after the installation by Jesse Walp that surrounds it. This chamber stage has a garden-like setting and has become the primary setting for the fast-growing “New Music in the Park Series” where the informal atmosphere gives our audiences permission to experience something very new to them.
We also have been using the grounds of Artpark, rich with performance and festival opportunities. Both our Strawberry Moon Festival celebrating the local Indigenous cultures and the Fairy House Festival this year focusing on the art of Ukraine mixed with the local fairy house creations in the woods will take advantage of the wonderful nature of the lower park.
The Cirque Inextremiste performance calling for a large outdoor area for the hot air balloon hoisting acrobats up in the air will take place on the upper parking lot B. One of the “New Music in the Park” concerts – “L’ouiseau,” curated by now local conductor Brett Chancellor – will take our audience on a walking music tour on the stunning Niagara Gorge to explore the work of contemporary composers Kaija Saariaho, Iannis Xenakis, Brent Chancellor and Messiaen with dance and Native American spoken word.
We will have on-stage performances of music by Philip Glass and Vivaldi and take advantage of the natural acoustic dome of the Emerald Grove with Third Coast Percussion.
And, of course, the massive theatrical production of “Carmina Burana” by La Fura dels Baus with Buffalo Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus conducted by Gil Rose, and 200-plus performers will take place on our exceptional, one-of-a-kind opera stage.
Image: Carnaval Sztukmistrzów // Lublin // Exit fot. Natalia Wierzbicka
Cirque Inextremiste (Photo provided by Artpark & Company)
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Q: I think, certainly, diversity in programming is something that you’ve been very successful at over the years.
The previous administration, out of necessity – then I would say popularity and practicality – focused on outdoor concerts. There was no indication the cultural programming you’ve initiated would become as well-received as it is today. What led you to believe those programs were possible – and that they could work at Artpark?
Sonia Kozlova Clark: When I first came to Artpark, what I saw was, again, this vibrant palette of opportunities for presentation. I have produced very different types of arts and events in the past, and I could see how Artpark is unique from any other venues I had worked with.
Artpark as a place of nature and as a community presents almost limitless ways to explore the different types of performance, theater, music, Cirque, street theater, or art in public spaces. Also, of course, visual arts is a tremendous legacy and opportunity for Artpark, which we are strategically rebuilding. We are approaching these opportunities in phases and by layering one new discipline at a time.
The opportunities come from the site itself – its history, also its legacy, and, very importantly, from the people around us. It’s the Buffalo community, so fond of innovative music and theater; the Lewiston community, so rich with people who know their history and the memories of coming to Artpark to experience the various types of performances. It’s also the Indigenous people who were here long before any others.
Our understanding of what is diversity, specifically, at Artpark is also a very interesting subject. We often times talk with our board, funders, artistic partners and curators about how to make our organization more diverse, and how to make our audience more diverse. Oftentimes, the fallback is to say, “Well, Lewiston is a pretty homogenous society.” Initially, I thought, the local diversity was economic and maybe educational. But soon I have discovered the incredible depth and richness of the Haudenosaunee and their predecessors, thank you to Eva (Nicklas) and Irene (Rykaszewski) from the Lewiston Art Council, and Michele-Elise Burnett, who I’ve met through our board member Seymour Knox IV.
With their help, some reading, and the stories told by Neil Patterson Sr. of the Tuscarora Nation, or Peter Jamison of the Seneca Nation, and many others, I learned that the Haudenosaunee Nations are in themselves very diverse, but also so present here. Their presence here is not always the most obvious, as we see them through the limited focus of shared festivals or events, but the reality is so much richer.
Through the work of Michele-Elise, Artpark’s Indigenous arts producer and staff member, our relationship has been flourishing now for a number of years, starting with the Artpark Strawberry Moon Festival and expanding now to a summer-long program focused on Indigenous ways of knowing. I am grateful to Kehala and Jordan Smith and all the scholars and artists helping us build a more close-knit relationship, which sometimes feels like family.
The success of attracting an audience is through seeing your community, all its fine tones and different shades of cultural and economic differences, social and even political views. And for us at Artpark, there is such an interesting palette to work with here.
Another path for success is in programming strategy. Layering the new over time, mixing it with the familiar. When you bring something new, the recognition doesn’t happen all at once. You have to adjust the strategy for each particular kind of art and audience. It’s not one-size-fits-all.
Cirque Inextremiste (Photo provided by Artpark & Company)
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Q: Of course, we know concerts are still a very big draw. What can you tell me, looking at this year’s lineup, that stands out to you – or that people should be excited about or even curious about, with regard to the bands and the acts you’ve booked?
Sonia Kozlova Clark: As you said, it’s a very diverse lineup, and addresses different types of audiences.
I am, as always, excited about Barenaked Ladies, which now has become a staple event in Western New York. They are more popular here in Western New York, or at Artpark, than practically anywhere else. It’s just a very special relationship that we have developed over time between our community and the band. So, for that alone, it’s absolutely a special to Artpark event, and all of us always look forward to it.
I think, of course, Styx on June 2, is something that so many of us are looking forward to, as well. They’ve been to Artpark now a number of times, and this year it seems bigger than ever.
We rarely ever start that early, but this year our first concert is May 21, with the Avett Brothers. Again, a great band. They’ve been to Artpark twice before. So great to see them back, and it looks like it is going to be a packed house. And it’s great to see the audiences coming back, and then some.
Buddy Guy is an iconic figure in music. It’s his last – or self-proclaimed last – tour. We’ll see. I hope he changes his mind. He will definitely be a highlight, for me personally, and I’m sure for many in the community.
I think Larkin Poe is a fantastic duo that I think everybody should discover, if they haven’t yet – with the Allman Betts Band. Together, it’s a great pairing.
One of my favorite musicians is Ben Folds. To me, it’s definitely a highlight. I’ve followed his career from the very early days, and I’m so glad to see him back with us.
Pixies and Modest Mouse will close our amphitheater season, and what a great, incredible pairing that is. I’m definitely looking forward to that. I was doing the happy dance when we confirmed that particular concert.
And then we have not one but two North American premiers: Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” in a spectacular production by La Fura dels Baus with Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Gil Rose. It’s a modern spectacle. It’s a very edgy spectacle based on a medieval collection of poems and songs written in Latin and Middle High German. The texts cover a wide range of themes, such as drinking, gambling, love and the fickleness of fortune.
The poems were discovered in a Bavarian monastery in the 19th century and later set to music by composer Carl Orff in the 1930s. Musically it is extraordinary, recognizable and powerful. I call it the “Heavy Metal of the ’30s.” Its main song, “O Fortuna!,” was recorded and remixed in so many different styles. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra has done a track; in addition to all the classical interpretations, of course. It runs the whole gamut. There’s hardly a human being on this planet that doesn’t know this tune.
The production is by a renowned company in Spain – La Fura dels Baus – who I have been in conversations with over a number of years now – their focus is on opera as a spectacle, oftentimes outdoors with immersive video, flying acts and spectacular stage effects. They’ve been in the United States a number of times. The last time they were at the Mostly Modern Festival at Lincoln Center with a production of Haydn in 2018.
Their Carmina production has toured around the world for over 10 years, but it’s never been in North America. And I’m very excited to be able to present this just at Artpark, just for us, just because we can, and just because it makes sense for us.
We are also fortunate to be working with the visionary conductor Gil Rose with whom we are building a long-term plan for reintroducing opera to Artpark, and, as always, with our friends at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, also the Tanzen Dance and other local performers.
And the second North American premiere at Artpark will be with Cirque Inextremiste on Aug. 27, which we are bringing in partnership with University of Arizona and Rochester Fringe Festival. This French group are completely unique and out of their own kind, they define themselves as “sweet lunatics trapped in spite of themselves in a life-size epic” in one of the wildest shows you will ever see, called “EXIT.”
Barenaked Ladies (Photo by Matt Barnes // provided by Artpark & Company)
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Q: It’s a big anniversary season. How will that milestone be recognized this summer?
Sonia Kozlova Clark: We plan to celebrate by the continuous growth of Artpark as an institution and exploration of its potential while also recognizing its legacy. We have programs that highlight our Haudenosaunee people through Strawberry Moon Festival and summer-long Indigenous programs. We are restarting the opera program, once so prominent at Artpark, and so well known in this country. We are bringing new voices and international productions, which are impactful not only for our own audience, but for the artists themselves. Through these international collaborations and national partnerships, Artpark’s name is now present in the professional discourse around the world.
I was recently at Carnegie Hall, at a concert, and a number of people I ran into from New York City ran up to me with their memories of Artpark as an opera hub back in the 1980s. It’s still in the memories of people far away from here. So, being able to reinstate this program with a tremendous conductor – we call him a conductor in residence and also a curator of opera – Gil Rose – I think that’s a very momentous kind of occasion.
Being able to produce a series of “New Music” concerts, that’s very much, again, an homage to something that was celebrated and developed at Artpark. It’s what we call “New Music.” Something that was started by Creative Associates in Buffalo, and very much developed in Artpark, as well, and really translated to the very fabric of this cultural organization, and to see it carried forward with the musicians of today. Jeremy Dutcher, Third Coast Percussion – these are very well-known new musicians working, and experimenting with the types of music that are both very new to us today, but also date back to the traditions that were first honed in the 1970s – just when Artpark was established.
So, there are all these kinds of overtones of going back and also moving forward, all at the same time – and building a brand-new program we have not had in the past, is Cirque. So, we’ve done smaller productions as a part of our Fairy House Festival and other special events: Cirque Orange from Hamilton, Cirque Barcode from Montreal, Giraffe Royal from Estonia and others over the past six years.
They all represent the artform known as Cirque Nouveau mixed with street theater, as we’ll call it. It is a fast-emerging popular form of performance, normally not involving a tent nor animals, not necessarily with the kind of acrobatics and clowns that everybody expects from the past – the red nose kind of act. In this new type of cirque, the acrobats and clowns are also actors – they act within the parameters of dramaturgy. They tell stories. It’s half circus, half theater.
And this year, we’re bringing this French production called “Exit” by a circus company called Cirque Inextremiste. Again, it’s quite a feat. It’s a big risk – on many levels. We’re doing it in partnership with two other presenters in North America: the University of Arizona and the Rochester Fringe Festival. We could not do this alone.
But again, it signals the beginning of something new and pretty large-scale going forward.
The Artpark opportunities are tremendous – and the 50th season brings it all together.
I’ll also mention that, next year, we’ll be celebrating our 50th anniversary. So, prepare to party for the next two years.
Images from the 2022 Strawberry Moon Festival at Artpark in Lewiston.
Third Coast Percussion (Photo by Rich Polk // provided by Artpark & Company)
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Q: We’ve spoken about the various initiatives Artpark is taking to give back to the community – and even to use the word you mentioned, “risk,” as far as some of the programming and events Artpark is undertaking to benefit the community. How can that community – how can patrons – give back to Artpark?
Sonia Kozlova Clark: Thank you for that question. For us, the most important thing you can do is to come. Bring your friends. Bring your children. Bring your parents. Come, come, come. Come to anything you don’t know yet. Come to things you have been too many times and love. Come, be here. Be with us. That’s No. 1.
And, of course, we’re a nonprofit organization. We are a self-sustaining organization. We do work in partnership with New York State Parks, who maintain the facilities; but our park operates with only less than 5% of state funding. The rest is raised by our own team led by our very powerful and dedicated board of directors, through various funding opportunities. And the foundation for these resources is in the individual giving, so every small gift brings a compounded effect.
Our individual donor drive is always on and you can make a difference today by going to artpark.net; there’s a button at the top of the menu that says, “Donate Now & Support.” Any gift is good enough – $5, $20, $5,000 – we will honor it, and use it appropriately, and it will move us forward, and make our programming available to the whole community in the long term.
•For more information on Artpark & Company programming, visit www.artpark.net. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Artpark’s front outdoor lobby area and ticketing courtyard
Click to download the Artpark & Company schedule (PDF)
CASA of the Coastal Bend has a unique request. The nonprofit organization is asking the community to donate any unwanted new or used cameras
CASA plans to offer programs that focus on the arts, catered to children it serves. One lesson they’re specifically looking to provide is about photography and videography. The nonprofit serves hundreds of children in throughout the Coastal Bend, including foster kids who haven’t had the easiest life.
Sam Escalante, the marketing recruitment manager at CASA, will be teaching the lessons as a way to give the participants a chance to find perspective through those mediums.
“We’re really collecting the cameras so we can give our CASA kids and kids in the foster system a chance to express themselves,” Escalante said. “A chance to learn a craft, learn a skill, so they can put their energy into something that is positive.”
Escalante also said he wanted to teach the lessons because it fulfills two passions: his love for photography and desire to give back to the community by helping others.
“If I can, in part, provide a little hope and peace and just wisdom to these kids that need a mentor, another positive figure besides their CASA volunteer,” he said. “It can provide a sense of accomplishment.”
The goal is to collect as many cameras as possible before Friday, June 2, with Escalante hoping to start the program around June 5.
Participants will be nominated by their CASA advocate. Those who donate may get a special first look at a curated gallery from the kids.
To donate, go to the CASA of the Coastal Bend location at 2602 Prescott Street or call (361)- 884-2272.
CASA is planning other events throughout the summer, which will benefit children in the foster care system. To stay updated you can follow them on their Facebook page.
In this video tutorial, I’m going to show you how I photographed the bedrooms on a $12 million yacht. Although the rooms are large for a boat, they are very small compared to your average bedroom.
Although most architectural photographers will tell you that 12mm is too wide, when you’re shooting small rooms, the wider the better. I shot on the Sony a7 IV and Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 at 12mm. Remember, wide angle lenses do not cause perspective distortion; the position of your camera does. As long as your camera is as far back as it can be, shooting with a wider lens will not create more distortion; it will simply reveal more of the room. You can always crop in to get an identical-looking shot (minus a bit of resolution) when taken with a longer lens.
To get the best possible image of a room, you’re going to want to composite images together. Remember, the camera can’t move between shots, so I decided to control my camera with my phone rather than potentially moving it while changing settings. I bracketed shots with the window closed and the lights in the room on and again with the window open and lights off.
To capture the view outside, I stopped down to f/22 to get a correct exposure of the view, and I then bounced a strobe in the room to balance the light inside and outside. Finally, I took a shot while I was standing in the bathroom, firing directly onto the bed to mimic a beam of sunlight.
Compositing all of these images together can’t really be explained in text, so watch the video above to see the entire process.
Today, we have started the largest sale we’ve ever done for our photography tutorials at the Fstoppers Store. If you’re interested in learning more about shooting spaces, I highly recommend our series with Mike Kelley, called Where Art Meets Architecture.
Melynda Burdette Wintrol, Rutendo Mudzamiri, Kurt Boehm, and Lisa Carrier Baker. Photos courtesy of Adventure Theatre MTC.
GLEN ECHO, MD – Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), educating and inspiring new generations of theater artists and audiences with exceptional theatrical experiences, announces its return from a strategic pause with an all new leadership staff led by Executive Director and former Education Director, Melynda Burdette Wintrol, Artistic Director, Kurt Boehm, and Lisa Carrier Baker, Academy Director. Other members of the leadership staff include Rutendo Mudzamiri as Development Director, and Amanda Bradley as Communications Director.
Under new leadership Adventure Theatre MTC is recommitting to workplace practices that deeply align with our mission, vision, and core values of Equity, Engagement, Innovation, Growth, and Wonder. We recognize that educating and inspiring future generations begins with our internal practices and furthering our own education and growth with a focus on our most valuable resources, our people.
Says Executive Director, Melynda Burdette Wintrol, “After a long search and vetting process, we have assembled a team who fully understand the necessity of creating encouraging, supportive, and enriching spaces for all who enter our doors, whether they are employees, artists, students, or advocates. I’m excited by the collaborative spirit and incredible skill of our newly assembled team and am eager for the opportunities to connect with the surrounding communities in my new role.”
Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council and former Artistic Director of Adventure Theatre MTC, says of the new leadership, “I am thrilled to know that Adventure Theatre MTC is in the artistic hands of former colleagues and favorite Adventure Artists. I have had the pleasure of working with Lisa, Kurt, and Melynda as artists, teachers, collaborators, and friends! Additionally, they bring with them almost a combined seven decades of connections to the DC theater scene- a huge asset to the Adventure family.”
This new leadership plans to restore the vision of Adventure as a popular destination for DC area families with shows based on literary works as a premiere training destination for musical theatre students and future professionals.
To learn more, visit www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org. All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD, 20812 in the historic Glen Echo Park.
ABOUT ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC
ATMTC cultivates new generations of artists and audiences by creating memorable theatrical productions and by providing young people the highest quality musical theater training. ATMTC serves students at all skill levels and families from diverse communities, approximately 35,000 people annually.
ABOUT MELYNDA BURDETTE WINTROL (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Melynda Burdette Wintrol is humbled to return to Adventure Theatre MTC as Executive Director having served as Director of Education prior to her departure in 2018. Melynda has been a vocalist and musical theatre performer, teaching artist, vocal coach, and arts administrator for over 20 years. Originally from Frederick, Maryland, Melynda is a graduate of The Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music holding a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre. Melynda went on to earn her Master of Science in Nonprofit and Association Management. During her studies at CUA Melynda, a classically trained mezzo-soprano, was selected to represent the school in Italy and perform a private papal audience for Pope John Paul II. Melynda has studied under Cathie Porter-Borden, Dr. Janette Ogg, Maureen Codelka, and N. Thomas Pedersen. As a Teaching Artist, Melynda has worked with Adventure Theatre MTC, Drama Learning Center, Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, Dance Unlimited/Performing Arts Factory, and Urbana Dance. Melynda has performed Off-Broadway, on tour and in regional theatres across the country. A member of three Helen Hayes nominated ensembles, Melynda has performed with the Tony award winning Signature Theatre, Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, American Family Theatre, Washington Savoyards, Maryland Ensemble Theatre, Shawnee Playhouse, Prather Entertainment Group, Venus Theatre, Pallas Theatre Collective, Riverside Dinner Theatre and Toby’s Dinner Theatre.
ABOUT KURT BOEHM (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)
Boehm joins Adventure Theatre MTC after two decades of experience as an award-winning Director, Choreographer, Teacher, and Actor based right here in Washington, D.C. He is proud to have had a long relationship with ATMTC having worked under Michael Bobbitt, previous Artistic Director. Since 2008, you have seen his work in Productions such as Goodnight Moon, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Ella Enchanted, The Snowy Day, Spot’s Birthday Party, Harold and The Purple Crayon, among others. Boehm joins our team while currently serving as the Resident Casting Director & Manager of Patron Services at The Keegan Theatre in Dupont Circle. He has extensive experience as a teaching artist centering his career as an educator and looks forward to carrying the mission of ATMTC through to the next generation of theatre makers. Across the DMV, he has worked as an educator at The Catholic University of America, Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre, George Mason University, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts, Kids In Dramatic Study, Centennial High School, Alice Deal Middle School, and ATMTC. Boehm has also Directed & Choreographed for The Keegan Theatre, Imagination Stage, The Mac-Haydn Theatre in New York, Washington Savoyards, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and ATMTC. As a Helen Hayes nominated Actor, his work has expanded to Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, The Broad Stage in LA, ArtsEmerson in Boston, and at home in the DMV. You have seen his work on our stages at The Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, Imagination Stage, The Keegan Theatre, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, & Monumental Theatre Company. Boehm earned his Bachelors of Music from The Catholic University of America and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association. Boehm will center his work at ATMTC around our core values of Equity, Engagement, Innovation, Growth, & Wonder.
ABOUT LISA CARRIER BAKER (ACADEMY DIRECTOR)
Lisa Carrier Baker is so happy to be joining the ATMTC team again after serving as Director of Education from 2009-2011, and Director of the Pre-Professional Program from 2003-2013. She is currently the Managing Director/Music Supervisor at Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre, a position she has held since 2014. Lisa was a stage director of SDT productions from 2000-2004 and has directed 10 main stage productions for Montgomery College. She is a former adjunct professor of voice at American University and Montgomery College and her students have been heard on the Broadway stages of Wicked, Bring It On, Dear Evan Hansen, and A Man of No Importance, among others. They can currently be seen in national tours, regional theatres, and are local Helen Hayes Award winners and nominees. As a performer, she has been in four national tours, and seen regionally at Ohio Light Opera, The National Opera Company, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. In concert, she has been a featured performer with many symphonies in the US and Canada, including four seasons with the Indianapolis Symphony’s “Yuletide Celebration” under the baton of Jack Everly. She again joined Maestro Everly when she made her Baltimore Symphony debut in their staged concert of “Hairspray” alongside John Waters, George Wendt, and Beth Leavel. In DC she has performed at The Kennedy Center, creating the role of The Narrator in the world premiere (cast recording) and national tour of The Nightingale, American Century Theatre, Round House Theatre (Silver Spring), Washington Savoyards, Toby’s Dinner Theatre, Ganymede Arts, and ArtsCentric in Baltimore. Though theatre is her profession, Lisa’s passion is animal welfare. In 2012 she founded DC Actors for Animals (endorsed by Bernadette Peters), a 501c3 charitable organization that works with area professional theaters and artists to generate education, advocacy, and rescue for animals in need. To date, their annual adoption event, Beltway Barks, has helped over 300 animals find forever homes. Education: BM in Musical Theatre, Master of Education. Post graduate: three seasons as an Artist in Residence with the Fletcher Opera Institute at North Carolina School of the Arts (formerly National Opera Company).
ABOUT RUTENDO MUDZAMIRI, DSL (DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR)
Rutendo Mudzamiri (DSL) has over 12 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management. She has raised over $24 million in private and public funding for various nonprofits and campaigns. Dr. Ru is an experienced advocate for leadership at all levels, with a long history of leadership roles in Zimbabwe and USA nonprofits. Her accomplishments include creating partnerships with key constituents within corporate, foundations, public entities, and notable celebrities. Dr. Rutendo Mudzamiri, known as Dr. Ru, has initiated and supported leadership and social impact initiatives in over 23 African countries. She is a sought-after development leader and passionately helps organizations excel through resource mobilization, philanthropy, and partnerships. Dr. Ru embodies Adventure Theatre’s engagement, innovation, and growth values. Dr. Ru received her Advanced Certificate in Cultural Management from Institute for Culture Concepts in Germany and a Master of Arts in Community Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. She holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach. Dr. Ru has delivered classes at a Duke University Summer School Program and provided leadership coaching and development consulting services to local and international organizations. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at a University in Washington, D.C.
ABOUT AMANDA BRADLEY (COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR)
Amanda Bradley received her bachelor’s degree at James Madison University in Media Arts & Design and has built her career as an arts & nonprofit communications specialist. Amanda was the Director of Marketing & Communications at Adventure Theatre MTC for over 11 years before spending 2 years as Marketing & Communications Director at BlackRock Center for the Arts. Amanda also has had vocal and performance training through Christina Crerar (voice), Laurie Nelson (voice), and Studio Theatre Conservatory (acting).
