DIRECTORS
Jeffrey Mousseau
, jeff@ancramoperahouse.org
Paul Ricciardi, paul@ancramoperahouse.org

STAFF
Vanessa Baer
, Communications Manager & Dramaturg
vanessa@ancramoperahouse.org
Raphael Elmasri, Technical Supervisor
Lauren Letellier, Press Representative
pr@ancramoperahouse.org
Jennelle Liscombe, Administrative Coordinator
jennelle@ancramoperahouse.org
Ruth Moe, Producer
ruth@ancramoperahouse.org
Hannah Schiffer, Production Stage Manager
hannah@ancramoperahouse.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gavin Berger
Thomas B. Costello, secretary
Stephen Futrell, treasurer
Jane Plasman
Catherine Redlich, president
Seung Suh
AnnChris Warren


Jeffrey Mousseau is a theatre director, producer and educator. For Ancram Opera House, he has directed Invasion! (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Ensemble), An Iliad with MaConnia Chesser which was remounted at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, MA (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Solo Performance), Homebody by Tony Kushner (Berkshire Theatre Critics Award, Outstanding Solo Performance); Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die; the American premiere of In Praise of Elephants by Kevin Dyer; a site-specific new work, Performing Olana, on the grounds of Olana, Hudson River School painter Frederic Church’s historic home near Hudson, NY; and two Barbara Wiechmann plays, Aunt Leaf which also toured to Aguascalientes, Mexico, and the premiere of a music-theatre adaptation of The Snow Queen.

Locally, his work has also been seen at Stageworks/Hudson and Hudson Opera House. Other directing credits include The Kennedy Center in Washington, HERE Arts Center in NYC where he is an alum of the HERE Artist Residency Program, numerous productions as founding artistic director of the Elliot & IRNE award-winning Coyote Theatre in Boston, American Southwest Theater, Provincetown Rep, and Florida Studio Theatre.

In addition to his tenure at The Coyote Theatre in Boston, he has served as general manager of the Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists; curator of the performance series, Start HERE: Innovative Theater for Young People, at HERE, NYC; program director at Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NYC; and producing director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.

As a guest artist, he has lectured or directed at Brandeis University, Emerson College, University at Albany and Siena College. 

Paul Ricciardi is a founding Co-Director of Ancram Opera House where, along with Jeffrey Mousseau, he has produced seven seasons of theatre including Tony Kushner’s Homebody (Berkshire Theatre Critic’s Award, Solo Performance), Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size (two Berkshire Theatre Critic’s nominations), Young Jean Lee’s We’re Gonna Die, a new musical adaptation of The Snow Queen, and premiere workshop productions of Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce, Heather Christian’s None: a Breviary, and Stew and Heidi’s Staged Dives.

Paul is Creator and Director of Ancram Opera House’s Real People Real Stories, a program that utilizes a unique approach to support community members in sharing compelling, personal narratives, which is now being utilized by the Taconic Hills Central School District as part of the Middle School writing curriculum. Paul is an accomplished Voice, Speech and Dialect coach and is the resident Vocal Coach at Ancram Opera House, and he has coached productions with local, regional and NYC theaters including WAM Theater, Stageworks, America-in-Play, Playhouse Creatures, and countless university theatre productions. He is a Designated Linklater Voice teacher, and trained extensively with Kristin Linklater, and many other master voice teachers.

Paul earned his MFA in Acting at the Trinity Repertory Company, in Providence, Rhode Island, where he appeared in the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home, among many other productions in Trinity’s actor training program. Paul has also performed with Provincetown Rep, Speakeasy Stage Company, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, Chester Theatre Company, Proctors Theatre, and Playhouse Creatures, to name a few.

Paul is the recipient of numerous grants and awards including a Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Martha Boshen Porter Artist Grant, two PSC-CUNY Research Grants, a Kingsborough Community College President’s Faculty Innovation Award, the Kennedy Center National Teaching Artist Award, and the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion. He is the former Co-Chair of Region 1 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Paul is Professor of Theatre Arts at the City University of New York-Kingsborough Community College, where he teaches acting and voice for the stage, and was formerly on the theatre faculty at Siena College, Western Connecticut State University, University at Albany, and Rhode Island College. He lives in Ancram, New York.


BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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ANNCHRIS WARREN

“I have been involved with the theatre for most of my life, and especially love introducing children to the joys of performance. For AOH’s production of The Snow Queen, I brought a group of girls from the Boys & Girls Club to see the show, and Paul and Jeff organized a post-production discussion group that permitted the kids to really engage. AOH’s interest in involving youth in theatre is something close to my heart, as is their mission of building community through storytelling.”

AnnChris is the Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Club of Ulster County. She holds a B.A. in Fine and Performing Arts from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and previously worked for the Missoula Children’s Theatre, a touring company that brings theatre and performance to children throughout the U.S., Canada, and the world where creative resources for youth are few. AnnChris has continued to act, direct and teach locally, including her performance in “Too Young for the Blues,” which was part of AOH’s 2020 Crystal Radio Sessions Upstate. She has also taught the Theatre Practicum course at Dutchess Community College. 

 
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CATHERINE REDLICH

“I have left AOH performances variously amazed, confounded, energized, and inspired, which is the same way I felt after giving birth, so definitely one of life’s special experiences. Jeff and Paul, AOH’s talented co-founders, truly care for our community’s well-being, and their creativity and mission-driven purpose serve as guiding lights for the Board’s work.”

Cathy (board president) is an attorney who specializes in complex criminal defense and serves as the Town Judge of Ancram.  She is also a co-founder and trustee of the Redlich Horwitz Foundation, which works to implement transformative change in New York’s child welfare and foster care systems. Cathy currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and the English Advisory Board at the University of Michigan, and the board of The Center for Community Alternatives, which promotes reintegrative justice and a reduced reliance on incarceration.

 
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GAVIN BERGER

“The Ancram Opera House is very special to me, bringing together two of my most beloved things, Columbia County and live theater. I have lived in Ancram for over 18 years while pursuing a varied career in the entertainment and cultural worlds, including positions at Lincoln Center and the Berklee College of Music. The first time I went to an AOH show I felt like I was at a NYC or London production, but in the intimacy of a great salon in a country house.”

Gavin’s career has spanned over 25 years as a top producer, programmer, strategist, innovator, marketer, fundraiser, and executive in the entertainment and cultural worlds.  He has been a powerful force in growing world-class venues and companies ranging from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to BerkleeNYC, the Kimmel Center, Meadowlands Xanadu, Bowery Presents, Big Apple Circus, Spektrix, and the Walton Arts Center. His diverse experience includes all phases of artistic vision and conceptualization, strategic planning, and construction. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technology (VCET) as well as the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada.   

 

JANE PLASMAN

“I’ve been enjoying coming to AOH since their first show and am so pleased by their overall success. Their productions bring joy to many theater goers…not to mention the contributions they have made …and will continue to make…to the revitalization of Ancram Center. As a board member, I look forward to supporting their continued success in any way that I can.”

After receiving a BA degree from the University of Michigan and an MA from Western Michigan University, Jane began her professional life as a speech pathologist. She later worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Sterling Drug, earning an award for exceptional performance; this was followed by training management positions in the ethical pharmaceutical, grocery and custom consulting arenas, which included work for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Jane subsequently found a career home at Colgate-Palmolive Company where, over 14 years, she rose from Director of Sales Training to directorial posts that encompassed Organizational Effectiveness, Global Leadership, and finally stints as acting Human Resources Director in the South Pacific and, later, Western Europe. Now retired, Jane is a member of the Town of Ancram’s Ethics Board, President of her Homeowners Association’s Board of Directors, a member of the University of Michigan’s Provost Advisory Committee, and recently concluded two terms as Trustee for the Roeliff Jansen Library. In between all these responsibilities, she indulges her passion for exotic travel, playing tennis and tending to  her garden.       

 
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STEPHEN FUTRELL

“One of my main pleasures living in this area is helping local organizations to succeed, especially those who are giving much to our community. My background is in finance, not theatre, but I have learned that my expertise is equally useful in the not-for-profit world. The Eagle Scout motto (yes, I am one!) calls upon us to ‘find a worthy use for our powers’, and I can’t think of a worthier use of my CPA credentials than AOH.” 

Stephen is a retired Partner of Pomona Capital, a New York based private equity company, as well as a CPA. He resides in Copake, NY and is active in several local organizations including   the finance committee of the Roeliff Jansen Community Library. Stephen also serves as the Finance Committee Vice Chair for the University of Louisiana Monroe Foundation and sponsors the internship program for its business school students. 

 
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SEUNG SUH

“I moved to Ancram in 2016 after a high-pressure career in the television industry, trading deadlines and spotlights for acreage and peace. A year later I opened the Copake General Store with the mission to provide the community with quality food and to create a space for strangers and neighbors to connect. I was drawn to AOH because of its similar vision of creating a place for the community to connect in a warm, beautiful space. It feels like home to me when I enter the theatre.” 

Seung is the owner of Copake General Store, a full-service market featuring locally sourced foods. She worked as a news writer and producer for WABC-TV in New York City for more than two decades before she and her husband moved to Ancram.  Seung earned an Emmy for a series documenting the conflict at the US-Mexico border and has interviewed many bold-faced names including Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.  

 
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THOMAS B. COSTELLO, PhD

“I was folded in to the AOH loop as Jeff and Paul took the reins, thrilled that they had the vision and drive to reinvigorate the Ancram Opera House as a producing theatre company. Along the way, they’ve provided countless opportunities for DCC’s theatre students, not only as interns, technicians, and performers, but also as workshop participants and indeed as audience members. The latter is no small feat, as the AOH brings precisely the type of theatre to this area that my students (and myself!) both need and want to see.”

Tommy (secretary) is a theatre educator, director, and scholar who brings a wealth of artistic experience to AOH. He is presently an Associate Professor of Theatre and Speech at SUNY Dutchess Community College, where he serves as chair of the Performing Arts program and teaches all facets of theatre-making. He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), as well as a peer-reviewer for the SDC Journal, and is currently the chair of SDC Directing Initiative for the Region 1 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. As a director and designer, his work has colored stages in Prague, Dublin, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Vegas, and beyond. These days, his focus is squarely on uplifting the voices and ideas of his students, and empowering them through the art and craft of theatre – and the AOH has been a great accomplice along the way!