Staff

Executive Leadership

David Armstrong, Executive Producer and Artistic Director

Mr. Armstrong served as The 5th Avenue’s Producing Artistic Director from 2000 through 2009. During that time he directed our acclaimed productions of Sweeney Todd, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, White Christmas, Hair, A Little Night Music, The Secret Garden, Company, The Rocky Horror Show, Pippin, Yankee Doodle Dandy! and Anything Goes. He also established The 5th as a national leader in the development and production of new musicals. As a producer, director, writer and choreographer his work has been seen in New York, Los Angeles and many leading regional theaters including The Kennedy Center, Ordway Center, Cincinnati Playhouse, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Repertory of St. Louis, Ford’s Theater and Paper Mill Playhouse. From 1990-1995, he served as the Artistic Director of The Cohoes Music Hall in upstate NY. His writing includes the books for the musicals The Wonder Years (winner of seven LA Drama-Logue Awards), Gold Rush! and Yankee Doodle Dandy!

Bernadine Griffin, Managing Director

Bernadine (Bernie) C. Griffin established the first-ever Development Department for The 5th Avenue Theatre in June of 2002 and since then has raised over $10 million in annual operating support as well as nearly $6 million for capital projects. She brings to her position 27 years of fundraising and management experience.

Prior to The 5th Avenue, Bernie served as Director of Development for the prestigious Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, where she oversaw a $15 million capital campaign and increased individual annual contributions by nearly 60 percent. Prior to the Geffen, Bernie served as Development Director at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, California.

Before moving to Southern California, she served as the Assistant Director of Development at the Seattle Symphony where she was very proud to have been part of the team that raised the money to build Benaroya Hall. In addition to the Symphony Bernie worked for the Tony-Award winning Seattle Repertory Theatre.

In New York City she was Director of Special Projects for Tony Randall’s National Actors Theatre. While there she worked with a nationally recognized board of directors and produced 3 major New York galas which netted $1,500,000 for that theater.

Bernie began her fundraising career at the University of Denver in 1983. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Martin’s University in Lacey Washington in 1982 and is proud to have been born and raised in Walla Walla, Washington. She is a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theater, Seattle Rotary #4 and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Bill Berry, Producing Director

Mr. Berry is Producing Director of The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, where he has directed acclaimed productions of West Side Story (Seattle Times Footlight Award), Wonderful Town (Seattle Times Footlight Award), and Smokey Joe’s Café. His recent production of Cabaret performed at The 5th Avenue Theatre, St. Paul’s Ordway Center (Ivey Award), San Jose’s American Musical Theatre, and Houston’s Theatre Under the Stars. Bill also serves as Producing Director for The 5th Avenue’s Adventure Musical Theatre, which develops and tours original musicals to schools throughout Washington State. In addition to directing these productions, he also wrote the book for Klondike, the story of the Alaskan Gold Rush, and Journey West!, a musical based on the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Artistic

Ian Eisendrath - Resident Musical Director/Music Coordinator
Kristina Wicke - Company Manager
Albert Evans - Artistic Associate
Aaron Tuttle - Executive Assistant to Mr. Armstrong
Brandon Ivie - Artistic Project Manager
Dane Andersen - Music Librarian/Assistant

Ticket Services

Peggy Busteed - Director of Ticketing Services
Maryke VanBeuzekom - Ticketing Operations Manager
Nichole Mines - Ticket Data Coordinator

Box Office

Beth Bowman - Box Office Manager & Group Sales
Christina Moon - Assistant Box Office Manager
Ian Garnier, Martha McKee - Box Office Associate

Ticketing Phone Center

Khajha Rogers - Ticketing Phone Center Manager
Isabel Dickey - Assistant Phone Center Manager
H. Bowman, Elizabeth Dickie, Caroline Gibson, Meghan Nash, Aleksandra Weil - Phone Center Associates

Part Time Associates

Candis Anderson, Naomi B., Cenee Cain, Sarah Dickson, Eva Doane, Jenna Galdun, Katie Mitchell, Sarah Parish, Dyan Swift, Tenille VanHollebeke, Pam Wagher, Patrick Walrath

Marketing and Communications

Mimi de Quesada - Acting Director of Marketing & Communications
John Longenbaugh - Public Relations Manager
Keridwyn Deller - Marketing Manager
Tasha Thomas - Communications Manager
August Laguio - Graphic Designer
Unique Saunders - Marketing Coordinator

Development

Kerry O' Keefe - Director of Development
Sarah Kennedy - Grants Manager
Lonnie Angle - Special Projects Manager
Nick Cail - Annual Fund Manager
Christine Aguon - Development Associate

Finance

Karin V. Burns - Director of Finance
Rory Krout - Controller
Joanna McRho - Accountant
Aleksandra Zigta - Accounts Payable Coordinator
Eveline Kurniawan- Accounting Assistant

Administration

Mary Dellasega - Special Projects
Lisa Graham - Reception/Office Manager

Information Technology

Britt East - Director of IT
Jim Cornelson - IT Consultant
Jamie Eby - IT Administrator
Susan Zukov - Program Manager
Elissa Walstead - Interactive Manager
Melisa Bumpus - Desktop Support Specialist

Education and Outreach

Bill Berry - Producing Director
Anya Rudnick - Education & Outreach Programs Manager
Amanda Morris - Education Associate
Laruen Ruhl - Education Intern

Operations

Catherine Johnstone - Director of Facility Operations
Alda E. Shepherd – Facility Operations Assistant
Katy Coale - Front of House Manager
Meg Plimpton – Facilities Assistant
Melissa Welker, Donald Yates - Assistant House Managers
Dale Arp, Lisa Books, Alicia Hall, Lila Hughes, Jenny Simon - Head Ushers
Bobby Manuva - Assistant Head Usher
Ellen de Groat, Alison Lyons-Houlihan, Emmi Martini - Producer's Club Concierges
Sue Campbell, Meg Gray, Mary LaVassar, Kathy Parker, Marty Weston, Paula Wharton - Concierges
Christine Jew - Usher and Stage Door Scheduler
Jillian Boshart, Kathleen Bryant, Sue Campbell, Shari Carlson, Mike Chang, Jenniey Chesnut, Frank Chinn, Jessica Davis, Barbie Denend, Keenan Dowers, Meg Gray, Kristyn Grim, Karen Hall, Chris Halstead, Nancy Harris, Jennifer Hayes, Matt Hudson, Paul Humphries, George James, Helen Cobb Jones, Madelyn Jones, Adam Lahm, Nancy LaRoque, Emily LaVassar, Mary LaVassar, Beite Lu, Chris Marcacci, Jeff Markwardt, Tess Martin, Jenny Mazzella, Tony Mazzella, Trez McBean, Sue Moser, Angela Neice, Steve Overfelt, Bill Parker, Kathy Parker, Sacha Peet, Erin Pike, Meg Plimpton, Sue Pozo, Kris Raftis, Lauren Ruhl, Scott Seramur, Laud Tetteh, Sandy Triplett, Marshall Vandiver, Madhavi Vuthoori, Marty Weston, Paula Wharton, Curtis Williams, Shira Wilson, Robin Worley - Ushers
Jessica Davis, Karen Hall, George James, Christine Jew, Erik Knauer, Dean LaRoque, Meg Plimpton, Kristin Zetterstrom - Stage Door/Security Staff

Production

Andrew G. Luft - Production Supervisor
Mark Schmidt - Technical Director
Mo Chapman - Production & Operations Coordinator
Laurel S. Horton - Head Carpenter
Steve Brooks - Production Carpenter
John Hudson - Head Flyman
Dave McCawley - Assistant Flyman
Sean Callahan - Head Electrician
William Rearick - Assistant Electrician
Ross Brown, Stephen A. Graham - Key Electricians
Karen Katz - Head Sound Engineer
James Rudy - Assistant Sound Engineer
Mike Miller - Key Sound Engineer
Diana J. Gervais - Production Property Master
Stephen P. Pozywio - Property Master
Tristan Hansen - Assistant Property Master
Lynda Salsbury - Costume & Wardrobe Supervisor
Deborah Engelbach - Assistant Costume & Wardrobe Supervisor
Gregory Young - Wardrobe Master
Marlys McDonald - Lead Wardrobe
Gillian Paulson - Cutter/Draper
Beth Anne Galloway - Cutter/Draper
Valerie Ford, Ruth Nicklaus, Maggie Melvin, Victoria Stubbs, Etai Alves, Robin Montero - Costume Staff
Mary Jones - Head Hair and Make-up
Stephanie Keiler - Assistant Hair and Make-up
Aime Palmer - Charge Artist
Jean Franz - Lead Scenic Artist

Direct Sales/Telefundraising

Star Zatine - Direct Sales/Telefundraising Manager

Phyllis Wilson - Assistant Manager of Direct Sales/Telefundraising

Stephen Braden, Dee Carey, Jeff Fugami, Wilda Heard, Virginia Jackson, Raymond Lawrence, Jenny Linklater, Paul Parisi, Peter Rollins, Mitchell Saulsberry, Hal Siddiqi, David Zimmerman - Direct Sales and Telefunding Associates