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Meet the Board

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2011

Our governing board is elected each January and serves terms of one year.

Lou Cicirello

Lou Cicirello, President
lcicirello@monticellotheatre.org

A salesman by day, Lou got “hooked” on theatre by taking part in several productions for the local theatre group in Bellflower. He has been acting in MTA productions since 2007, appearing as Lance in Murder at the the  Monticello Mansion, Father Neal Down in the encore performance, and quirky deputy Pete Tender in Murder Rides a Mule. He gladly travels from Bellflower for rehearsals. He and wife, Sharon, are doting grandparents of Sylvia.

 

Jack Deremiah

Jack Deremiah, Past President
jderemiah@monticellotheatre.org

Jack has had a love of theatre since his days as a thespian at Monticello High School in the late 1970s. As an adult, he has been involved in community theatre across the country and as far away as Japan. Jack has also written three of the plays performed by the MTA. He has been a board member of the MTA since 2007 and was elected President of the organization in 2009 and 2010. Jack and the rest of the board have recently fulfilled the organization's long-time goal of getting a new theatre building.

 

Carrie Brocksmith

Carrie Brocksmith, Vice President
cbrocksmith@monticellotheatre.org

Carrie has been involved with the MTA since 2006 and most recently co-directed and played Muffy in "Murder Me Always".  Carrie began performing in junior high and high school at Paxton, IL and loved it so much that she went on to Millikin University and received a B.A. in Theatre.  In addition to MTA performances, Carrie has been active with the drama ministries at both Grace Church of Mahomet and Crossroads Church, as well as working with Paxton's Community Theatre.  Favorite past roles include Olivia Madison in the Female Version of The Odd Couple and Mama Morton in Chicago.

 

Lana Ross

Lana Ross, Treasurer
lross@monticellotheatre.org

Lana is a long-time member of the Monticello Theatre Association. She appeared in Tunnel of Love, the first play the MTA presented. It was performed at the Community Building in 1976 and Lana remembers the fun the actors had trying to beat the whistle which went off at 10:00 p.m. Action had to stop if you didn't complete the play before it blew; you just froze on stage until it ended. Her favorite roles include Mary in Mary, Mary and Betty Meeks in The Foreigner. Lana also remembers the sad day she went out to the Camp Creek Playhouse to find it still smoldering from the fire which destroyed it in 1999. She is confined to directing and producing plays nowadays, since there are very few roles for 60 year ingenues. Lana has served the MTA in several offices, and is currently the treasurer.

 

Edwina Finet

Edwina Finet, Secretary
efinet@monticellotheatre.org

Edwina Finet has always been interested in drama, even taking theatre courses as electives in college. As an elementary teacher, she took every opportunity to incorporate theatre into the curriculum. Storytelling is the closest she has come to being “on stage”, but is interested in all aspects of  production, especially writing news releases, programs, and making costumes.  She enjoys the company of the creative people who make up the MTA, and looks forward to contributing in any possible way to the resurgence of the theatre in Monticello.

 

Brad Collins

Brad Collins, Board Member
bcollins@monticellotheatre.org

Not having been on stage since his high school acting experience, Brad’s work in the MTA's 2007 and 2008 productions reminded him how much he loves theatre. Just like the character he played in Murder Rides a Mule, he works three jobs (“anything to make a buck”), and is husband to Karen for 35 years, father of two and grandfather of one. No matter how busy he gets, he promises to always find time for the theatre.

 

Karen Collins, Board Member
kcollins@monticellotheatre.org

Karen lives in Monticello with husband of 35 years, Brad, two children, Wendy and Bradley, and  one grandchild Gage, age 6.  She has been an active member with the MTA since 2007. "I love the theatre and have always enjoyed seeing shows as often as possible.  As a child I acted in some of our grade school  and church programs but now I just prefer helping out from behind the scenes. I was the assistant director for Lily the Felon's Daughter and really enjoyed it. I look forward learning more about theatre and helping out with the process of getting our new building ready for the community."

 

Anne Reeser

Anne Reeser, Board Member
areeser@monticellotheatre.org

Anne has been interested in theatre since performing in high school plays, though more recently has found enjoyment in off-stage activities connected to theatre. As a classroom teacher she directed her students in an annual production of A Christmas Carol. The reading and performing of plays was an important part of reading class for her fourth-graders. Since moving to Monticello and joining the MTA, she has helped with costuming and directing plays for kids.

 

Carolyn Wolter

Carolyn Wolter, Board Member
cwolter@monticellotheatre.org

Carolyn enjoys being part of community theatre, as past secretary of the MTA, as an actor and working on backstage activities. She was the fortune teller in Pasta, Passion, and Pistols, the first MTA/MAEF production. Carolyn also directed the 2008 production of Murder Rides a Mule. 

 

Kitty Halton Berns

Kitty Halton Berns, Alternate
khaltonberns@monticellotheatre.org

Kitty Halton Berns is serving her third year on the board for MTA. She has been in one production of Murder at the Mansion, was an extra in The Bement Story and is currently serving on the Scholarship Committee. Kitty and Steve Berns and family have lived in the Monticello area since 1994.

 

Steff Schneider

Stephanie Schneider, Alternate
sschneider@monticellotheatre.org

Stephanie Schneider came to love acting after being cast in her first role at 19 in a college production of To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday. Stephanie has performed a myriad of roles since her days at Southern Illinois University, like Lillian in I Hate Hamlet, and Cory in Barefoot In The Park at the Sunshine Dinner Playhouse where she hosted and performed for nearly 2 years. Stephanie was welcomed into the MTA fold 5 years ago, and she hasn't looked back since (except to write this). She was most recently seen as Ophelia in Lily, The Felon's Daughter. Bottom line, it's just wonderful to dress up and be someone else for a few hours. It doesn't hurt that there's generally a whole lot of laughter! She resides in the thriving metropolis of Seymour with the absolute joy of her life, her daughter, London.

 

Kitty Halton Berns

Sharon Cicirello, Building Trustee
scicirello@monticellotheatre.org

Sharon has been in theater since a freshman in high school. She has done many productions in her 30-year theatrical career including: Brigadoon, Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Harvey, The Mouse that Roared, South Pacific, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Alice in Wonderland, The Snake in the Grass, and most recently Murder Rides a Mule, and had my first directing debut in doing the Easter special Calvary's Love. "I joined the MTA because I simply love theater, and love the people involved with it even more!"

Carl Sebens

Carl Sebens, Building Trustee
csebens@monticellotheatre.org

Carl has been active in theater as far back as he can remember. He isn't sure whether he prefers acting or directing. He is a long-time member of MTA, a relationship beginning with his first show in November of 1978. Carl has served the MTA in many different capacities over the years, as well as being active with Decatur's Theatre 7 and productions at Richland Community College. Favorite directing efforts include The Nerd, The Glass Menagerie, Steel Magnolias and Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolfe. Favorite onstage credits include “Norman” in On Golden Pond, and “Matthew Harrison Brady” in Inherit the Wind.  He enjoyed assuming multiple personalities in the MTA production of Greater Tuna.