About Theater J 

THEATER J LEADERSHIP

Ari Roth  (Artistic Director)
(202) 777-3233
Ari is beginning his 14th season as Artistic Director at Theater J where, together with a dedicated staff, he has produced 93 full productions, including 33 English language world premieres, and many more workshop presentations. Also a playwright, Mr. Roth has seen his work produced across the country, as well as at Theater J, where productions include Goodnight Irene, Life In Refusal, Love & Yearning in the Not-for-Profits, Oh, The Innocents, and a repertory production of Born Guilty, originally commissioned and produced by Arena Stage, based on the book by Peter Sichrovsky, together with its sequel, The Wolf in Peter (a fused version of both plays will be presented October 17, 2010 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage by the Epic Theatre Ensemble, featuring Rick Foucheux). His adaptations include The Seagull on 16th Street, Still Waiting (companion to Waiting for Lefty); Remaking a Melting Pot; the American adaptation of Hillel Mitelpunkt’s The Accident, and his current Ali Salem Rides Again, based on Ali Salem’s travel memoir, A Drive To Israel: An Egyptian Meets His Neighbor. His plays have been nominated for five Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Resident Production and two Charles A. MacArthur Awards. He is a 1998 and 2003 recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts playwriting grant, three-time winner of the Helen Eisner Award, two-time winner of the Avery Hopwood, four-time recipient of commissions from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture and recipient of the Myrtle Wreath Award from Hadassah. He was recently named one of The Forward 50, a recognition from The Forward newspaper honoring fifty nationally prominent “men and women who are leading the American Jewish community into the 21st century.” He has taught for the University of Michigan for 14 years, currently for their “Michigan in DC” program, as well as for Brandeis, NYU and Carnegie Mellon Universities.

 Rebecca Ende (Managing Director)
(202) 777-3229
Rebecca is so pleased to be part of the Theater J team again. Before stepping into the role of Managing Director, Rebecca worked in arts marketing as Director of Marketing and Communications for Sitar Arts Center, Director of Marketing and Communications for three seasons at Theater J, and Marketing Associate at Ford’s Theatre. She is also the President of the Board of Forum Theatre and served as a Helen Hayes Judge for four years on the New Play Committee. She holds an M.A. in Arts Administration from Columbia University, a B.A. from Georgetown University and is completing a Certificate in Budgeting and Finance at Georgetown. 

Grace Overbeke (Director of Marketing and Communications)
(202) 777-3230
Grace is thrilled to join the Theater J team. She has worked in the literary departments of The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC; Portland Stage Company in Portland, ME and the Cleveland Play House in Cleveland, OH. She studied Theatre and English at Oxford University and Wesleyan University, where she wrote her High - Honors Thesis on American Female Jewish Comediennes.   

Naomi Robin (Casting Director)
Naomi performed for many years as a stage actress in New York and across North America. Some years ago, she moved into voice-over work exclusively, with such clients as PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, AFL-CIO and the National Park Service. Since then, her voice has been heard on thousands of TV and radio spots, including a host of political ads. More recently, she has also returned to her theatrical roots through work with Theater J, the Sprenger-Lang national playwriting competition, the O'Neill National Playwrights Conference and the Helen Hayes Awards. 

Thomas Howley  (Technical Director)
(202) 777-3226
Tom holds a BFA from Central Michigan University and a MFA from The Catholic University of America. While pursuing two degrees in acting, Tom did extensive tech work on the side as an electrician and stage carpenter, which has served him well over the intervening years. After spending fifteen years working happily in the dinner theater community, Tom is now in his sixth season at Theater J where he has had the opportunity to implement the artistic vision of such noted designers as Tony Cisek, James Kronzer, Louis Fulden, Daniel Ettinger, and Dan Conway.  The addition of a fine scene shop space in Beltsville last season has had a marked- though subtle-  effect in what can be achieved onstage, and has improved the eternal time/budget challenges.

Delia Taylor  (Associate Producer)
(202) 777-3227
Delia has worked at Washington area theaters as an actor, director, stage manager, technician and production manager for two decades. She directed the world premieres of There Are No Strangers and Sleeping Arrangements at Theater J. She teaches for The Theatre Lab and serves as a regular guest artist at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Indiana.

 
Shirley Serotsky  (Director of Literary and Public Programs)
(202) 777-3228
Shirley is the Director of Literary and Public Programs at Theater J, where she directed the 2010 production of Mikveh, and the 2009 production of The Rise and Fall of Annie Hall (which received a 2009 Helen Hayes Nomination for Best New Play). She began her theater education as a performance major in the musical theater program at the University of Michigan, but soon detoured into directing which she studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduation she moved to New York, where she worked at the Women’s Project and Productions; interned for the Cherry Lane Theater; and was employed as an editorial assistant for a Jewish organization. In August 2001 she moved to Washington, DC to fulfill a nine-month Kenan Fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts. There she worked as an assistant director and dramaturg on several productions. Since 2002 she has worked as a freelance director and dramaturg in the Washington, DC area and beyond, directing for the Source Festival, Theater Alliance, Catalyst Theater, Rorschach Theater, Catholic University, the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts, Journeymen Theater, and on several out-of-town productions, including at the Humana Festival of New Plays at Actors Theater of Louisville. She has taught young people and adults at The Actor’s Center, the Musical Theater Center, and Theater Lab. She co-founded Bouncing Ball Theatrical Productions with Shawn Northrip (which aims to develop and produce new and innovative musical theater works). Training: BFA, North Carolina School of the Arts. Member of The 2002 Designer/Director Workshop with Ming Cho Lee and the 2003 Lincoln Center Director's Lab.

Becky Peters  (Director of Community Outreach and New Media)
(202) 777-3214
Becky is happy to be a part of the team at Theater J where she has also appeared onstage in Sleeping Arrangements (2007), Pangs of the Messiah (2007) and The Accident (2009). She received her BA in Theater and Communications from Kennesaw State University and recently returned to accept the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Award.  In 1999, she completed a rigorous training program at Warehouse Theater in SC and from there she began hopping from one regional theatre to another and eventually landed at The American Shakespeare Center (formerly Shenandoah Shakespeare) in Staunton VA.  She remained there as a resident company member for 4 years and performed in over 15 shows and 30+ roles.  Since moving to DC in 2004 she has had the great pleasure of performing with some wonderful companies here, including:  Journeymen Theater, Dog and Pony DC, Rorschach Theatre, Imagination Stage, Discovery Theatre, Studio Theatre, Atlas, The Kennedy Center and Theater J. She has served as a script reader for both Inkwell Theatre and The Source Festivel and is a 2009 graduate of the Potomac Massage Training Institute. In addition, Becky is the founding artistic director of Wandering Souls, a company devoted to bringing the arts to communities where there is little or no access in the Metro DC area. More information can be found at www.wanderingsouls.org. 

 Erin Shannahan  (Director of Patron Services)
(202-777-3210)
Erin comes to Theater J from Ford’s Theatre, where she served in a double capacity as a Visitor Services Associate and as Administration and Operations Intern. While at Ford’s, in addition to providing historical interpretation, addressing customer concerns, and cooperating with the National Park Service to operate the popular tourist site, she also assisted with audience outreach programs including gallery guides for students of all ages, and helped create and launch a new audio-guide program in the site’s museum. Other past credits include Dramaturg at the American Century Theater for their productions of Stalag 17 and Treadwell: Bright and Dark; Marketing Intern for Theater of the First Amendment; and Camp Counselor and Assistant Director at the American Shakespeare Center’s residential theater camp for teens. She holds a Master of Arts in Arts Management from George Mason University, and her Bachelor of Arts in English with a Theatre minor from the College of William and Mary, for which degree she created and executed an independent study course on the works of playwright Tom Stoppard.

Daniel Risner (MCCA Operations Director) 

Born and raised in London and attended Leeds College of music. 
Always loved the Arts and has worked in Music, Television and Theater.
Appeared on the English X factor
Started as the Theater J intern and now the MCCA Operations Director.