Santa Monica Theatre Guild Newsletter • November 27, 2024

NEWS from the MORGAN-WIXSON THEATRE

T H E G R A T I T U D E I S S U E

This Thanksgiving week, we reflect with deep gratitude on our 78th year as a non-profit theatre. Our journey would not have been possible without the incredible support and dedication of so many.

To our volunteers - the unseen heroes who keep our theatre thriving.

To our performers and creative teams - who bring magic to life on stage.

To our donors - who believe in the power of live theatre and give generously.

And to our beloved audience - your cheers and presence inspire everything we do.

Thank you for being part of our story.

Spend Thanksgiving Weekend

with us at The Prom

"The talented youth cast was extraordinary, and the show is incredibly touching, with moments that had me both laughing and tearing up."

Purchase Tickets

RSVP to This Year's Celebration.

Join us on Sunday, December 8th for the 73rd Annual Geoffrey Awards, celebrating the 2024 Season. Don't forget to RSVP!

Info and RSVP Here

Behind the Scenes

It takes hours to bring the sets and costumes to life for our MainStage and YES shows....afterall, the sets and costumes don't build themselves. It is thanks to our wonderful volunteers who dedicate their time and talents that we can bring an imaginary world to life. And we couldn't do it without the leadership of Technical Director Bill Wilday in the Scene Shop, and Costume Supervisor, Jill Sergeant in the Costume Shop. Thank you for your time, and talents, and dedication.

Bill and Jill couldn't do it without the elves that help to make it all happen. Huge bucket of gratitude to Carlos Aquino (who has painted sets for every show this year), Rhys Ransford (working on lighting and grip), Evelyn Vizzi (painting), Mark Arneson, Harold Breslow, Thomas Brown, Tommy Brown, Rachel Einstein, Ginny Gendelman, Logan Hannig, Pete McCain, Tracey Willard, and Zara Zaveri (who all build sets and paint), and the talented Melodie Rivers who not only builds sets, but also does the scenic painting.

And thanks in the Costume Shop goes to Charlie Austin, Ellie Birdwell, Emiko Kuwata, Elizabeth Michalak, Shawn Olson, and Sarah Hajmomenian and other YES youth for sewing, stitching, glueing, and creating all sorts of beautiful things.

Lending a Helping Hand

There are so many kind individuals that donate their time and expertise to our theatre to make it run as smoothly as possible. Thanks to our attorney, Joseph Anderson from Manatt, Danny Chavez for all things electrical, Michael Greig for technical support on sound issues, Michael Matus from Concenter Tech for keeping our network up and running, Hollister Starrett for continuing to help out with the Google Workspace, Christina Wolfgram for helping with the website, and Philip McBride who is a wealth of knowledge and always willing to help out with production questions, program design, merchandise and more. Thank you.

Our Members

We simply couldn’t be the Morgan-Wixson Theatre without our incredible Members. We are deeply grateful for our long-time members—some of whom have been part of our family for over fifty years—and we warmly welcome all the new members who have joined us in the past year. As we continue to grow our community, we look forward to expanding our membership base and strengthening our connections.

To everyone who has joined the Guild: thank you. Your support keeps the spirit of our theatre alive, and we are honored to have you as part of our journey. If you would like to be a part of the Morgan-Wixson, consider joining HERE.

The Board of Directors

Much gratitude must be given to the members of the Board: Samantha Barrios, Ariella Salinas Fiore, Cori Goldberg, Rubén Gabriel Hernández, Eve Keller, Amanda Meade-Tatum, Marc Ostroff, Meghan Ripchik, Jonathon Saia, Ann Villella, and William Wilday under the leadership or President Michael Heimos. In addition to having full-time jobs and other creative endeavors, these dedicated volunteers give their time, expertise, talents, and passion to keep our theatre thriving. Without their leadership and commitment, we wouldn’t have a theatre to call home. They are the driving force behind everything we do—leading, organizing, creating, marketing, and innovating every aspect of our productions.

To our Board members and Officers: thank you for your tireless efforts and for making our 78-year journey possible. We are so thankful for each of you!

YES Program

Our successful Youth Programs could not happen without the talents and generosity of so many people. First and foremost, we thank all the YES Moms, Dads & Families who drive their kids to and from rehearsals and shows, bring snacks & treats to the casts, and for all of their help ushering and working behind concessions. Your impact on our theatre family is immeasurable.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to an extraordinary leader at our theatre: Eve Keller, the talented and endlessly organized VP of the YES Program. When she’s not directing, teaching, leading, or producing, you’ll find Eve hard at work in the YES closet or Scene Dock, cleaning & organizing. Her dedication and passion are the heartbeat of YES, and the program wouldn’t be what it is today without her inspiring leadership.

And Eve couldn't do her job without her cohort, Cori Goldberg who works tirelessly producing shows, wrangling volunteers, overseeing the Youth Council as Advisor, and being the liaison for the social marketing. Cori could call the Morgan-Wixson her second home.

We are grateful to Karin Kline and Jess Cashin for producing this year. Our heartfelt thanks also go to our talented directors, choreographers, and music directors—without whom the magic on stage simply wouldn’t happen. Heaps of thanks to: Jess Cashin, Lauren Johansen, Cybelle Kaehler, Eve Keller, Rachel Lamell, Michael Marchak, Kristie Mattsson, and Martha Thatcher. Your passion, creativity, and dedication shape the next generation of performers, and we are so thankful for each and every one of you!

Thanks to Jeanne Anderson, Rachel Einstein, Rosa George, Nicki Sebastian, and Mary Sehl for all they do!

Props to the prop makers for our YES shows, Elizabeth Michalak, Nathalie Moss,and Rachel Newlander who find the most creative ways of making magic happen.

So appreciative we have the creative talents of Lauren Drzata who continues to design our posters, programs, and other marketing materials. Always adding some color and sparkle to our promotional materials. THANKS Lauren.

Our YES Workshops couldn't happen without the teachers, thank you to Jess Cashin, Katie Herling, Michelle McGregor, Kristie Mattson, and Martha Thatcher.

Todd and Emiko Kuwata and Evelyn Vizzi are champions, always willing to help out with both YES and MainStage shows, even when their children aren't performing. We tip our hat to them.

And we thank the YES Committee who make it all happen. Made up of folks we have thanked above as well as Youth Members, Chase Kline and Walden Sullivan.

Staff

We must recognize some essential members of our theatre family who keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. Thanks to: Box Office and Facility Manager, Scotty Cullen; Bookeeper, Anne Gesling; and Janitor, Felix Schmittdiel. Though they’re not volunteers, their commitment and devotion to our little theatre are truly appreciated, and we’re deeply grateful for all they do!

The New Lobby

After many, many years, we were finally able to renovate our theatre lobby and restrooms. It could not have been done without the donations from so many members of our theatre community who will be recognized in the programs all year long in 2025. Eighty-six parties donated to the fund, and we are grateful to each and every one of them. A special thanks to The Fiore Family, Anne & Larry Gesling, The Vizzi Family, Marc & Shaina Ostroff, The Klein Family, Thomas & Anne Laskey, and Kasi & Rob Peters for their generosity. To everyone who donated to the Fixin' the Morgan-Wixson Campaign, Your generosity and belief in our mission help us bring the magic of theatre to life.

The lobby would not have been completed without designer Michael Heimos, contractor Matthew Benware, curtain maker, Jill Sergeant, and the help of Cori Goldberg, Dana Grueber, Chris & Eve Keller, Nathalie Moss, Howard Nugent and Bill Wilday for the paper dispensers, new vacuum, wallpaper install, lobby monitor, electrical install and great support. We are deeply grateful for each and every one of you. Your hard work, creativity, and passion have transformed our space into something truly special!

The Outdoor Lounge

Our Outdoor Lounge (also known as the driveway) got a great sprucing up, thanks to the members of Boy Scout Troop 34 - and we can't thank them enough! It was long overdue.

They spent two weekends pulling up all the weeds, cleaning out the drains, then they filled in the many cracks and divots, painted the side wall a base green to be livened up soon, added a switch for our cafe lights, and more. We are so grateful to: Scout parents Tim & Lori Counihan, Tim Overbeck, Marty Huchinson, Matthew Counihan, Page Jackson, Yahir Lopez, Sarah Fotis, Anthony Wong and the AMAZING Boy Scouts, Aidan, Alan, Alec, Beckett, Brice, Deniz, Eli, Ethan, Evan, Frank, Finn, Frederick, Kai, Miles, Ruby, and Zachary. You really made a difference.

Play Reading Committee

Our theatre could not produce the incredible shows you see without the tireless work of our Play Reading Committee. They comb through hundreds of scripts, thoughtfully narrowing it down to a select few for the Board to consider each season. Thank you Melanie Anthony, Isabella Benning, Amanda Meade-Tatum, Elijah Green, André Heimos, Ruben Gabriel Hernandez, Peter Ocko, Meghan Ripchik, and Magan Yantko and their Chairman of the committee, Jonathon Saia whose ability to balance artistic integrity with the needs of our community ensures that each show is thoughtfully curated for a successful season.

We are deeply grateful to these dedicated members for their passion, insight, and hard work. Your efforts shape the heart of our theatre, and we appreciate you more than words can express!

The Shows

We cannot forget the talented actors and creative artists who bring each show to life on our stage. A huge thank you to directors Zoe Lesser, Niko Montelibano, and Meghan Ripchik, along with their entire casts, designers, and creative teams, for an exceptional year of theatre.

Your creativity, vision, and dedication have made this season unforgettable. We are deeply grateful for the magic you create and the stories you bring to life.

Before we Close

It truly takes a village, and if we have forgotten anyone, we sincerely apologize. Every contribution, big or small, is deeply appreciated. If you’re interested in volunteering and becoming a part of the magic that happens on our stage, please reach out to volunteers@morgan-wixson.org.

But before we finish, we do have a few more thank you’s to make. Harold Breslow for his advice and council, Ruben Gabriel Hernandez for heading up our DEI Committee and making sure we are accountable to our mission and goals, and remain actively committed to casting inclusive shows that reflect our real world community. Ariella Fiore for organizing and catering the terrific Opening Night Parties this year. Emily Walker and Mira Keller for covering in the Box Office when we need it. Meghan Ripchik and Ruben Gabriel Hernandez for putting together Karaoke Nights and other activities for our audiences. Ann Villella for putting together our Member Activities, AND for producing the Geoffreys for us this year (don't have your free ticket yet? RSVP above). We are so lucky and thankful to have Miriam Billington, Joel Castro, Scott Cullen and Marlies Hartmann take our photos and share their photographic talents with us for our archives. THANK YOU Miriam, Joel, Scotty and our other photographers who keep our memories.Lastly, we are grateful to our Rentals, who help us pay the bills. We are a cultural hub, a theatre for the community, and we are grateful for all who are a part of our little theatre on Pico.