SHEILA LEWANDOWSKI
Executive Director
Sheila Lewandowski – Executive Director and Builder of Community
Sheila Lewandowski, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Chocolate Factory Theater for over 27 years, is a powerhouse of arts leadership, a champion for impassioned advocacy, and a builder of community. At the core of Sheila’s work is a steadfast belief in the transformative power of the arts and the resilience of communities.
Under her leadership, The Chocolate Factory secured a permanent home through a successful collaboration with the City of New York in 2017, becoming a cornerstone for experimental performance and community engagement across the borough. Sheila served as artistic collaborator with co-Founder Brian Rogers on the organization’s earliest projects and her vision and tenacity transformed a grassroots endeavor into a cornerstone of experimental performance and local engagement in Queens.
Sheila’s work at The Chocolate Factory (born out of Sheila and Brian’s earlier transient producing corporation theater et al) has directly supported 1000’s of artists and drawn 10’s of thousands of visitors to the theater since its doors opened in Long Island City in 2004. Sheila created the annual Taste of Long Island City, a local economic and community development initiative that successfully raised funds for the theater and ran for 14 years. With over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management and finance, Sheila’s impact extends well beyond the stage. She has touched the lives of so many artists, teachers, colleagues, and community leaders.
Born to immigrant parents and a product of New York City public housing and the public school system, Sheila’s civic engagement is deeply rooted in her family’s and her own journey. Sheila was inspired by the work of her mother running arts and community programming at the Stapleton Houses community center and later running for State Assembly on Staten Island. She is also inspired by her father’s journey to and in the United States after growing up in an orphanage in war-torn Poland. Sheila looks to her parents and the experiences of those before her for strength, connection and hope.
From 1987-2004, Sheila served as Associate Director of the Girls’ Vacation Fund, Inc. working alongside her sister Eva to offer summer experiential education, wellness and mentoring to girls from New York City and Greene County, New York. Sheila remains in contact with many of these young women today.
Simultaneous to the opening of The Chocolate Factory, Sheila became the first Managing Director of the Queens Council on the Arts (QCA). From 2004 to 2006 she reorganized QCA’s operations, fundraising and financial systems. She also attracted new donors to its programming, increasing its budget by over 20%, helping to expand the High School to Arts School Program among other activities.
Sheila’s leadership has earned widespread recognition. She has been named Business Person of the Year by the Queens Chamber of Commerce and Community Leader in the Arts by the Queens Council on the Arts. Other honors include the Elizabeth Coleman Visionary Leadership Award from Bennington College, the Woman of Distinction Award from New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, and proclamations from the New York State Assembly and New York City Council.
Sheila is a member of Queens Community Board 2, where she served on the Executive Committee, Chaired the Transportation Committee and By-Laws Revisions Task Force and now serves on its Land Use Committee. Sheila founded LIC Business Women which ran for five years bringing 100 local business women together to connect, learn from each other and advocate for their needs from local, state and federal agencies. Sheila served on the NYS Long Island City Downtown Revitalization Fund panel in 2024, Sunnyside Yards Steering Committee for four years, and many other community projects. She is a founding Board member of New Yorkers for Culture and the Arts and has just returned to its Board in 2025.
Sheila’s insight and leadership are often sought after on panels and in classrooms, having served as a guest professor at the Academy of Theater & Dance in Amsterdam and Marymount Manhattan College. She has also been a speaker for organizations including Van Alen Institute, Dance/NYC, LIC Partnership, Biznow, WNYC and many others.
Whether she advocates for artists, mentors future leaders, or shapes cultural policy, Sheila leads with passion, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to social impact. Her journey is far from over—she remains a vital force in the ongoing story of arts and culture in Queens.
Sheila is the middle daughter of three and remains deeply connected to her sisters and her family. Her sisters Eva and Andrea and their spouses Nathan Thompson and Louis Siegel (respectively) reside in Brooklyn. Sofia, David, Alexander and Matthew are the next generation of the family to whom Sheila is devoted.
REGINE PIETERS
Associate Director of Development
Originally from the Caribbean island of Curaçao, Regine Pieters is an arts administrator, producer, choreographer, dancer, and woodworker, currently serving as Associate Director of Development at The Chocolate Factory Theater. With a background in both performing and organizing, Regine brings a holistic perspective to the arts—supporting artists not only through creative collaboration but also through meaningful infrastructure and development work. She holds a BFA in Dance from Belhaven University and has performed in works by Elizabeth Dishman, Vincent Hardy, Marc Wayne, Sung Yong Kim, and Faizah Grootens. Regine also studied contact improvisation with the late Nancy Stark Smith. She has served on panels for NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, DanceNYC, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange. Since relocating to NYC in 2018, Regine has discovered a deep passion for the logistical side of performance-making. She’s held roles in administration, producing, development, and management at Gibney Dance Center, Center for Performance Research, Dishman + Co. Choreography, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Bessies, and New Yorkers for Culture and Arts. In her current role, Regine longs to make nonprofit funding more equitable, with a focus on supporting underrepresented communities. With a deep appreciation for both the performing and visual arts, she is committed to fostering sustainability and expanding opportunities for artists within arts institutions.
DANIEL FISH
Daniel Fish is a New York-based director who makes work across the boundaries of theater, film, and opera. He draws on a broad range of forms and subject matter including plays, film scripts, contemporary fiction, essays and found audio. His 2019 production of OKLAHOMA! transferred to Broadway from St. Ann’s Warehouse and won the Tony Award for Best Musical Revival. His work has been seen at theaters and festivals throughout the U.S. and Europe including The Walker Arts Center, PuSH, Teatro Nacional D. Maria, Lisbon/Estoril Film Festival, Vooruit, Festival TransAmériques, Noorderzon Festival, The Chocolate Factory, The Public Theater’s Under The Radar, Opera Philadelphia/Curtis Opera Theater, American Repertory Theater, Richard B. Fisher Center at Bard College, Yale Repertory Theater, McCarter Theater, Signature Theater, The Shakespeare Theater Company, and many more. He is graduate of Northwestern University’s Department of Performance Studies and has taught at The Juilliard School, Bard College, Princeton University, and The Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Daniel is the recipient of the 2017 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts for the Theater.
NEIL GREENBERG
Neil Greenberg came to New York from Minnesota in 1976 and danced with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1979-1986. He is known especially for his “Not-About-AIDS-Dance,” which employs his signature use of projected words as a layering strategy that provides doors into “meanings” in the dance, while also raising questions about the nature of meaning-making. He has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and two Bessie Awards, repeated fellowships from the NEA and NYFA, a fellowship from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, a NDP Production grant, a Doris Duke Creative Exploration Award, and repeated support from the MAP Fund and NYSCA. He has created two works for Mikhail Baryshnikov’s White Oak Dance Project. Greenberg is currently Professor of Choreography at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School, and has previously taught at Purchase College, Sarah Lawrence College, and UC Riverside. He served as dance curator at The Kitchen from 1995-1999. His most recent project, To the things themselves! (The Chocolate Factory, 2018) continues his interest in the move away from representation toward an experience of the performance moment in and of itself. Most recently he created “The Disco Project” Installation, recontextualizing documentation of his1995 work for exhibition at Greene Naftali (NYC, 2021) and White Columns (NYC 2022).
JIMMY VAN BRAMER
Secretary
Jimmy Van Bramer is a dedicated public servant and community advocate, known for his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of residents in New York City. Born and raised in Astoria, Queens, Jimmy’s passion for public service was ignited at a young age, driving him to pursue a career focused on serving others.
With a background in public policy and community organizing, Jimmy Van Bramer has dedicated his career to advocating for progressive change and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities. As a former New York City Council Member representing the 26th District, Jimmy played a pivotal role in shaping legislation and initiatives aimed at promoting social justice, affordable housing, LGBTQ+ rights, and cultural diversity.
Throughout his tenure, Jimmy Van Bramer has been a fierce advocate for equity and inclusivity, championing causes that empower marginalized groups and promote equality for all New Yorkers. His leadership and vision have earned him widespread recognition as a tireless advocate for social change and a steadfast ally for those in need.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Jimmy Van Bramer is deeply passionate about the arts, culture, and education. As a strong supporter of the local arts community, including the Chocolate Factory, he has worked tirelessly to promote cultural initiatives and expand access to the arts for all residents. Jimmy believes in the transformative power of education and is committed to ensuring that every child has access to quality educational opportunities – including the arts – that unlock their full potential. During his 12 year stint as chair of the Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, the arts and libraries saw record increases in funding.
Jimmy Van Bramer is guided by a firm belief in the importance of empathy, compassion, and justice in creating a more equitable society. He believes in the power of community engagement and collaborative action to address the most pressing challenges facing our city and build a brighter future for generations to come.
Currently, Jimmy Van Bramer continues his advocacy work through various initiatives aimed at promoting social justice, youth and economic empowerment, and civic engagement. His ongoing public service includes his role as an executive with the Girl Scouts of Greater New York, serving as Vice President of the City’s Public Design Commission, as well his service on the boards of the Queens Public Library and the Chocolate Factory.
Whether through grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, or community outreach, he remains dedicated to fighting for the rights and well-being of all New Yorkers.
Jimmy lives in Sunnyside Gardens with his husband Dan Hendrick. Legally married in 2012, the couple are together for over 25 years.
BRIAN ROGERS
Artistic Director
Brian Rogers, Co-Founder / Artistic Director is a director, video and sound artist, co-founder and artistic director of The Chocolate Factory Theater, which supports the creation of theater, dance, music and multimedia performances at its post-industrial facility in LIC, Queens. Since 1997, Brian has conceived and/or directed numerous large scale films and performances at The Chocolate Factory and elsewhere including Small Songs(2023), Screamers (2018), Hot Box (September 2012, co-presented with FIAF’s Crossing The Line Festival / January 2013, PS122’s COIL Festival / February 2013, EMPAC Center, Troy NY – supported by a MAP Fund grant), the Bessie-nominated Selective Memory (July 2010, Mount Tremper Arts / September 2011, The Chocolate Factory / January 2011, PS122’s COIL Festival) and the horror the horror (Movement Research Festival 2011, Abrons Arts Center / 2012). Brian recently completed his first feature film; composed the soundtrack for Shaun Iron & Lauren Petty’s film Standing By: Gatz Backstage; and has collaborated as a sound and video artist with numerous experimental dance and theater artists in NY and elsewhere. Brian is a MacDowell Fellow, and has had residencies at Yaddo and Mount Tremper Arts. In addition to his own work, Brian curates The Chocolate Factory’s artistic programming (now in its 19th year) which supports the work of more than 100 theater, dance, music and interdisciplinary artists each year.
Brian has recently taught at Kenyon College, University of Michigan, University of Colorado, Long Island University, The School at The Art Institute of Chicago, St. Johns University, Carnegie Mellon University, Sarah Lawrence College, The New School, New York University, Princeton University and others; and has served as a panelist / recommender for NYSCA, Queens Council on the Arts, Fresh Tracks, NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Creative Capital, Pew Charitable Trust, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Yaddo, the Macdowell Colony, and others. He is a graduate of Bennington College.
VALLEJO GANTNER
From 2019-2023, Vallejo Gantner served as Artistic Executive Director of the Onassis Foundation USA, an innovative programming foundation based in Athens with satellites in New York and Los Angeles. Artistic Director of Performance Space 122 (now Performance Space New York) from 2005-2017 and a consulting curator for BAM and Theater de Welt. A board member of Myer Family Investments, and Jianguo, both diversified investment companies based in Melbourne. He is currently engaged in driving these toward a new strategy of sustainable investment.
The Chocolate Factory Theater is an artist-centered organization, built by and for artists. Co-founders Sheila Lewandowski and Brian Rogers began making work together in 1995 and quickly saw the need for a creative home to support their work and the work of fellow experimental performance-based artists. The Chocolate Factory therefore has grown and developed within and through a creative process that centers the development of new work, as guided by makers.
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MOE YOUSUF
Moe Yousuf is a Pakistani-American arts leader, creative consultant, and theatermaker. He’s currently the Director of Development at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and has 12 years of experience in non-profit arts management, including BRIC Arts Media, Abrons Arts Center / Henry Street Settlement, Target Margin Theater, SPACE on Ryder Farm, The Foundry Theatre, and The Billie Holiday Theatre. He has sat on panels / advisory groups for the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, HERE Arts Center, WP Theater, and Silk Road Rising Theater and is a former Board Member of The Alliance of Resident Theaters of New York (ART/NY). MFA, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, 2011. MBA, Columbia Business School, 2025.
FRANK WU
Vice President
Frank Wu has lived in NYC the last 9 years, being in LIC/Queens the last four years. Prior, he lived 2 years in Boston, 3 years in Chicago, and usually tells folks he’s from California/Bay Area where he went to college/high school, although he also grew up in the MidWest for part of his life. He strongly feels NYC is the best City having lived and traveled in a lot of places, and is a busy single parent raising a 6 year old while also involved in local community issues, learning muay thai, and working in a fast-paced software technology industry that is constantly changing.
GERARD MINAYA
Assistant to the Executive Director
Born of Dominican parents who migrated to New York City in the late 70’s, Gerard Minaya has found and explored roots as an artist and administrator, with passions in community organizing and supporting ideas and institutions that provide resources to uplift black, brown, indigenous, fem, queer, trans, immigrant and disabled communities. They began their artistic journey from very young, only to be later introduced to studying theater and dance in programs like Side Street Kids Inc. (Bronx, NY), MCC Theater Youth Company (NYC), Camp Broadway (NYC), high school at Idyllwild Arts Academy (Idyllwild, CA), and later obtaining their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at University of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA). Upon receiving their BFA, Gerard has choreographed their own works and danced for companies and artist run collectives like Ballet Hispanico’s BHdos, Curet Performance Project, Pioneers Go East Collective, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company, and jumatatu m. poe & Donte Beacham’s Let ‘Im Move You: This is a Formation at Abrons Arts Center, to name a few. Simultaneously, Gerard has delved into arts administration within production and program supporting roles in organizations like BAAD! Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, Hi-ARTS NYC, and Pentacle (Dance Works Inc.). They’re very excited to learn from and support The Chocolate Factory Theater as the new Assistant to the Executive Director.
SHANA CRAWFORD
Production Manager
Entangled as a lighting designer, production manager, teacher and dance artist, Shana Crawford’s work in all forms cultivates structures of support and celebration. She collaborates with Lime Rickey Intl, Jessie Young, Juliana May, Jaamil Olawale Kosoko, Laurie Berg, Madeline Best, marion spencer, Stephanie Acosta,, and Yanan Yu, among others. You can find her at the Chocolate Factory Theater, producer of three of LMCC’s River to River Festivals and frequent collaborator with AUNTS. She has worked with Body Cartography, danceBARN and Hyp-ACCESS, and was a guest teaching artist at Young Dance, Headlong Institute, Sarah Lawrence and Bennington Colleges for performance and lighting. Her visual work has been presented with Slow Burn, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, LINOKINO and with ANTE mag’s Home Room group shows. Shana has a degree in dance and mathematics from Bennington College, a certificate in Mathematics from BSME in Budapest, Hu., and a masters of science in education from the Bank Street Graduate school. Shana orchestrates the Sometimes Together group and her work has been shared in NYC, MN, VT, HA, PA, MA, Italy and Spain. See more at sortofhere.com.
MADELINE BEST
Director of Operations
Madeline Best grew up in Durham, North Carolina, and has lived in New York City for the last 17 years. She studied dance at Bennington College and has been a lighting designer for over 20 years. Her recent design projects include collaborations with Moriah Evans, Yve Laris Cohen, Heather Kravas, Ursula Eagly, Milka Djordjevich, Efrian Rozas, luciana achugar, Andrea Kleine, Anne-B Parson/Big Dance Theater, and many others.
Madeline brings her many years of experience working collaboratively with dance, theater and interdisciplinary artists to her administrative practice – using project management, collective visioning, and creative problem-solving as the bases for her approach to organizational operations.
In more than 15 years at The Chocolate Factory Theater, Madeline has held diverse roles ranging from Production Intern, to Production Manager, to her current role as Director of Operations. In addition, Madeline brings her experience as a working theater artist to The Chocolate Factory Theater’s current capital design and renovation project. Her unique perspective has helped to guide the project while simultaneously prioritizing ease of use and optimized functionality of the facility.
SHANIYAT CHOWDHURY
Director of Development
Shaniyat Chowdhury was born and raised in Queens, NY. He dedicates his life to public service having served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps until 2017. As an experienced political organizer and activist, Shaniyat worked with his neighbors to address social issues affecting communities in NYC, and he helped raise funds for political campaigns. Shaniyat received his Bachelor of Science in Sociology from CUNY John Jay College, and is completing his masters thesis on the influence of art and globalization at the Graduate School of Arts & Science at New York University.
ANGIE PITTMAN
Angie Pittman is a New York-based dance artist, maker, and educator. Her work has been performed at The Kitchen, Gibney Dance, BAAD!, Movement Research at Judson Church, Triskelion Arts, STooPS, The Domestic Performance Agency, The KnockDown Center, The Invisible Dog(Catch 73), The Chocolate Factory, Danspace Project, and Roulette. Angie has had the pleasure of being able to create collaboratively with A Sef, Jasmine Hearn, Jonathan Gonzalez, Athena Kokoronis, and Anita Mullin. She holds a MFA in Dance and Choreography from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a graduate minor in African American Studies and is a certified Professional teacher of the Umfundalai technique. Her choreographic work has been supported by Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant and residencies through Tofte Lake Center, Movement Research, New Dance Alliance Black Artists Space to Create, and Djerrassi. Angie’s work resides in a space that investigates how the body moves through ballad, groove, sparkle, spirit, spirituals, ancestry, vulnerability, and power. As an educator, she is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Marymount Manhattan College.
JERRY LASPISA
Jerry LaSpisa is a Vice President, Branch Manager for M&T Bank’s Business Banking Center located in the rapidly growing areas of Long Island City, Queens. He has been an active community member since the office broke ground back in 2007. He supports organizations such as the Long Island City Partnership, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Queens Economic Development Corporation, and the Sunnyside Chamber to name a few. Currently responsible for Business Development, Commercial and Residential Lending, Consumer Banking, and the daily operations of the Long Island City branch. He is very well respected and loved by his colleagues, clients, and by all the local communities he has helped and served. For over the past 25 years in Banking, his successes are attributed to all the hard work and the wealth of knowledge he shares with others seeking his guidance. Not to mention, a proud resident of Queens for 50 years – born and raised. He earned a degree in Finance from Baruch College – Zicklin School of Business.
DIANA MANALANG
Hospitality industry veteran Diana Manalang brings more than a decade of experience to her two Long Island City businesses, Little Chef Little Kitchen and Little Chef Little Café. Building on expertise developed in marketing for brands like Swarovski and restaurant management, Diana brings a passion for food and customer care to everything she does. Prior to launching her own businesses, she helped develop restaurant and food hall concepts while also playing a pivotal role in the success of the Bareburger Group, where she rose to the position of Managing Partner. Ready to build something of her own, Diana started working as a private chef and caterer, launching Little Chef Little Kitchen in 2018. Working as her own boss allowed Diana to take a personalized approach to creating dishes and menus that are tailored to every type of event from intimate celebrations to large catered affairs. Launched in 2019, Little Chef Little Café brought a new breakfast and lunch option to fast growing Long Island City, where she also introduced dishes drawing on her Filipino-American heritage. Showing Diana’s resilience in the face of business challenges, she pivoted to selling prepared meals for adults and kids during the pandemic while the café became a to-go destination. Building on the success of the prepared meals, Diana now supplies healthy lunches to a number of neighborhood schools. Diana’s charity work includes sitting on the board of Sprouting Scholars, an organization dedicated to children’s education abroad, since 2015 and as a current member of the junior board of the Food Education Fund, a nonprofit supporting culinary-focused public high school students in New York City.
CHRIS AJEMIAN
Trustee
Chris Ajemian parlayed his writing and directing career into CATES, a global advising, education, and innovation firm based in New York and London.In 2016, Chris was recognized by The Chocolate Factory with its inaugural “Artist in Industry” Award for his creative contributions to the education field. His creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive toward innovation find kinship at The Chocolate Factory, of which Chris has been a proud Board Member for almost a decade.
DIANE EISENSTAT
President
Diane Eisenstat has over twenty years of experience with digital packaging and delivery of global financial data, information and news. As Vice President of Product Management at McGraw Hill Financial she increased revenues over $100M by developing new strategies to package and price content and devising methodologies to protect intellectual property. She is President of the Board of The Chocolate Factory Theater, and Assistant Treasurer of Town & Village Synagogue in Manhattan.
STEPHEN FACEY
Trustee
For 22 years Stephen Facey served as the Executive Vice President of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine where he had administrative responsibility for the Cathedral’s array of cultural, educational, and social outreach programs. He also coordinated the Cathedral’s preservation and capital improvement initiatives. He is a trustee of the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund, the New York Preservation Archive Project, Movement Research, and The Chocolate Factory Theater.
JONATHAN KRATTER
Treasurer
Jonathan Kratter is President and Chief Architect of Applications Integrations LLC working as a senior systems architect with more than 20 years experience designing and implementing enterprise- scale computer systems on the Unix and Microsoft platforms for clients such as Pfizer, Forest Labs, Omgeo, Japan Tobacco International, Trius Therapeutics, and The Yankee Group. Earlier Jonathan was a Senior Architect at Merrill Lynch Enterprise Technical Services division where he worked on the Corporate Product Master and with Global Equity Derivatives. Before Merrill Lynch Jonathan was lead architect for Global Broking Services at Marsh & McLennan and prior to that Jonathan was a consultant to Texaco Inc for the Middle East Far East Division.
ALTON MURRAY
Trustee
Alton Murray retired from Con Edison where he managed relationships with Arts and Culture and Environmental nonprofits organizations. Alton is an ardent patron of the arts. He currently chairs the board of Company SBB, and continues to support emerging artists with an interest in women artists making work on paper.
MARY TORRES
Secretary
Mary Torres has happily called Long Island City home since 2009 when she bought an apartment in Citylights – LIC’s first waterfront luxury high-rise condop. Mary joins Modern Spaces with over two decades of combined experience as a business developer and community banker. It’s her love of the community combined with her professional experience in client and business development, which compelled her to pursue real estate in Long Island City.
ANTONIO RAMOS
Antonio Ramos was born and raised in Puerto Rico where he trained in jazz, salsa and African dance. He later received a B.F.A. in Dance from SUNY Purchase. Antonio began his career performing with Ballet Theatre of Puerto Rico, Ballet Hispanico of New York, Ballet Concierto and Ballet Municipal (PR). His choreography has been produced at Hostos College, The Kitchen, New York Live Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, SUNY Purchase, BAAD!, Dixon Place, P.S. 122, Joe’s Pub, Danspace Project, Lexington Center for the Arts NY, DanceNow Downtown, and many more. Recently, he presented work at the American Realness Festival at the Abrons Arts Center, presented the world premiere of Almodovar Dystopia at Dixon Place, was commissioned by the High Line , and premiered Part 2 of El pueblo de los Olvidados at The Chocolate Factory Theater. Antonio is also a Licensed Massage Therapist, Zero Balancing, and a certified instructor-practitioner in The Feldenkrais Method.
TRACY CAPUNE
Trustee
Tracy Capune is Vice President of Kaufman Astoria Studios. A key member of KAS’s team, Ms. Capune oversees the Studio’s expansion plans as well as initiatives to further economic growth in the neighborhood surrounding the Studio. Ms. Capune played an integral role in creating the Studio’s backlot, managed the development of the Stage K building and was a key team member in developing The Marx, a 33-unit condominium building. She recently led the successful drive to designate the area surrounding the Studio as the Kaufman Arts District. Ms. Capune is now overseeing the Studio’s latest expansion project, building Stages O and N.
Prior to joining KAS, Ms. Capune spent eight years as a Managing Director at Stadtmauer Bailkin LLP. She is a graduate of The American University and earned a Masters in Urban Planning from New York University. Ms. Capune is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Queens Theatre, the Queens Economic Development Corporation, The Chocolate Factory Theater, RIOULT Dance and the Kaufman Arts District.
MARCUS HAGENBARTH
Bio to follow…
MARY ROSE LLOYD
Trustee
Mary Rose Lloyd is a curator of performing arts, recognized for her expertise in family and young audiences programming and for her passion in supporting the creation of extraordinary work for audiences of all ages by innovative artists across all disciplines. She is currently the Director of Artistic Programming at The New Victory Theater in New York – a leading arts presenter dedicated to championing outstanding theater, dance, music, circus, and puppetry arts for kids, their families and classmates. During her tenure, several shows have won and/or been nominated for Tony, Obie and Drama Desk Awards. In 2012, the New Victory received a special Drama Desk Award for “providing enchanting, sophisticated children’s theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people.”
Mary’s work at the New Victory has been recognized by Time Out New York: “There’s more sheer inventiveness and wonder in a single New Victory season than in most venues combined.” She has been instrumental in bringing the work of bold international artists including the nouveau cirque and physical theater prodigies James Thiérrée and Aurélien Bory (France), the aerial dance company of Brenda Angiel (South America), inventive theater groups Kneehigh and the Young Vic (England) and the National Theatre of Scotland, Catherine Wheels, and Visible Fictions (Scotland), powerhouses Circus Oz and Belvoir (Australia), puppet auteurs Improbable and Blind Summit (UK) and the intensely fresh Ontroerend Goed (Belgium) to the attention of U.S. viewers and programmers. She has regularly supported and programmed works from important American companies as well, including Rennie Harris RHAW (Philadelphia), Black Violin (Miami), Lookingglass Theatre Company and Steppenwolf Theatre Company (Chicago), Children’s Theater Company (Minneapolis), Seattle Children’s Theater (Seattle), and New Yorkers Phil Soltanoff, Tectonic Theater Project, Mabou Mines, Ping Chong + Company, The Acting Company, Fiasco Theater and Don Byron, among others.
An accomplished speaker and frequent panelist and juror, Mary has attended numerous arts festivals and conferences as an invited guest and as part of various international delegations for curatorial research. Her writing has been featured in Inside Arts and TYA Today, as well as on other platforms. She has been a board member of TYA/USA (formerly ASSITEJ USA) and International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY) and was the Chairman of IPAY’s Artist Showcase Selection Committee. In 2014, Mary received the Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award, IPAY’s highest honor for making a significant impact on the field of performing arts for young audiences.
Mary has served on the curatorial selection team for the Made in Scotland program at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was a delegate to the U.S./Netherlands/Flanders Touring and Exchange Project as well as a member of the East Coast Advisory Board for the US COMEDY ARTS FESTIVAL. She has served on grant giving and funding panels, including for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour.
Most recently, Mary was a selected juror for the 37th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, a respondent for the Southeastern Theater Conference (SETC), a member of the Artistic Advisory Committee of Circus Now, and a member of the Board of Directors of The Chocolate Factory Theater in New York. In January 2017, Mary received the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP).
Previously, Mary programmed the Special Events Series at the Yale Repertory Theater and served as its Associate Managing Director and was the Managing Director and a Board member of Connecticut’s Ensemble Company for the Performing Arts. She has an MFA in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama where she received the Morris Kaplan Award for Excellence in Arts Administration.
RYAN SUDA, ESQ.
Vice President
As a partner in the Banking & Finance practice at Mayer Brown LLP, Ryan focuses in particular on securitizations of institutional leveraged loans, known as collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), which provide funding to the corporate credit market.
In addition to CLOs, he advises clients on regulatory issues in relation to securities laws, the US risk retention regulations and the Volcker Rule, and has experience in derivatives, secured and unsecured credit facilities, private placements, asset finance and acquisition finance.
