MEMBERS OF THE STAFF AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS
STAFF
Gayle Stahlhuth, Artistic Director, is an actress, playwright, producer, and director who is a member of AEA, SAG,
AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild. As such, she has appeared off-Broadway and in regional theater, television, and on radio;
and her plays have been performed at such places as the NYC International Fringe Festival, The Samuel French One-Act
Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, Arvada Center in Denver, the Pennsylvania Stage Company, and the Phoenix Theater in
Indianapolis. In the mid-‘70s she helped to manage a chain of twelve dinner theaters operating out of Charlotte, NC and in
1979 accepted the offer to start a dinner theater in Billings, MT. She performed with ELTC, and from 1987-1997, was on the
Board, filling the duties at various times of President, Secretary, and Treasurer. She also acted in several ELTC productions,
and founder and artistic director Warren Kliewer directed several of her plays. After Mr. Kliewer’s death in 1998, Gayle accepted
the Board of Trustees’ offer, in 1999, to become the next artistic director. As such, she has directed most of ELTC’s productions,
including Four by Four, where she combined four one-acts written between 1847-1913 by Louisa May Alcott, William Dean Howells, William Gillette, and
Elmer Rice. She tours her own one-woman plays based on Louisa May Alcott, Catharine Beecher, Dorothea Dix, Edna Ferber, “Edna” from The
Awakening, “Eve” from the writings of Mark Twain, and her own autobiographical Goin’ Home. She’s been awarded commissions from The National
Portrait Gallery, the Missouri Humanities Council, Theatreworks/USA and other theatres, and grants from the New Jersey Humanities Council and the Mid-
Atlantic Foundation for the Arts. In the early 1980s, she was a pioneer in the artist-in-residence movement, being one of the first theater professionals to
receive a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts in this “new” program designed to put art back into public schools. She is now on The Arts in
Education rosters for New York, New Jersey, Utah, and Wyoming. For her work, she was selected to be one of two hundred artists of different disciplines
listed in the "Directory of Community Artists" published by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lee O’Connor, Technical Director, served in Vietnam, first in the field, and then on stage in Saigon
as part of an Army theater troupe. Back in the States he worked in management for IBM and The
American Institute of Banking, before once more returning to the stage, where he’s worked as an
actor, stage manager, lighting and set designer; and on construction crews. A member of Actors’
Equity, he began stage managing for The East Lynne Theater Company in the mid-‘80s. NYC credits include:
A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden Theatre, a workshop production of an event for Radio
City Music Hall, Liza Steppin’ Out at Radio City, running lights for Pageant, stage managing for Irish
Repertory Theatre and The Staten Island Ballet, and prop master for Penn and Teller Rot in Hell.
Regionally, he has worked at Ivoryton Playhouse, American Stage Company, Centenary Stage, The Bickford
Theater, and The Women's Theater Company. He was road manager for CORE Ensemble, Jose Melina, and NJ Ballet.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Frank Smith, President of The Board, owned The White Dove Cottage in Cape May
for 12 years and is a retired Philadelphia detective.
Patti Chambers is an Equity actress and playwright, who has appeared on tv, film and
stage in NYC, and regional theater.
Peg Curran taught school in Pennsylvania and was a museum teacher at Historic
Cherry Hill in Albany, NY. Currently she manages and develops rental property in
Sea Isle City and Avalon, NJ.
Stephanie Garrett has a BA and MA in Sociology and worked as a Sociologist and
Human Resources manager during her career in Federal Government. Upon early
retirement she received the Meritorious Service Award, the highest award given by the
Department of Navy to a civilian employee. Stephanie is a member of the Greater Cape
May Historical Society and served as President.
Francesca Geores originally lived in Queens, NY, where she developed a love of Board members Clare, Frank, Peg, Ralph, Joann, Steve, Fran
the theater, as well as all things artistic, at an early age. After years of study, she with Gayle and Lee Photo courtesy of Exit Zero
became a fabric artist, eventually teaching the subject for many years. Currently, she works for Cape Savings Bank. Her husband, Joe, is a
theatrical lighting designer. After years of being part-time residents, Fran and Joe settled in Cape May permanently in 1998.
Steve Haas has sung with major symphonic choirs on both coasts and attended Westminster Choir College, Princeton, NJ. He's the manager of
Art Decor Gallery, and Floor Manager for the Whale's Tale, both in Cape May, NJ. He is a Cape May Chamber of Commerce board member.
Clare Juechter was a regional administrator with Federated Department Stores and is now a spokesperson for the Metalware/Nesco Corporation
on QVC during cooking programs.
Mark Edward Lang is a director, actor and designer based in NYC. He is also a partner in the Laughingstock Company; an Artistic Associate of
Harbor Theatre Company; and a B.A. Honors graduate of Vassar College.
Alison J. Murphy holds a B.A. in Literature with a minor in Theater from Ramapo College. She is an actress with a background in classical
theater, who has also taught pre-school and worked with children with profound disabilities.
Joann Oxley, retired, holds an MA in community relations from Glassboro State College and has had over 20 years experience in the public
relations field, including 15 years as director of community relations at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital and a year in Tehran, Iran doing a
company newsletter for American Bell International. In her far past, she taught school and did secretarial work.
Ralph Valeri has performed as a professional actor; was Guild Director for Opera Classics of NJ; former President of the Jersey Performing Arts
Guild; Board Member and Vice-President of the Middle Township Arts Council; and teaches opera appreciation courses.
THE BOARD OF ADVISORS
Geoffrey Merrill Cohen, James V. Hatch, Michele LaRue, Brooks McNamara, Walter J. Meserve, and Don B. Wilmeth
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Should you wish to be a member of the Board of Trustees, let us know! We're always looking for people with new ideas! Meetings are held in
Cape May, NJ at least eight times a year. If you wish to help the company by volunteering to help with box office, ushering, marketing, etc., let us
know that, too! See the "Get involved" page for details
For information regarding Board Membership, Donations, Activities, and Volunteers:
Through e-mail at Eastlynneco@aol.com or by mail at 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204
Phone the company at 609-884-5898
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
