The Players

Staff

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  • drew@nantucketperformingarts.org

    Drew Kowalkowski is an arts leader, producer, and changemaker with over fifteen years of professional experience spanning nonprofit and commercial theatre, from Broadway to regional and community theatre stages across the country. 

    Most recently, Drew has served as Director of General Management & Special Projects for the Indiana Repertory Theatre, Chief Operating Offer for Thompson Turner Productions (The general management firm behind the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, Company, Leopoldstadt, and Merrily We Roll Along), and Operations Manager for The Westside Theatre off-Broadway. 

    Raised in rural Washington State, Drew founded Wheatland Theatre Company—the only nonprofit arts organization in a county of 10,000 people, 30 miles from the nearest stoplight. Through an innovative guest artist program, WTC paired professionals with local volunteers, transforming the region’s arts scene. By its tenth season, WTC was the sole arts organization in Eastern Washington to receive National Endowment for the Arts funding, with 30% of audiences traveling one to two hours for sold-out shows.

    He holds an MFA in Theatre Management and Producing from Columbia University and is passionate about helping future leaders chart new paths for American theatre, most recently serving as an adjunct faculty member at Gonzaga University. With a reputation as an ambitious and people-driven leader, Drew builds organizations that harness the passions of arts workers, embrace change as a strategy—not a reaction—and use technology to streamline operations, freeing creative energy to create unforgettable experiences for audiences.

  • mary@nantucketperformingarts.org

  • tony@nantucketperformingarts.org

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Board of Directors

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  • Chris is originally from Charlottesville, VA. and found his way to Nantucket when his wife Margaret brought him here when they first began dating.  They became summer residents in 2012 and their three daughters grew up on Nantucket acting and singing across the island at The Dreamland, Theatre Workshop, White Heron, and On the Isle.  Chris and Margaret live in Boston but spend as much time as possible on Nantucket.  Chris is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard Business School and has spent the majority of his career as a Senior Partner at Bain & Company where he founded and leads their music, restaurant, and education practices.  Chris serves on the University of Virginia Arts Council, the board of TNTP and the Good Jobs Institute, and as a Senior Advisor to Endeavor Global. 

  • Aspiring to be an actor but one with a steady income, Franci became a trial lawyer at Susman Godfrey for over twenty years. Back in her heyday, one of the Houston publications called Franci one of the litigators “who men fear.”   She is an ardent champion of the arts, sitting on boards of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and The Menil Foundation, a founder of the Houston Cinema Arts Society and an advisory director of the Metropolitan Opera.   In Nantucket Franci has served on the boards of the Nantucket Historical Association and the Nantucket Film Foundation.    

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  • Jim was born in Boston and raised in downstate Illinois. He attended a Jesuit boarding school in Wisconsin, Boston College and the University of Virginia Law School, all the while dabbling in theatre when his schedule permitted. This proved to be a perspicacious move as he helped cast his future wife, Alice, in a Spring 1974 production of Pajama Game in Alexandria, VA. They were married before year-end. Jim served as an attorney in the Justice Department from 1974 to 1982. It was during that time that Alice brought Jim to Nantucket. They loved the Island so much that they bought a home in 1981. In 1982, Jim left Justice for private practice and spend the next 25 years litigating large tax cases in the federal courts. During this time, Jim and Alice joined Sankaty and built a home in ‘Sconset where their daughters grew up each summer. Jim has also served on the Sankaty Head Foundation Board and the Rising Time Preschool Board here on the Island. Jim’s avocation is golf; a lot of it.  Jim and Alice live in Charlottesville, VA in the off-season.

  • A native of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Espo is a lifelong musician who soaked in music from all angles while earning a B.A. in journalism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.   A long-time summer resident, Espo and his family moved to Nantucket fulltime in 2023.  Espo has had a wide-ranging career in the music industry including Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Nashville, CEO of WEA (Warner Music Group’s sales and marketing division), executive roles at Polygram and Island Def Jam Music Group, and chairman of the boards of the Country Music Association and the T.J. Martell Foundation.  Espo’s Warner Music Nashville artists have had 80 chart-topping singles, dozens of gold and platinum sales certifications, and GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, Billboard, AMA and People’s Choice awards ranging from New Artist to Entertainer of the Year.   Espo has also been honored with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement in music, the music Innovator of the Year Award, and an honorary doctorate of music from Monmouth University.

  • Robin is a native New Yorker--born in New York City and grew up in Westchester County and Manhattan.  She graduated from The University of Chicago, where she met her husband Jay, and earned her law degree from Cardozo Law School.  Robin and Jay have been married for almost 48 years and first visited Nantucket on their honeymoon in 1977. They have lived many places but Nantucket is their favorite place to call home.  For many years, Robin performed in, co-wrote, and co-produced the Annual Kenwood Show in Chevy Chase.   She served on the board of the White Heron Theatre Company, was a founding member of On The Isle, the Sconset community theater, and has served on the board of the Sconset Civic Association.   Robin is a National Garden Club Flower Show Master Judge and a Master Gardener and is a member of the Nantucket Garden Club, the Sconset Casino,  and Great Harbor Yacht Club. 

Artists Advisory Board

We’ve assembled an impressive array of seasoned professionals on our artistic advisory board, and their collective commitment to leveraging their connections and talents provides a powerful catalyst for propelling the organization forward.

  • CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Scout Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird” (2018). She has also received Tony nominations for her roles in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (2005), “Peter and the Starcatcher” (2012), “The Glass Menagerie” (2014), and “Mother Play” (2024). Her other theater credits include “A Parallelogram,” “Bachelorette,” “Little Fish,” “The Oldest Boy,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” and “A Small Fire.” Her film and television credits include appearances on “The Gilded Age,” “Bull,” “Louie,” “The Good Wife,” “Nurse Jackie,” and “Good Behavior.” Celia has won both an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award. She has performed in several shows on Nantucket and cherishes her time on the island.

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  • AMANDA CHARLTON is a NYC-based producer and director known for her leadership in nurturing new plays. She spent a decade at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, where she served as Artistic Associate and Artistic Director of the Professional Training Program, working alongside influential leaders like Roger Rees and Jenny Gersten. Some of the places she’s directed include the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Atlantic Theatre Company and The Geffen Playhouse. Amanda developed new work at Juilliard, NYU

    Grad, Manhattan Theatre Club and The Kennedy Center, and she has collaborated on several plays with Molly Smith Metzler. Amanda spends her summers with her husband and daughter on Nantucket.

    She also served on the board of SPACE on Ryder Farm, a residency program supporting playwrights and artists.

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  • NINA HELLMAN is an Obie-winning actress best known for her work off Broadway in productions like “Greater Clements” at Lincoln Center Theater and “Trouble in Paradise,” for which she received an Obie Award. She also received a Lortel nomination for “The Internationalist” at the Vineyard Theatre. Her television credits include roles on “The Blacklist,” “New Amsterdam,” and “Nurse Jackie,” and

    she appeared in the film “Wet Hot American Summer.” With a BFA in Theatre from NYU, Nina is an associate artist with The Civilians and serves on the board of Clubbed Thumb. Nina has performed in many

    productions on Nantucket and she and her husband, Jeremy Shamos, are summer residents in Sconset.

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  • JUDITH IVEY is an acclaimed American actress and director with two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in “Steaming” (1981) and “Hurlyburly” (1984). Her notable film credits include “The Lonely Guy,”

    “The Woman in Red,” and “Women Talking.” On TV, she starred in “Down Home” and “Designing Women.” Originally from Texas, Judith has a strong connection to the arts community on Nantucket, frequently involved with local theater initiatives on the island.

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  • MARY SEIDEL - After graduating with a BFA in Acting from USC, Mary lived and worked in LA for ten years and was a member of Steppenwolf West. On island she worked as an actor for both White Heron and TWN. An assistant director for WHTC for six main stage shows as well as a Development associate and head of patron relations. Now a Boston based actress and an Assistant Creative Producer at Dwight Street Book Club. Mary and her husband (Island Native & restaurant owner) bought a home on Nantucket in 2020 and looks forward to raising their two girls on the island throughout the year.

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  • LOUISA THOMPSON (set designer) NYC credits: Playwrights Horizons; Elevator Repair Service; Soho Repertory Theatre; The Play Company; Target Margin Theater; Clubbed Thumb; Rattlestick Playwrights Theater; Theatreworks USA; The Foundry Theater Company; MCC Theatre. Regional credits: Berkeley Repertory Theatre; Center Theatre Group; Arden Theatre; Bard Summerscape; The McCarter Theatre; The Papermill Playhouse; Shakespeare Santa Cruz; La Jolla Playhouse; The Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis; Philadelphia Theatre Company; Geva Theatre; Triad Stage; The Empty Space Theatre; Yale Repertory Theatre; The Juilliard School. M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama. Associate Professor at Hunter College New York.

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  • CAROLYN CANTOR is a New York-based director specializing in new work. Her New York credits include productions at Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, and Vineyard Theatre. She has directed regionally at Pasadena Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. Carolyn developed work at O’Neill Playwrights Conference and Sundance Theater Lab. Awarded the Joe Callaway, Boris Sagal and Drama League Fellowships, she holds a Dartmouth degree and an NYU MSW, balancing directing with psychotherapy, focusing on arts and social justice. She is a graduate of

    Dartmouth College and is the mother of two daughters. Her family has a home on Nantucket.

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  • ELIUD GARCIAS is a NYC-based actor with theater credits including “72 Miles” at Roundabout and “The Night of the Iguana” at Signature Theatre. His TV appearances include “Law & Order SVU” and

    “Boardwalk Empire,” and he features in films like “Hands of Stone” with Robert De Niro. A Princeton graduate, Eliud began acting after a successful advertising career. Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Eliud

    has twins, a son and a daughter, with his husband of more than 20 years. His family has deep roots and love for the magical place that is Nantucket, having owned a home on the island since the 1980s. He

    is currently in pre-production for two feature films.

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  • NICHOLAS HUSSONG is a talented designer with Broadway credits including “Skeleton Crew” (Tony Nomination). Off-Broadway, he worked on “Skeleton Crew” and “These Paper Bullets!” (Drama Desk

    Nomination). He also contributed to productions like “Wet Brain” (Obie & Lucille Lortel award) and “On That Day in Amsterdam” (Drama Desk Nomination). Hussong’s diverse work spans the Atlanta

    Opera, Nashville Symphony, and international locations. He studied Design at the Yale School of Drama, focusing on Projection Design

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  • KEIRA NAUGHTON is a NYC-based actor known for her versatile performances. She has appeared on Broadway in productions like “The Rivals,” “Dance of Death,” and “Three Sisters,” and Off-Broadway in “These Paper Bullets!” and “Hunting and Gathering.” Regionally, she has worked at prominent theaters such as the Yale Repertory Theatre, Old Globe, McCarter. Her television/film credits include appearances on “Law & Order: SVU,” and “Blair Witch 2.” In addition to her acting career, Keira is an accomplished director, with credits including productions like “Curve of Departure” and “Cedars” at the Berkshire Theatre Group. She holds an MFA from the NYU Graduate Acting Program.

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  • JEREMY SHAMOS is a Tony Award-nominated actor celebrated for his standout performance in “Clybourne Park,” which also earned him Drama League Award and Lucille Lortel Award nominations. His Broadway credits include appearances in productions such as “Noises Off,” “The Assembled Parties,” and “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Off-Broadway, he has been recognized with an Obie Award for “Engaged” and a Drama Desk Award nomination for “Animals Out of Paper.” His television credits include recurring roles in “Better Call Saul” and “Nurse Jackie,” along with guest roles in series like “The Affair” and “Elementary.” In film, he’s known for roles in “Birdman,” “Magic in the Moonlight,” “ Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “The Big Sick.” Jeremy and his wife, Nina Hellman, are summer residents on Nantucket. His television credits include recurring roles in “Better Call Saul, ““Nurse Jackie,” “Only Murders in The Building,”“The Gilded Age” and “Succession” along with guest roles in series like “The Affair”, and “Elementary.”

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  • MARK SHANAHAN is the artistic director of Westport Country Playhouse, having assumed the position in February 2024. Since 2018, Mark has curated the Playhouse’s Script In Hand series. Shanahan wrote and directed “A Sherlock Carol,” an Off-Broadway hit and New York Times Critics’ Pick, and directed “Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” at Alley Theatre. He is also the author of “A Merry Little Christmas Carol” “See Monsters of the Deep” and “The Dingdong.” Additional theaters Shanahan has worked include: Virginia Stage, Arkansas Rep, White Heron, Mile Square Theatre, and Orlando Shakespeare Festival. Additionally, he has appeared on and Off-Broadway as an actor.