TCTA Staff

Carole Ries, President & CEO, has been with the Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy since August, 1999, shortly after TCTA moved into our new home. She spent the previous ten years as Executive Director of the Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre. Prior to that Ries spent over sixteen years working with Theatre Memphis. Her love is theatre - whether it is management, acting, directing or producing. She's worked backstage as a stage manager and just about every other volunteer job, including hanging lights and striking a set. Carole has a degree in Speech/Theatre from South Dakota State University. Carole has acting in or directed over eighty plays in many different venues. Her favorites include Woman in Mind, Agnes of God, Parallel Lives and A...My Name Is Alice, for which she won Best Musical for her direction in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1986. She won a Renna Hunter award for her portrayal of Aida in Over the River and Through the Woods on our stage. She has two adult children and four grandchildren. Carole currently serves on the board of directors of the American Association of Community Theatres (AACT). She has served as Hospitality Chair for the American Association of Business Women Career Chapter's Scholarship Luncheon, and as treasurer for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Topeka Chapter. She has also served as Chair of the Children's Theatre Division of the Southeastern Theatre Conference and received a Distinguished Service Award in 1995 from the Florida Theatre Conference, Children/Youth Theatre Division.

e-mail: carole@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 103

Shannon Reilly, Artistic Director, holds a B.A. in Theatre from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and a Masters of Fine Arts degree (M.F.A.) in directing from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He first came to TCTA in 1990 as a guest director from Kansas City to direct Wait Until Dark. He returned the following year to direct The Night Hank Williams Died and was asked to join the staff as Associate Artistic Director in September of 1992. Shannon was named Artistic Director in December of 1993 and has directed over 100 productions for the Topeka Civic Theatre. Past theatre credits include work with the Acting Company of New York, the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, and The Missouri Repertory Theatre in Kansas City. Shannon served as Education Director/Artistic Director of the Blue Lakes Fine Arts Camp of Michigan. He also formed two improvisational comedy companies, Laughing Stock of Kansas City and TCT's very own, Laughing Matters.

e-mail: shannon@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 123

Administrative Staff

Barbara Bruner, Administrative Director, a native Topekan, has been a volunteer at TCTA since 1987 in a variety of capacities: running crew, strike crew, host, house manager, and box office. After spending 30 years at Hall Commercial Printing handling the finances and accounting, she returned to Washburn University to complete her BA in Psychology. She subsequently earned her MS from K-State in Family Studies and Human Services. She joined the TCTA staff in January 2007 and has never before had so much fun at work! Barbara has three wonderful grown daughters: Kris, Deb, and Lisa.

e-mail: bookkeeping@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 104

Linda Falley, Development Director, is from "Our Town," born and raised in the Topeka community. After graduating from Washburn University, she taught in USD 501. Linda is the proud mother of three sons and one daughter by marriage. She was thrilled to receive her first "Grammy Award" in January 2003 when her oldest son declared that she would be called "Grammy" after his firstborn Grace arrived. Linda adores being Grace's Grammy.

e-mail: development@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213

Chelle Decker, Marketing Director, is pleased to promote Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy where she has been a volunteer since she moved to Topeka in 1994 where she completed her two degrees from Washburn University in Theater and Mass Media. She also studied Scientific Illustration and Philosophy at Cambridge University in England.

Chelle’s entire family volunteers at TCTA, occasionally doing shows together. She and her husband, Dan performed together in The Full Monty during the 2006-2007 season and their young son Theodore MacLain made his TCTA stage debut on stage with the family during Christmas 2007 in Scrooge at age 4.

Chelle has performed, directed, costume designed, stage managed, and even played in the orchestra pit on more than 14 different stages in theatres across Northeast Kansas, but is proud to call Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy her home.

e-mail: marketing@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 102

Lynda Denton, Administrative Assistant. After volunteering at Topeka Civic Theatre for over five years, Lynda joined the staff in October, 2005 as Capital Campaign Secretary for the Oldfather/Gage Capital Campaign. What an exciting project to be a part of! She began volunteering at the theatre when her two sons, Don and Dan, were cast in separate productions in the spring of 2000. She has volunteered as house manager, host, receptionist, strike crew, as well as in the costume shop, box office, and for special events. Lynda was born and raised in suburban Chicago, and she and husband Don and their two sons moved to Topeka in 1998.

e-mail: lynda@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 129

Donna Lambrecht, Box Office Manager, started volunteering at TCTA when she performed in her first production – Auntie Mame – in 1984. Since that time, she has served in almost every volunteer capacity – stage manager, running crew, spotlighter, host, house manager, and ambassador. She began her career as a fulltime employee in 1987. “I had no idea that I would be here 20 years later!” She has introduced her entire family to TCTA and you will often see her young daughter Caitlyn or husband Randy performing on our stage as well. She is especially proud that her son, Adam Jenks, is now a fulltime employee and is thrilled he will now be able to share his talents with the youth of Topeka and pass on his own passion for community theatre.

e-mail: donna@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 107

Cathy Kready Smith, Assistant Box Office Manager, joined the TCTA staff in March of 2003 after having been a volunteer for almost nine years. Getting paid to have this much fun is a dream come true! She was born and raised in Topeka, graduating from Topeka High School in 1972, and has spent all but three years of her adult life here as well. Cathy has three children, all of whom share her passion for this wonderful theatre.

e-mail: cathy@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 128

Patricia "Pattie" Homan, Maintenance Supervisor, graduated from Silver Lake High School. She has lived in the Topeka area her entire life. Pattie started working for TCTA in 1999 when the move to our Gage School location was complete. In the beginning, she came to TCTA as a Cardinal employee on loan to us for only three days. She's still here today, and is now an official TCTA staff member. The rest, as they say, is history! Her passion is the Pontiac Trans Am, and her dream is to own one someday.

e-mail: pattie@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213

Artistic Staff

Ted Shonka, Resident Designer and Technical Director, has worked on or acted in well over 200 productions. He received his B.A. in Theatre from the University of Northern Colorado. Ted earned his M.F.A. from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Ted is an accomplished actor and is an adjunct professor at Washburn University Theatre Department. He has performed for and built sets for the Missouri Repertory Theatre, the Unicorn Theatre, the Coterie Theatre and many other theatres around the country. He is married to Amy and, he says, they have way too many animals.

e-mail: ted@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 113

Adam Jenks, Resident Lighting Designer/Studio Designer/Technical Director, started volunteering for TCT at the young age of seven and is thrilled to be working for the theatre he has called home all his life! He graduated from Seaman High School and has been working in technical theatre every since. He was the Technical Director/Facility Manager at the Columbian Theatre, the Production Manager at Topeka Performing Arts Center, and a Technical Lighting Consultant for XS Lighting in Overland Park. He is presently the Light Designer for Dance Factory and the Technical Director for Ballet Midwest. In his spare time, Adam is busy with his lovely wife Nina and their three rowdy Jack Russell terriers.

e-mail: adam@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213

Kate Stires, Costume Designer, started volunteering in the TCT costume shop in 1997 during Gypsy because her daughter, Jamie, was in the show. TCT got into her blood and she has worked on every show since then. She has her degrees from Kansas University in Visual Arts. She took early retirement from JC Penney to take on the full time job as Resident Costume Designer in 2002.

e-mail: kate@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 ext. 125

Jennifer Fletcher, Education Director, has served in that capacity at the theatre since 2002. She received a BA in theatre from Sterling College (in Sterling, KS) in 1993 and an MA in theatre from KU in 2003. Before joining TCTA, she was an admission counselor for Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Fletcher has also acted, directed and choreographed at various community theatres throughout the state. She lives in Topeka with her two crazy dogs, Bogey and Gretta.

e-mail: education@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213

Joanna Daffron serves as Volunteer Coordinator at TCTA. She joined the staff after completing her B.A. in Theatre at Baker University, where she gained experience in directing, acting, writing and scene painting. Jo loves working with the hundreds of dedicated volunteers who make TCTA so great.

e-mail: joanna@topekacivictheatre.com
Phone: (785) 357-5213 Ext. 121

Theatre Club of Topeka Staff

Eddie Shirron, Club Manager, came to Topeka in the summer of 2000 following 31 years service as a soldier in the U.S. Army. Eddie holds a BA in Speech & Drama and a Masters in Military Arts & Science and History. He joined the staff in March of 2003. Eddie is also a volunteer at TCT, both as an actor and stage manager. He is a member of the WTCT Radio Players company. He and his wife, Joan, also a TCT volunteer, have two grown children, Carrie and Greg. Eddie is an avid golfer and hunter, and enjoys the study of the American Civil War. And, he is an amateur wine enthusiast.

e-mail: club@topekacivictheatre.com