Staff

Darby Lunceford, Executive Director, is an accomplished arts professional and administrator with a career spanning over 25 years in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Working in various disciplines including theatre, opera, dance and orchestral, Lunceford started his career in the arts in New York City working on a multitude of marketing and advertising campaigns for Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. He has worked with numerous arts organizations all over North America in a variety of roles from marketing services to consulting. Locally, he was most recently the Executive Director at The Phipps Center for the Arts, and prior to that role served as Chief Marketing Officer at MN Opera and Director of Marketing and Communications at Children’s Theater Company. He received his BFA in Theater Studies with a minor in Communications from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Justin Hooper, Production Director, cherishes all things dramatic. He began his professional career as a Stage Manager for Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, NY. He survived two seasons but ultimately succumbed to home-sickness and returned to his home in Minneapolis, MN to accept a job as a Scenic Artist for The Guthrie Theater. A decade and a half later, he is proud to join the Lakeshore team. As a freelancer, he identifies, first and foremost, as a scenic designer but his wide range of experience also includes lighting, sound, props, performing, directing, and producing.

Kivan Kirk, Artistic Programs Manager, is a Georgia Peach raised in the Midwest. Kivan is a graduate of Iowa State University, who upon earning their degree in Acting/Directing moved to New Hope and founded 21/40 Productions with their best friends - a company dedicated to new work in intimate spaces. Simultaneously, Kivan has been operating as a Teaching Artist/Director/Production Manager in and around the Twin Cities, organizing quality theatre experiences for thousands of passionate students.

Charliey William Lansing Libra, Business & Revenue Manager, graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato, where the typical season included 16 full shows a year: so Lakeshore is comparatively quite calm. Since then, Charliey has appeared mostly in original works such as room enough and Veneers, both of which premiered at the Phoenix Theatre in Minneapolis. Like most theatre people, he has explored a variety of careers including high school costume design, nonprofit conversation facilitation and complaints management for an infamous bank- basically he is a professional cat herder, so Lakeshore is a perfect fit.

Sara Brabec, Patron Services Coordinator A jack-of-all-trades, a theatre enthusiast, and a volunteer extraordinaire, Sara is excited to be working at Lakeshore Players Theatre and creating a welcoming experience for all to enjoy. Sara has a background in Early and Elementary Education, but is most often found around the stage playing the roles of backstage volunteer, president of her community theatre’s board, and even on the stage herself (most recently seen as Mrs. Potts in Masquers Theatre’s production of Beauty and the Beast). When she isn’t around the stage, you can find Sara on an adventure with her incredible husband, their three spectacular children, and the best puppies in the world.

Laini Devin, Programs Coordinator, is a Twin Cities-based actor, teaching artist and theatre administrator. Since graduating from the U of M - Twin Cities with a BA in performance and creation, she has worked on stage and off with Ashland Productions, Children’s Theatre Company, Hennepin’s Spotlight Program, Lyric Arts, MN Opera, Park Square Theatre, Prime Productions, The Black Hills Playhouse, The Playwrights’ Center, The Zephyr Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Theater Latté Da, Yellow Tree Theatre, and more. Laini is passionate about musicals, new works and theatre for young audiences, and is thrilled to return to LPT as a part of the admin team (you may recognize her from Singin’ in the Rain or La Cage). When not at work, you’ll find Laini at home with her cuddly, yet demanding cat Mika.

Quinn Masterson, Programs Coordinator, is a freelance actor and director in the Twin Cities and has collaborated on stage and off with companies such as Artistry, The Guthrie Theater, Theatre 301, Commonweal Theatre, Ashland Productions, Hennepin's Spotlight Program, Eagan Summer Theatre as well as the Old Globe in San Diego. Quinn also collaborates with the theatre students at Park and Woodbury High Schools. He received his BA in Theatre Performance and Stage Management at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Proudly hailing from Whitewater, WI, Quinn finds immense joy in working at Lakeshore, where the enchanting proximity to the lake adds an extra layer of inspiration to his life and work.

Board of Directors

PEGGY WITTHAUS, PRESIDENT (Grant) Marketing/Key Customer Engagement, Genentech, Inc.

STEVE RITT, VICE PRESIDENT (Grant) Chief Financial Officer/ Vice President Commercial Lending

PRIYA JAIN, TREASURER (North Oaks) Company Director of Creative Kids Academy

DIANE NIXA, SECRETARY (North Oaks) Vice President of Advancement at The Ordway Center for Performing Arts

J.P. BARONE, GOVERNANCE (White Bear Lake) Retired MN Assistant Attorney General, Actor 

GARY F. ANDERSON (Hugo) Retired Pastor, Incarnation Lutheran Church, Shoreview

DR. BETSY BUEHRER (Mahtomedi) Retired Director of Corporate Occupational Medicine, 3M

DENNIS CONROY (Hugo) Retired Licensed Psychologist

TERRI DRESEN (White Bear Lake) Director of Communications, Met Council

FRANK MABLEY (Minneapolis) Attorney specializing in family law, state planning and civil litigation

TRACEY MONTGOMERY (White Bear Lake) President/Owner, Montgomery Appraisal

TARA RUSSELL (Minneapolis) Human Resource Director, Daikin Applied America