Steven J. Meerdink (Artistic Director)
Steven moved to the Twin Cities in 1981 to pursue theatre opportunities. Since then, he has had the great fortune to work as a performer, costume designer, choreographer and director with many area theatres such as Theatre In The Round, Guthrie, Minnetonka Theatre, Lakeshore Players, Plymouth Playhouse, Centre Stage, Chimera Theatre, Dudley Riggs ETC, Phipps Center for the Arts and Cricket Theatre. Steven has received critical acclaim for his costume designs for Minnie's Boys at Centre Stage; Breaking the Code at Theatre In The Round; and MMT's productions of When Pigs Fly and La Cage aux Folles. In 1989, he assumed the role of Director for Totino-Grace High School's Theatre Program (a role he continues to fill today). Steven held the position of Artistic Director at the Paul Bunyan Playhouse, a professional summer stock theatre in Bemidji, Minnesota, for an unprecedented six summers (1995-2000). As co-founder and Artistic Director of the Minneapolis Musical Theatre, he has directed all of MMT’s productions with the exceptions of Summer of '42 and La Cage aux Folles (in which he played Georges). In 2006, he made his first venture into writing a show (Bitter Boy's Musical Journey From Negative To Positive), which was performed at the 2006 Minnesota Fringe Festival. Steven attended Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa for Theatre Arts and Speech Communications.
Jim Pounds (Managing Director)
Jim began his career in the world of advertising with Media positions at both Foote, Cone & Belding and McCann Erickson in Los Angeles. He subsequently relocated to the Twin Cities where he spent over twenty years with Periscope (formerly Kauffman-Stewart), mostly recently in the role of Media Director/Vice President. In 2004 Jim moved to Lavender Magazine where he spent two years as Corporate Sales Manager. Since then he has provided marketing and public relations support to a number of organizations including Intermedia Arts, Park Square Theatre and Cricket Theatre. Jim was the founding Managing Director and former board member of Outward Spiral Theatre Company and is a frequent performer on Twin Cities stages.
Kevin Hansen is co-founder of the Minneapolis Musical Theatre where he directed the area premiere of Summer of '42, served as musical director for far too many productions to count, and appeared onstage in a variety of MMT shows (including being awarded Best Actor in a Musical, Lavendar Magazine for his portrayal of Albin/ZaZa in MMT's La Cage aux Folles). Kevin is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Morris with degrees in both Theatre and Music and has over 20 years executive experience in the Human Resources field.
Ken Locicero is a recent transplant to the Twin Cities. He is employed as Divisional Merchandise Manager for ShopNBC. Ken holds a Master of Science degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University and has previously served on the Board of American Stage in St Petersburg Florida and the Electronic Retailing Association.
Paul Reyburn is a director and performer who has been seen locally with, among other groups, The Great American History Theater, The Guthrie Theater, Gremlin Theater, Genesis Theater, Theatre in the Round, and the Minneapolis Musical Theatre.
Noel Schenker is a business and marketing consultant who has held executive positions at several consumer-products companies. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management and a BA in journalism from the University of Minnesota. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Halo Innovations, Inc.
Steve Schulz attended The College of the Holy Cross and received a Masters in Healthcare Administration from the George Washington University. He has served in a variety of management and leadership positions within the healthcare industry. Currently, he is Director of the Corporate Internship Program and Business Office for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, a new college preparatory high school for low income students in Minneapolis.
Creg Schumann is a consultant for Digineer, a local technology and business consulting firm. He is also a part-time adjunct professor at a university. Creg received a B.S. in Computer Science from Moorhead State University and a M.S. in Software Systems from the University of St. Thomas. He also serves on the board of Hope House of St. Croix Valley, a home for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.
Debra Stender grew up performing in local theatres such as Off Broadway Musical Theatre, Morris Park Players, Jacob’s Well Theatre, Children’s Theatre and The Guthrie Theatre. She has worked in radio and television and is a professional dance instructor and singer. She is a small business owner and works in communications, marketing and business development. She is currently the Event, Program and Promotions Planner for Gray Plant Mooty Law Firm in Minneapolis.
Daniel R. Tenenbaum is an attorney at Gray Plant Mooty and the Co-Chair of the firm's Entrepreneurial Services Group. He completed his undergraduate study at Brandeis University, cum laude, in 1987 and received his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1990.
Maria Verven's 25-year career in marketing, public relations and communications began at the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and has brought her to many different industries, including healthcare, financial services, technology and non-profit. Maria is currently V.P. of Marketing for Dexma, Inc., a mortgage software company, and she is also a P.R. consultant with Edina Realty. She is a guest lecturer at the U of MN in public relations. Maria holds a B.A. in music from Vassar College.
