WVTC's Board of Directors, Staff and Advisors

Board of Directors:

Farid Ben Amor (Treasurer)

Farid's passion for WVTC finds its roots at the intersection of social justice and the arts. Demonstrating injustices, whether historic (something Watts is certainly rich with) or current, requires input that moves humans fundamentally at their core: a story. As a former professional in political advocacy and a current professional in the media industry, Farid sees the parallels and the way one form feeds into the other, which in turn directly impacts all of us. That is why he believes in this amazing theater company in Watts. Farid grew up in the San Fernando Valley, where he now lives, and went out of state for college and for work in Washington, DC.

David Catanzarite David is both a practicing artist and an expert theatre educator. He has directed more than 70 professional and college productions on both coasts and worked as a resident artist in (the new) South Africa and (the former) Czech Socialist Republic. In 1998, he was Artistic Director of the West Coast Bertolt Brecht Centennial Festival. Catanzarite has served full-time on the theatre faculties of Pomona College (Claremont, CA) and Towson University (Baltimore, MD). He has been an adjunct faculty member at Stanford University, UCLA, the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, CSU San Bernardino, CSU Northridge, and four California community colleges.  Catanzarite served on the committee that wrote California's first Visual and Performing Arts Content Standards, and currently leads professional development and trainings for teachers throughout the state. He has taught theatre at every grade level in the California public schools, including two years as a high school teacher, three years as a traveling elementary theatre coach, and five years as a middle school performing arts department chair. From 2002 to 2006, he was the Visual and Performing Arts Advisor for Los Angeles Unified School District's Local District 7, which serves 82,000 students at schools in Watts and South Central Los Angeles.

Raquel Cinat
Raquel Cinat is the Associate Vice President of Southern CA at California Emerging Technology Fund

Derrick Everett (Secretary) With a background in both the arts and the law and experience with domestic and international advocacy, Derrick Alan Everett serves proudly as a communications and policy associate at the progressive public policy firm of The Raben Group. There, he almost exclusively serves nonprofit organizations, including national and regional media, diversity and civil rights groups. His duties include a range of strategic planning work, communications and online advocacy campaign services, and grassroots and grasstops advocacy. He also assists with coalition building, public outreach and engagement, and public policy development. Derrick remains committed to WVTC because of the importance the organization places on diversity of expression and representation through the arts, and of the demonstrated success WVTC has had in innovating within the world of theater.

Karen Lascaris (Chair) Artist and author Karen Lascaris is owner of Lascaris Design, which specializes in revitalizing brands through innovative vision and product development. Formerly a director at companies such as Polo Ralph Lauren and Charles David, Karen’s most cherished projects involve community. Her book “In Our Own Image: Treasured African American Traditions, Journeys, and Icons” pays homage to post-war African-American community life, and helped spearhead redevelopments in her New Jersey hometown. “I grew up in an area which, like Watts, was devastated by riots over 30 years ago. It’s my passion to be involved in artistic ventures like Watts Village Theater Company, which have the ability to rebuild and uplift the spirit of a community.”

Lynn Manning (Co-Founder)*

L.A. based poet, playwright, actor, and former World Champion of blind judo, Lynn has had upwards of a dozen plays produced. His autobiographical, solo play, WEIGHTS, received three NAACP Theater awards in 2001, including Best actor for Lynn. He has since performed WEIGHTS from London to Off Broadway, and from Edinburgh to The Adelaide Fringe. A graduate of LACC, Lynn honed his playwriting skills in Center Theatre Group’s blacksmiths and Mentor Playwrights workshops, and The Actors’ Studio Writers/Directors Unit/West. He currently serves on the Screen Actors’ Guild Performers With Disabilities Committee and Actors’ Equity Association’s EEOC/Western Region.

Judith Moreland (Vice-Chair)

Judith Moreland is an actor and Adjunct Associate Professor of Theater at UCLA. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from American Conservatory Theater. A Los Angeles native, she joined the WVTC’s board in 2008 because she was drawn to its mission to create theater that reflects the diverse cultures of South Los Angeles. "As both an actor and an audience member, I have so often been disappointed in the lack of diversity in LA theater. We're one of the most multi-cultural cities in the world, but you wouldn't know it based on most of the theater that gets produced here. I love that WVTC wants to tell the stories of ALL of LA's communities, and as a board member I have a profound influence on making sure we keep on doing it for many, many years."

Jaqueline Orozco

Jaqueline Orozco is an attorney practicing in the area of labor compliance on public works projects; stop notice actions; and employment related matters. Jaqueline graduated from Yale University and received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Iowa, College of Law. While in law school Jaqueline served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Gender, Race & Justice. Prior to pursuing a legal education, she worked with LAUSD School Board President Jose Huizar where she managed school and community relations surrounding education reform policies and new school construction projects. Jaqueline also worked at Ford Motor Company where she coordinated philanthropic contributions and public relations. Jaqueline is a native of Los Angeles. She grew up in Watts and graduated from David Starr Jordan High School. Jaqueline vividly remembers her first theater experience when she saw a presentation of Federico Garcia Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba through the generosity of community based organizations like the Watts Village Theater Company. Jaqueline understands the power of theater and wholeheartedly believes in the mission of the Watts Village Theater Company to advance works that unite, inspire and mobilize community.

Karen Rushfield

Karen Rushfield has worked in the Los Angeles theater community since 1985. She has created volunteer programs, produced and presented theater and cabaret and developed innovative educational programming. As executive director of Theater LA, she worked with large, mid-sized and small theaters to improve conditions for theaters, producers and audiences. Her broad background in and love of theater as both a vital art form and a tool for education brought her to Watts Village Theater Company, which possesses the potential to transform the community of Watts with its artistic talent and vision.



Julie Siegel Julie Siegel is a special educator in the Santa Monica Malibu School District. She has received her Master's in Education and has a Level II Education Specialist credential in Mild/Moderate disabilities. Her work includes collaboration with education administrators, general educators, and parents as well as development of curriculum and direct instruction for students with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and emotional disturbance. Her responsibilities also extend to the Student Study Support team which serves both general and special education populations. Additionally, she is a member of the district Assistive Technology Committee whose mission is to bring the latest technology advances to students of exceptional need, so they can access general education curriculum with greater fidelity. Ms. Siegel has had a twenty year friendship with founding member, Lynn Manning, co-founder of WVTC. Over those years, she and her family have admired the enormous talent of Mr. Manning for his work as a playwright, actor and writer/performer of the Spoken Word. When he invited Ms.Siegel to participate in his work with the WVTC, it was without hesitation. She viewed this as an opportunity to become involved with an organization that works to advance the education of children in the Watts community in theatre arts as well as develop, produce and perform world-class theatre that addresses the profound drama found in diversity of culture, inequities of economics and rigidity of established institutions. Ms. Siegel looks forward to furthering the growth of WVTC as a nationally recognized theatre organization in one of our countries historic communities.

Leslie Tamaribuchi Leslie Tamaribuchi is a Los Angeles-based educator and consultant working with artists and creative organizations to develop strategies to become sustainable, stronger and more deeply engaged with their communities. Director of Advancement and Enrollment of the Theater School at California Institute of the Arts, Leslie teaches in the MFA producing program, leading coursework on fundraising, cultural policy and the sustainability seminar. From 2005-2011 she organized the annual Arts in the One World convenings with Erik Ehn, bringing international artists, activists and academics together to share art and activist practices. Leslie has represented CalArts as a PALS fellow since its inception. She worked with Cornerstone Theater Company for ten years serving as managing director from 1995 to 2001, producing dozens of experimental, community-engaged, and site-specific theater projects and leading the company’s financial stabilization and growth. She serves on Cornerstone's board and on the board of the Watts Village Theater Company. Leslie holds a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, an AB in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Harvard College and studied at Kyoto University as a Japanese Ministry of Culture Fellow.

Stephen Wang
Stephen Wang is a real estate investor with Xenon Development, a privately-owned real estate company that owns and operates multifamily residential properties in North America and Asia. Prior to Xenon Development, he worked at private equity real estate companies CIM Group and Rockwood Capital. Stephen is committed to WVTC's mission of providing Los Angeles's diverse multicultural communities a voice through theatre and the arts. Stephen graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. He is currently also on the Board of Directors for the Cornell Alumni Association of Los Angeles.




Staff:

Artistic Director, Guillermo Avilés-Rodríguez Guillermo Avilés-Rodríguez was born in Compton, California, and raised in Watts; he has built a solid career around using theatre as a way of exploring issues of social inequality as well as self-empowerment. His study of theatre has taken him all over the Americas and to the Caribbean. Through a Cornerstone Theater Company residency in Watts Guillermo was able to attend the University of Utah (U of U) in Salt Lake City, Utah. There he excelled both academically and artistically. On the academic front, the highlight was becoming a National Hispanic Scholar, and earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the U of U’s conservatory Actors Training Program. On the artistic front he earned the distinction of being the first Chicana/o ever to star in a main-stage production at the University of Utah. Upon graduating from the University of Utah Guillermo was one of eight actors accepted into the prestigious Masters of Fine Arts program at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). At UCSD Guillermo became an active part of the political theatre movement, performing guerrilla theatre shows and political satire on campus and at the famed Ché Café. While at UCSD he devised a plan to study political theatre in La Habana, Cuba in the summer of 2001. His expertise working with at-risk youth lead him to a residency with the nationally recognized Unusual Suspects where he directed and produced plays with paroled and institutionalized youths. He would also go on to freelance work as a theater education specialist, consultant. As a playwright/director Guillermo has worked with the Nationwide ArtsBridge outreach program as well as multiple residencies and collaborations with many after school, teen and social service programs. Guillermo is also a member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. He believes in using drama to help youth channel energies into productive endeavors, as well as a socially conscious, process oriented approach to theater creation. He is a member and consultant with Grupo Apolo one of Los Angeles’ only all Spanish- language theater troupe. He has written and directed many original plays for students from elementary to university level. Some of Guillermo’s directorial and literary highlights include two commissions from Center Theatre Group to write student Discovery Guides for En Un Sol Amarillo and Palestine, New Mexico, as well as directing A Bicycle Country by Nilo Cruz at California State University at Long Beach. Guillermo is the proud Artistic Director of Watts Village Theater Company and was an adjunct professor at College of the Desert where he directed Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, before joining the Los Angeles Mission College as an Assistant Professor of Cinema and Theater.

Managing Director, David Mack A graduate of California Institute of the Arts (MFA, Theatre) and Cornell University (BA, Theatre), David has been active in theatre for over 10 years in Los Angeles, New York, Europe and the Caribbean as a performer, director, and producer. Previously a producer of "Chocolate City," an intercultural showcase connecting Southern California artists of color to the Industry, David was also Founder of Artist Magnet, an online social network connecting theatre artists to shows and venues everywhere. Currently, David is Chairman of LA Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' Empowerment Congress Arts & Culture Committee.  David is also on the board of the Mutineer Theatre Company. David has been the Managing Director of WVTC since 2009 and joined because of his passion for the company's work "Ochre & Onyx" in 2009 and its courage in supporting a strong, complex leading African-American role, young Langston Hughes.

Associate Artistic Director, David Guerra

David Guerra is an actor, director, teaching and performing artist, guiding and mentoring both youth and adults in playwriting and performance. He has worked with some of the most influential arts education providers in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, including The Music Center, Center Theatre Group, Spirit Series, The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, East LA Classic Theatre, Boxtales Theatre Company, Theatre of Will, Enrichment Works, and Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. With the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, David served as both Outreach Coordinator and Program Coordinator in Pacoima, CA, for the City of Los Angeles’ Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program and the Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project (PIDP). PIDP has been recognized as an effective approach in reducing child abuse and neglect in Los Angeles County. In the fall of 2011, David began working with Center Theatre Group as a teaching artist apprentice in their Middle School Playwriting Program. He is currently a teaching artist in theater with the Music Center. Some of his film and television credits include Where the Sky is Born, Committed, Cargo, La Rosa y El Gato, Flor de Naranja, Diagnosis X and Untold Stories of the ER. His favorite stage credits include Desert Aria at Theatre of NOTE; Meet Me @ Metro I & II and Ochre and Onyx, both with Watts Village Theater Company; Dibujos de Nuestra Frontera directed by and performed with James Donlon in Puebla, México; Thirsty City with Theatre of Will; Leyendas de Duende performed with Boxtales Theatre Company in Sonora, México, (Leyendas was selected in the fall of 2009 to join the Music Center on Tour roster); 365 Days/365 Plays with The Mad Scene Theatre Company; Company of Angels’ World Premiere production of Arlington; Working with Attic Theatre; A View from the Bridge, Much Ado About Nothing, The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek, at UCSB; and The Grunt Child at ELAC. David is also a company member of Theatre of NOTE. He received an Associate in Arts degree from East LA College and then graduated with honors and distinction from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. David has actively participated with Watts Village Theater Company as an actor, musician, mentor and volunteer since 2008. He was honored to accept the position of Associate Artistic Director in the fall 2011. He looks forward to contributing to original theatrical productions and engaging the community in Watts through arts education. He is a Los Angeles native.

Advisory Board:
Victor de la Cruz, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Rosie Lee Hooks, Watts Towers Arts Center
Clifton Johnson, Union Bank
Michael Manigault, Bank of America
Debra Piver, Center Theatre Group

Honorary Council:
Chris Anthony, LA Shakespeare Center
Leo Briones, Centaur North Strategic Communications
Gregory Burks, Youth Opportunity Movement LA
Dolores Chavez, Inner-City Arts
Ricardo Antonio Chavira, Actor, Desperate Housewives
Ernest Dillihay, ACE, LLC
Fred Fate, LA Theater Academy, LA City College
Michael John Garcés, Cornerstone Theater Company
Robert McCobb, PhD, The Christian Food Center
Bill Rauch, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Quentin Drew Memorial Society:
Lynn Manning - Chair
David Mack
Leslie Tamaribuchi
* photo credit Christopher Voelker