Seven Individuals Nominated to Board
There are six two-year positions open on the Mason Community Players' Board of Directors. Five members - Jim Cronin, Jay Fultz, Tim Geering, Peyton Hahn, and Sonya Neff - will be seated on the 2023 Board in the second year of their two-year terms. The following members have been nominated to the Board and are seeking to be elected to a two-year term when the Annual Meeting is held on January 7, 2023:
Susan Berger
Nominated by Gail Rudolph
Susan has dedicated 30 years of service to MCP. She has appeared in seven MCP productions, but is more known for her tireless work behind the stage. She is a director and producer, honored with Orchid Awards from ACT Cincinnati. Her other off-stage credits include technical direction, stage crew, stage manager, set decor, lighting, sound, costumes, props, tickets, box office, program editor, and usher.
Susan is also a Grace Campbell Recipient (2006) recognizing all of her work and in the past 16 yrs since receiving this award she has continued to make numerous contributions.
Susan has spent countless hours in support of the group administratively.
Since moving to our new playhouse, Susan has served on the renovation committee and has been instrumental in negotiating contractors for the new building. She is our current treasurer and has spent countless hours revising our accounting and reporting system. She has served as treasurer for 7 yrs of the thirteen years she has served on the board. This is a very time intensive job that she is willing to take on once more, if elected to serve again. Susan's continued dedication over many years, her skills in theater, administration and business and her years of experience on the Board make her an excellent candidate to serve again.
Tessa Catlin
Nominated by Laureen Catlin
I would like to nominate Tess Catlin for a seat on the Board of Directors for 2023-2024.
Tess has served on the Board previously for a total of nine years, 5 of those years as Secretary and 4 as Treasurer. Tess is familiar with all aspects of theatre having produced three shows, directed one, stage managed four, and participated in numerous other capacities. She has performed on stage; done costumes, props, set decor, set construction, lighting design, lighting execution, and stage crew; as well as served as Box Office Manager, Lobby Display creator, and Program Editor.
Tess has served on Communications Committee, Finance Committee, and the Grant Sub-Committee. She is the coordinator of PlayBook Club and has been a co-coordinator of Garage Sale fundraisers. She is a mainstay at the tennis tournament parking and has been involved with numerous fundraising events.
Tess brings experience and dedication to the administrative aspects of MCP. She would be a great asset to the Board in the upcoming years.
Mary Stan Fizer
Nominated by Eric Grimm
Mary Stan is one of Mason Community Players unsung heroes, but is one of our most dedicated and loyal members. She tends to stay out of the spotlight, but be assured that she is hard at work behind the scenes. Whether it is organizing props and furniture, cleaning restrooms, mowing the lawn, landscaping, house managing, or working on the lobby; she is getting the job done. Because of her proven commitment to MCP, talent, and hard-work she earned the Dallas and Helen Bower Award in 2016.
Mary Stan walked on to our stage in 2007 as the House Manager for the first time for My Fair Lady. House Managing has become her specialty and she has won many Orchids and nominations for shows including The King and I, Murders Bad, but Monday Can Kill You, Enchanted April, and her most rewarding Orchid for Sentimental Journey: A Salute to the USO. She has done Lobby Display for shows large and small, and won an Orchid for The Foreigner. Her talents go beyond the lobby as she has also won Orchids and nominations for Costume Coordinator and Set Décor. She was also seen on stage in - Do Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, Imagine! Mason and Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens. She is involved in many fundraisers for the group including ATP, LM&M (Thomas the Train, and Murder Mystery Train), just to name a few.
Mary Stan has served as a board member for the past 2 years. She has been part of the Facilities and Style committees for several years. This began her commitment to the outdoor aesthetics with focus on landscaping, mowing the lawn and keeping the theatre clean and tidy. Mary Stan contributed many days during the move from Theatre 42, making several trips to consignment shops, and coordinated selling other items. She has also been a member of the Membership Committee and enjoys planning events to bring MCP together. For the past seven (7) years Mary Stan has coordinated our annual banquet.
Mary Stan is interested in seeing the membership of MCP grow and have people not only perform in our shows, but be active members for years to come. She is a great asset to MCP in many ways. She is dedicated, passionate, hard-working, dependable, brings fresh and new ideas, giver of her time, and seeks unique ways to solve problems. With everything she already does for MCP, she will continue to be a great asset to the board.
Jason Gonzalez
Nominated by Laureen Catlin
I would like to nominate Jason Gonzalez to the 2023/2024 MCP Board of Directors.
Jason is a 16-year member of MCP. He has previously served a total of 7 years on the Board, 2 years as Secretary. Jason takes care to have the minutes of the meetings published quickly and to be certain that they are accurate. He brings a wealth of experience in many aspects of theatre. His greatest strength lies in the area of technical theatre, though he is certainly a very talented performer. But as is the case when we are talking community theatre, we depend a great deal on those who have experience in lighting design, set design, special effects, set construction, lighting tech, sound tech, and technical direction. Jason is adept in all of those areas and is an experienced stage manager. Jason is dedicated to the administrative aspects of MCP. He has dedicated many hours in committees and at fundraising events. He has been a member of Renovation and Membership and has chaired Performance, Play Reading, and IT. He is also the Manager of the Shuttles at our annual parking gig in the North Lot. Jason has served loyally throughout his years with the group and will continue to do so if re-elected.
Lara Gonzalez
Nominated by Julie Poux
In 2021, after the Hell that was Covid, Lara Gonzalez finally moved back to Ohio (*insert cheers*) and was elected to the Board. At that time, she had a desire to serve in an officer’s position (I think she was hoping for Vice President) but what she didn’t expect was that she would be tasked with leading MCP as its President. I am a true believer in God’s providence and even He knew she was the best candidate for the job and MCP has exploded (in a good way) ever since. Her natural go-getter attitude and her leadership skills are second to none and we wouldn’t be in the same position if she wasn’t at the helm over the last 2 years.
One doesn’t need to mention how she was able to secure the purchase of our facility by meeting with members to donate the money needed for the down payment or the hours upon hours it took to work through the financing for the land contract. One also doesn’t need to mention how she has spent countless hours and even days involved first hand in the process of renovating said building. She put in just as much blood, sweat and tears as anyone else in the group – and, man, can she work an auger! And this was all while serving as an official member of at least 4 committees (I think there are more but I’m being conservative) and working with potential renters to secure some much needed income. I haven’t even mentioned yet her work in a myriad of positions both on and off stage since her return. She really does do it all – and she does it so well.
Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the team that she’s built to support her efforts. She has assembled the right people in the right places and gives the right amount of guidance and inspiration to allow them to do things they never thought possible. I mean, who knew I could learn to hang drywall, build walls and lay vinyl flooring? Apparently, she did.
And…she’s not only willing to continue the work she started; she WANTS to continue. And I can think of no better leader right now than her.
With all the skills that Lara brings to the board, only a fool wouldn’t ask her to continue the work she started and allow her to see it through – besides, who, besides her wants to put in the hours upon days of work to finish this immense project. It is with great honor that I nominate Lara Gonzalez for an additional term on the board beginning in 2023.
Julie Poux
Nominated by Jim Cronin
Julie Poux has dedicated more than 16 years of service to MCP and her service has been in almost every role imaginable. Julie has previously served as member-at-large, Secretary, Vice-President, President as well as Committee Chairman (most recently on the Communications Committee). When not working to make MCP a better organization in an administrative capacity, Julie has also taken on just about every role for a production imaginable; most recently staring as Mother Superior in Nunsense, stage managing Belles, and photographer for The Last Five Years. That was just the 2022 shows. Julie also knows how to volunteer her effort and time when it comes to W&S Open parking volunteering for 10+ years and even co-leading the parking. Julie also knows how to volunteer her strength as well as her time and her talent; showing up for almost all of the “renovation Saturdays”, and throwing herself into whatever project needed doing. Whether it was demolition work, construction work and even all the best parts of the new flooring in the lobby and kitchen. If this doesn’t already convince you that she would make a wonderful board member she was also the 2018 winner of the Grace Campbell Award. Julie Poux would be a wonderful addition to the MCP board during our 50th season and with so much work yet to do.
Gail Rudolph
Nominated by Susan Berger
I have had the good fortune to work closely with Gail Rudolph on numerous shows and believe she would be an outstanding addition to the Board of Directors. Gail joined MCP as a cast member of South Pacific in 1997 and has appeared in 25 shows since then. Besides appearing on stage, Gail has been a dedicated crew member having produced six shows, directed one (with another coming up this May), and performing the duties of costumer, set décor coordinator, properties manager, house manager, set designer, and stage crew member for countless shows. She has worked on set construction for numerous shows as well as served on various committees including Communications and Production. She is currently the chair of the Liaison Committee and, this past year, has been instrumental in building a connection with the Mason Deerfield Chamber of Commerce, as well as being our ACT representative for many years. She is an active member of the Ad/Sponsorship Sub-Committee, the 50th Anniversary Committee, and the CKaMP Team and has acted as both an ATP Coordinator and an ATP Supervisor. She previously served on the Board for 11 years, three as Vice-President. Gail is one of MCP’s most active and dedicated members, and we would be lucky to have her as a member of the Board of Directors.
