The Corporation for the Performing Arts – Board of Directors and Biographies of Key Personnel
President: Richard B Abel. Mr Abel served as Mayor of the City of Athens from 1996-2007. His dedication to public service goes back to 1982 when he served for seven years as an at-large member of City Council. Then, from 1990-1995, Mayor Abel was the President of City Council. Prior to his public service, Mayor Abel worked in various accounting positions including auditor for the U.S. Army Audit Agency, a Payroll Supervisor for Ohio University and as Director of Finance for various agencies associated with Ohio Valley Health Service Foundation, Inc.
Vice President: Robert Winters is a semi-retired professor in the Ohio University School of Theater. He resides on a farm outside Athens with his wife Connie and their sons Daniel, Michael and Jonathan. In addition to his design work he has directed many productions for the Ohio University School of Theater including most recently A Streetcar Named Desire in February 2000. He served as a board member, and Artistic Director for the Ohio Valley Summer Theater (OVST) for over 40 years and has directed productions including recent productions of Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Big River, The Wizard of Oz, Grease and Damn Yankees. As an actor he has recently been seen as “Pope Clement” in the School of Theater’s recent production of Red Noses, “Oscar” in Scott Marshall Taylor’s new play Tammicanfly and “Tevye” in the recent OVST 50th anniversary review. He is a former board member of The Directors Company in New York City, a former director of the Ohio University School of Theater and former interim director of the Ohio University School of Film. He was inducted into the Ohio Community Theater Association hall of fame in September of 2000.
Treasurer: John Burns is the recently retired Law Director for Ohio University and, is a graduate of Miami University and the University of Michigan Law School. He joined Ohio University in August 1969 as director of judiciaries, serving in that capacity until 1973. Meanwhile, the Office of Legal Affairs was created in 1971, and Burns was tapped to head that office as well. He also has taught courses in the colleges of Education, Business and Osteopathic Medicine and continues teaching during his retirement. He is also a board member of the Ohio Valley Summer Theater and the Actors Moveable Theater in Athens, Ohio.
Secretary: Karen Chan (OU MFA ’98) in December 1999 performed in Edward Albee’s “Three Tall Women” portraying “B” with Pat Elisar (MFA ’99) portraying “A” and OU Junior, Jessica Colley portraying “C”. Proceeds went to benefit , Sida, an AIDS foundation in Puerto Vallarta , Mexico . This production was directed by George Sherman and Tencha Avila-Friedenberg (MFA ’97). Karen has also directed Susan Glaspell’s, “Triffles” for Wired for Books on the internet and is currently directing and narratoring Lewis Caroll’s ” Alice in Wonderland” for same. Check out the web site:www.tcom.ohiou.edu/books.
Kim Bonewit: playwright graduate from Ohio University and Veteran of the Vietnam War. Kim also serves on the board of Ohio University Credit Union and the Actors Moveable Theater.
Laura Parrotti: Ms. Parrotti received her B.F.A. in acting from the Goodman School of Drama and an M.A. in theater and voice from the State University of New York, Binghamton . She is certified as a teacher of Lessac voice training and more recently has studied and teaches the Linklater approach. She has also trained in the Catherine Fitzmaurice Voice work. Her professional vocal coaching credits include numerous productions at The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and the Contemporary American Theater Company in Columbus , OH . Her professional directing credits include The Oldest Story Ever Told at The Cleveland Playhouse and Bloody Poetry at the Agean Theatre Company in New York City.
Executive Director: Emily Prince is also the Program Specialist of ARTS/West: Athens Community Gateway to the Arts, a performing arts facility with in the City of Athens’ Arts, Parks and Recreation Department. Her professional theater career started when she served as stage manager for The Harold Prince Musical Theatre Program. She was the Associate Artistic Director of The Directors Company, a new play development company in New York City. While in New York she worked as a producer, stage manager, actor, director, casting director, literary manager, and dramaturge. She has worked for The Lark Theater, The National Arts Club, Kesselring Committee Award in Playwriting, and the Harold Prince Musical Theater Program. In 2005 she moved to Athens, OH to serve as the Events Coordinator for ARTS/West. Since it’s opening in 2005 the facility has hosted all of the community theaters in Athens and over 1,500 events serving over 20,000 members of the community per year. She taught intro to theater management at Hocking College, graduated in the inaugural class of Leadership Athens County and serves as Co-Chair of the Leadership Athens County Alumni Network. She also serves on the Ohio Citizens for the Arts board, the Athens County Comprehensive Plan: Heritage, Arts, and Culture Task force, the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau board as a non-voting county representative, The Quilt Barn Committee, and is an Ex-officio member Athens Municipal Arts Commission.
