Lisa A. Tromovitch
Executive/Artistic Director and Founder | Lisa@SPARCtheater.org
Executive/Artistic Director Tromovitch is also a tenured professor in Media X at University of the Pacific. She has over 50 professional directing credits in six states. She began her career at The Old Globe Theater, where she assisted directors Jack O’Brien, Tom Moore, and the late John Houseman in the rehearsal room and Bob Berlinger in the Play Discovery Program. She is a Backstage West Garland Award and Indy Award winner for her direction of Amadeus at PCPA TheatreFest. Most recently she directed The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, and her own adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac for SPARC, as well as Ecce Homo (a new play about performance capture artists) at University of the Pacific. Lisa was awarded a 2010 Innovation Award for “Risktakers and Dreammakers” hosted by the Livermore Chamber. Past President, Shakespeare Theatre Association. MFA, Southern Methodist University; BA magna cum laude, Dartmouth College; Phi Beta Kappa.
Felicity Cowlin
Development Director | Felicity@SPARCtheater.org
Felicity Cowlin is thrilled to embark on her new role as Development Director with SPARC, bringing with her a profound passion for the performing arts and a solid background in arts administration. Felicity holds a BA in Theatre from CSU Long Beach, complemented by a MA in Arts Administration from Rowan University. Her career has spanned several esteemed theaters including South Coast Repertory, Chico Theater Company, and Aurora Theatre Company, where she honed her skills in fostering supportive, creative environments. Felicity is known for her fiery passion for nonprofit work, particularly in the arts sector. She is committed to utilizing her administrative expertise to cultivate a safe, inclusive space that offers opportunities for others to discover joy and purpose through the performing arts. Her dedication is matched by her diligence and creative approach to development and fundraising strategies. Offstage, Felicity swaps playbills for game controllers, costumes, and garden gloves. Whether she’s leveling up in her favorite video game, attending a con in full regalia, or cultivating her garden, Felicity is all about nurturing growth—be it plants, pixels, or potential.
Michael Wayne Rice
Science@Play Program Director
Michael is a graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City, with an M.F.A. in Acting and Directing. He has taught acting at 3 universities (University of Missouri, University of the Pacific and the University of San Francisco). Michael has acted in over 30 productions on stages in Missouri, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. He has been with SPARC for about 20 years, as an actor/teaching artist/director, and has acted on their stage over 9 times. Some of his favorite roles with SPARC include Trigorin in The Seagull, Cloten in Cymbeline, and Jaques in As You Like It. He was commissioned by SPARC to compose a fundraising proposal to implement a summer training program for kids in the Tri-Valley area that coincides with the summer productions. As Martin Luther King Jr, The Mountaintop, was a Theatre Bay Area Editor’s pick, Theatre Bay Area Recommended Production, a SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle “Go See” Pick 2016, as well as Best Production by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominee for their awards series.In 2022 he was nominated for Best supporting actor in a play for his portrayal of Hambone in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running at Marin Theatre Company by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.
Audrey Brooks
Program Manager and Lead Teaching Artist | Audrey@SPARCtheater.org
Audrey Brooks is a Bay Area native who has been in theater for over a decade as an actor, director, and teaching artist. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Drama and a focus in Acting from San Francisco State University. She is the Lead Teaching Artist with SPARC and has taught in several Livermore 2nd grade classes with the So Wise So Young program.
Leslie Martinson
Grant Writer | Leslie@SPARCtheater.org
Leslie Martinson is a freelance director and grant writer. For many years, she was the Associate Artistic Director and Casting Director at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, where she directed the world premiere of The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga by Min Kahng, and audience favorites including Superior Donuts, The Pitmen Painters, and Frost/Nixon. She began her association with SPARC Theater in 2008 directing The Complete Works of Wm. Shakespear, abridged and Lend Me a Tenor in 2011, both at the Concannon Vineyard venue. She is also an executive coach, working with non-profit professionals. Most recently, she directed the world premiere of Jeffrey Lo’s Waiting for Next at City Lights Theater in San Jose.
Stephanie Prentice
Engagement Officer | Stephanie@SPARCtheater.org
Stephanie is a Bay Area Native and has been an AEA member for over 20 years. As an actor, she has worked with many Bay Area theatres including: Marin Theatre Co, Hillbarn Theatre, 42nd Street Moon, San Francisco Playhouse, Shotgun Players, PlayGround SF, and Berkeley Rep. In addition to her extensive work onstage, she is currently the Chair of the PlayGround National Board of Directors, and most recently served as Artistic Co-Director of TheatreFirst in Berkeley. She is a graduate of the Santa Clara University Theatre and Dance program, where she taught as a member of the SCU voice faculty for 12 years. As an educator, Stephanie has also worked extensively in the classroom with students from pre-k through 8th grade. Most importantly, she is Aiden and Devan’s mom.
Board of Directors
Lisa A. Tromovitch
She / Her
President/Producing Artistic Director
- Theater Director and Producer
- Tenured Faculty, past Chair, University of the Pacific, Department of Theatre Arts
- Past President, the international Shakespeare Theatre Association (member 1998 – present)
- Founder Livermore Shakespeare Festival (SPARC), co-founder Maine Shakespeare Festival
Education:
- MFA in Directing, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU
- BA, Magna cum laude, Dartmouth College, Phi Beta Kappa
Volunteer experience includes:
- Executive Committee of Board of Directors, Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Founding Chair, Bangor Region Arts Council
- Selection Committee, Playwrights Foundation, Bay Area Playwrights Festival
- Board of Directors, Dartmouth Club of Greater San Francisco
- University service includes Pacific Humanities Scholars Task Force and Writing in the Disciplines Board
Valerie Jonas
She / Her
Board Chair, 2024-Present
- Chief Development Officer, Axis Community Health (retired, 2010-2022) overseeing fundraising, capital campaigns, and community relations; also part of building/capacity expansion project teams and executive team. Axis serves 14,000 underserved Tri-Valley residents providing medical, behavioral health, dental and support services.
- Past non-profit professional experience includes Regional Director, Jewish Community Federation East Bay and pr/fundraising consultant to Bay Area non-profit organizations.
- Secretary, Board of Directors, Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance
- Member, Livermore Valley Arts Honorary Arts Commission
- Member, Tri-Valley Writers
- Volunteer, Tri-Valley Haven Food Pantry
- Past community board leadership roles include Pacific Chamber Orchestra, J. the Jewish News Weekly, Congregation Beth Emek, and South Florida Epilepsy Foundation
- Resident of Livermore since 1996
- Practicing Yogi and hiker
Education:
- BA, Magna cum laude, English & Religion, Duke University
- American Field Service Scholar from 1974-1975 in Istanbul, Turkey
Elizabeth E. Trutner (Beth)
She / Her
Vice Board Chair
- Practicing Attorney
- Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law
- Certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization since 1995
- Member, Eastern Alameda County Bar Association
- Member, East Bay Trust and Estates Lawyers
- Member, State Bar of California (Member of the Probate and Estate Planning Section)
- President, Livermore Cultural Arts Council
- Past President, Tri Valley Estate Planning Council
- Past President, Mario Pedrozzi Scholarship Foundation
- Past President, SPARC (Livermore Shakespeare Festival)
Education:
- San Francisco Law School, graduated with honors
- Bachelor of Arts, University of California at Davis
G. Bryan Balazs
Co-Treasurer
SPARC Board Member since 2018, Treasurer 2019-2021, Chair 2021-2024
- Resident of Livermore since 1992 and retired from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Past Chair and Board Member, Pedrozzi Scholarship Foundation
- Member and Past Chair, 2018-2021 Measure G Oversight Committee for the LVJUSD
- Extensive involvement with the American Chemical Society (an international scientific professional organization with 150,000 members) including Presidential Candidate, Member of the 2020-2022 Board of Directors, and member of numerous committees and task forces in the areas of education, science advocacy, and career training
- Chair of the 2012 International Chemistry Olympiad hosted by the U.S.
- Application Reviewer for the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, an organization that awards scholarships for exceptionally gifted high school students
- Multi-year participant in science advocacy and outreach events held in the Bay Area at middle and high schools
Education
- Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1992, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- ITT/Fulbright Scholar in 1986 at the University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, Germany
- B.S. in Chemistry in 1985, Washington and Lee University
Steve Lanza
He / Him / His
Co-Treasurer
- Principal, Tri-Valley Advising
- Vice President, Lam Research, a Fortune 300 Corporation (retired)
- Executive Board, Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group
- Board of Directors, Las Positas College Foundation
- Advisor, Las Positas College Business Division, Golden Gate University MBA Program
- Lecturer, Las Positas College Business Division, Golden Gate University MBA Program
Education:
- MBA, Corporate Finance, Golden Gate University
- BS, Finance, California Polytechnic State University-SLOBS, Applied Physics, Columbia University
Ellen Goold
She / Her
Secretary
- Realtor®, Legacy Real Estate & Associates and resident of Livermore since 1999
- Current and past Committee Member of the Real Estate Alliance of Livermore
- Current and Past Facilitator of the Parent Club Information Council School Board Candidate Forum
- Past Secretary and Board member of the Livermore Valley Education Foundation
- Past President of the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District Parent Club Information Council, 2010 to 2019
- Extensive involvement with Measure G and Measure J within the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and Measure P within the City of Livermore
- Member, National Association of Realtors, California Association of Realtors, Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, Residential Real Estate Council
Education:
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Texas A&M University
Laura Batti
She / Her
- Co-Owner/President – Métier Marketing Communications, Inc. (26 years)
- Past President, SPARC (Livermore Shakespeare Festival)
- Volunteer with Shakespeare’s Associates since 2006
Education:
- BA in Photo Journalism, California State University, Fresno
Tony Baylis
He / Him
- Director of Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Programs at Lawrence Livermore National Labs
- 2021 AISES Government Partner Service Award
- 2020 GEM Fellow Program Employer Representative of the Year
- Department of Energy Champion
- Board Member, EmpowHer Institute
- Board Member, Shakespeare’s Associates, Inc, dba SPARC
- Advisor, Livermore Quest Science Museum
- Advisory Board Member, Computing Alliance of Hispanic-Serving Institutes (CAHSI)
- Industry Advisory Board Member, University of Florida Computer & Information Science & Engineering Department (CISE)
- Advisory Board Member at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR) for the Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education (CDE)
- Advisory Council Member, Center for Black Studies Research at University of California, Santa Barbara
- AccessComputing Industry Partner
- Inclusion Allies Coalition Member
- Advisory Committee Member for a Computer and Information Sciences research project at the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Member
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Member
- Member, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH)
Education:
- University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana
- University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana A3 Illinois Technology Global Leadership Program
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Leadership Program
- Cornell University’s Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program.
Apryl Chauhan
She / Her
- American Sign Language Interpreter
- Parent Advocate for Deaf Children
- Parent Advocate for LGBTQ Children
- Public Speaker/Conference Presenter
- Various commercial and TV roles
- Shakespeare and Friends Foundation, Los Angeles – Actor 1996 – 2000
- IMPACT, California – Board Member and Conference Chair 2005 – 2012
- Parent Links, California – Parent Mentor 2009 – 2012
- American Society for Deaf Children – Board Member 2014 – 2015
- Hands & Voices, California – Board President 2013 – 2019
Education:
- California Institute of the Arts – School of Theater
- Ohlone College – Deaf-Centered Interpreting
Lawrence Lagin
He / Him
- Professional artist (2018-present), Resident artist, Bothwell Arts Center, Livermore
- President/Founder, East Bay Holocaust Education Center
- Retired, NIF Deputy Project Manager, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Advisory Board Member, QUEST Science Center
- “Science on Saturdays” Science Program Outreach Founder and Chair
- International Scientific Advisory Committee Member, International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems
- Chairman, International Atomic Energy Agency 8th Technical Meeting on Control, Data Acquisition, and Remote Participation for Fusion Research
Education:
- BS, Applied Physics, Columbia University
- PhD program, Physics, SUNY at Stony Brook
- MA, Physics, SUNY at Stony Brook
- MS, Computer Science, Drexel University
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, Visual Arts, UC Berkeley Extension
Patricia Keer Munro (Trish)
She / Her
- Past and Present SPARC Board member: 2006-2018; 2023-present
- Past Livermore City Council Member (2018-2022)
- Held leadership positions, including President, at Congregation Beth Emek for over twenty years.
- Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutor (1996-2009)
- Volunteer with Jewish Community Relations Council
- Author of Coming of Age in Jewish America (RUP, 2016)
- Independent Sociologist, specializing in culture and religion
Education:
- Northwestern University 1979, BS in Communication Studies
- San Francisco State University 2004, MS in Special Studies
- UC-Berkeley 2014, PhD in Sociology (emphases in culture, religion, and American Judaism)
Mary Sweeney
She / Her
- Property Owner/Manager since 1995
- Co-Chapter Leader, Dining for Women, Livermore Chapter
- Volunteer with Livermore Homeless Refuge since 2014
- Volunteer with Shakespeare’s Associates, dba SPARC, since 2012
- CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) 2009-2012 working with foster youth
- Determined Yogi
Education:
- BS in Mathematics, Cal State Hayward
- Teaching Credential, Cal State Hayward