MEMBERS OF THE STAFF AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND ADVISORS
STAFF
Gayle Stahlhuth, Artistic Director, is an actress, playwright, producer, and director who is a member of AEA, SAG,
AFTRA, and the Dramatists Guild. As such, she has appeared in off-Broadway and in regional theater, television, and on radio;
and her plays have been performed at such places as the NYC International Fringe Festival, The Samuel French One-Act
Festival, Manhattan Theatre Club, Arvada Center in Denver, the Pennsylvania Stage Company, and the Phoenix Theater in
Indianapolis. In the mid-‘70s she helped to manage a chain of twelve dinner theaters operating out of Charlotte, NC and in
1979 accepted the offer to start a dinner theater in Billings, MT. She performed with ELTC, and from 1987-1997, was on the
Board, filling the duties at various times of President, Secretary, and Treasurer. She also acted in several ELTC productions,
and founder and artistic director Warren Kliewer directed several of her plays. After Mr. Kliewer’s death in 1998, Gayle accepted
the Board of Trustees’ offer, in 1999, to become the next artistic director. As such, she has directed most of ELTC’s productions,
including Four by Four, where she combined four one-acts written between 1847-1913 by Louisa May Alcott, William Dean Howells, William Gillette, and
Elmer Rice. She tours her own one-woman plays based on Louisa May Alcott, Catharine Beecher, Dorothea Dix, Edna Ferber, “Edna” from The
Awakening, “Eve” from the writings of Mark Twain, and her own autobiographical Goin’ Home. She’s been awarded commissions from The National
Portrait Gallery, the Missouri Humanities Council, Theatreworks/USA and other theatres, and grants from the New Jersey Humanities Council and the Mid-
Atlantic Foundation for the Arts. In the early 1980s, she was a pioneer in the artist-in-residence movement, being one of the first theater professionals to
receive a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts in this “new” program designed to put art back into public schools. She is now on The Arts in
Education rosters for New York, New Jersey, Utah, and Wyoming. For her work, she was selected to be one of two hundred artists of different disciplines
listed in the "Directory of Community Artists" published by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Lee O’Connor, Technical Director, served in Vietnam, first in the field, and then on stage in Saigon
as part of an Army theater troupe. Back in the States he worked in management for IBM and The
American Institute of Banking, before once more returning to the stage, where he’s worked as an
actor, stage manager, lighting and set designer; and on construction crews. A member of Actors’
Equity, he began stage managing for The East Lynne Theater Company in the mid-‘80s. NYC credits include:
A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden Theatre, a workshop production of an event for Radio
City Music Hall, Liza Steppin’ Out at Radio City, running lights for Pageant, stage managing for Irish
Repertory Theatre and The Staten Island Ballet, and prop master for Penn and Teller Rot in Hell.
Regionally, he has worked at Ivoryton Playhouse, American Stage Company, Centenary Stage, The Bickford
Theater, and The Women's Theater Company. He was road manager for CORE Ensemble, Jose Melina, and NJ Ballet.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Frank Smith, President of The Board, has been an ELTC Board member since 1994, serving mostly as President during this time. He's a retired
Philadelphia Police Detective (1962-1990), and a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. From 1962-1971, he also served on the Pennsylvania
National Guard, and from 1975-1980, owned a retail furniture store. He was co-founder of the Pennsylvania Automobile Crime Investigators
Association, and developed the Training Programs for Police Agencies from around the Mid-Atlantic Region and the Philadelphia District
Attorney's Office. In 1990, he purchased The White Dove Cottage B&B in Cape May, which he owned until 2002. He served on the Board of
Directors for The Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May from 1990-2002 (as Treasurer from 1990-1992) and served as Treasurer and
President of Historic Accommodations of Cape May from 1990-2002. In 2002, The Cape May County Chamber of Commerce presented him
with an award for all of his good works that have helped to the positive growth of Cape May, NJ.
Patti Chambers is an Equity actress and playwright, who has appeared on tv, film and stage in NYC, and regional theater. For eight years, she
taught theater workshops, in schools and during the summer, with the nonprofit Community Outreach Dance Network in Cape May.
Marguerite Chandler, a social entrepreneur, who has founded more than seven non-profit organizations, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in
Guatemala (1966-68) and volunteered with the Missionaries of Charity (1981) in Calcutta, India. She has received many awards, being named
"Person of the Decade in 1989" by the "Courier News," listed in "Who's Who 2002 Business Leaders" by Business News New Jersey, and chosen
as a NAWBO "Woman of Inspiration" in 2006. She's an accountant by training, has had her own human relations training and consulting business,
and ran a large industrial park in central Jersey for 25 years. She has chaired several capital campaigns, created successful fundraisers, and
facilitated board trainings and strategic planning retreats.
Karen Case Cook's first love is the Theater. She is a director and an actor whose work encompasses both New York and regional theaters as
well as Beijing, China. Karen earned a BA Degree in Bacteriology from Ohio Wesleyan University and worked with Medical Research teams in
Connecticut and New York.
Peg Curran taught school in Pennsylvania and was a museum teacher at Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, NY. Currently she manages and develops
rental property in Sea Isle City and Avalon, NJ.
Mark Edward Lang is a director, actor and designer based in NYC. He is also a partner in the Laughingstock Company; an Artistic Associate of
Harbor Theatre Company, and a B.A. Honors graduate of Vassar College. He conducts theater workshops for ages high school students on
up.
Alison J. Murphy is a NYC and NJ-based actor who has experience with working with students with special needs.
Lee O'Connor (see above)
Joann Oxley, retired, holds an MA in community relations from Glassboro State College and has had over 20 years experience in the public
relations field, including 15 years as director of community relations at Burdette Tomlin Memorial Hospital and a year in Tehran, Iran doing a
company newsletter for American Bell International. In her far past, she taught school and did secretarial work.
THE BOARD OF ADVISORS
Stephanie Garrett worked as a Sociologist and Human Resources manager during her career in Federal Government. Upon early
retirement, she received the Meritorious Service Award, the highest award given by the Department of Navy to a civilian employee. Stephanie is a
member of the Greater Cape May Historical Society and served as President. She is also a storyteller, specializing in African-American tales.
James V. Hatch is a noted theater historian, particularly in the field of African-American artists. His publications include "Sorrow Is the Only
Faithful One: The Life of Owen Dodson," and "Black Theater USA."
Clare Juechter is currently the Museum Store Manager at Historic Cold Spring Village in Cape May County, and previously was a regional
administrator with Federated Department Stores.
Michele LaRue is an actress, writer, and editor. She has performed Off-Broadway and with ELTC as well as other regional theaters. As a well-
respected theatre writer and editor, she is a member of Drama Desk, an organization of New York drama critics. Michele was married to and
collaborated with Warren Kliewer, the founder and first artistic director of ELTC, onstage and off, for more than 25 years.
Walter J. Meserve is a respected theater historian who was one of the editors of the "American Lost Plays" series published by the Indiana
University Press, and co-author of "The Musical Theatre Cookbook: Recipes from Best-Loved Musicals."
Gayle Stahlhuth (see above)
Don B. Wilmeth is Emeritus Professor of Theatre and English at Brown University, who, with Chris Bigsby, edited the three-volume "Cambridge
History of American Theatre," the only history of its kind. It received a number of book awards when originally published in 1998-2001 - a
publication also co-edited by Don. He also just completed writing/compiling a new edition of the "Cambridge Guide to American Theatre."
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Should you wish to be a member of the Board of Trustees, let us know! We're always looking for people with new ideas! Meetings are held in
Cape May, NJ at least six times a year. If you wish to help the company by volunteering to help with box office, ushering, marketing, etc., let us
know that, too! See the "Get involved" page for details
For information regarding Board Membership, Donations, Activities, and Volunteers:
Through e-mail at Eastlynneco@aol.com or by mail at 121 Fourth Ave., West Cape May, NJ 08204
Phone the company at 609-884-5898
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