Shakesperiment/Company B Director
MARK MANNETTE - Mark received his MFA in Directing Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance from Mary Baldwin College in partnership with the American Shakespeare Center. While in Staunton, he performed with American Shakespeare Center’s professional resident company and directed a production at the Blackfriars Playhouse. He also holds a BFA in Theatre from the University of Bridgeport and an AA from Dean College. A member of Actor’s Equity since 1998, Mark has acted in over one hundred and fifty plays, playing such roles as Leontes in A Winter’s Tale, Scrooge in A Christmas Carol and Oscar in The Odd Couple. He has directed plays in several states and founded theatre companies in Maine, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina. In Orlando, he was Artistic Director at the Roths Jewish Community Center where he directed plays such as The Diary of Anne Frank, Little Shop of Horrors, Brighten Beach Memoires, and Les Miserables. He has had the good fortune to study acting with Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Company, Richard Iglewski of the Guthrie Theatre, and Phoebe Brand, a member of the legendary Group Theatre. As Director of Theatre at Newman University, Mark has directed such plays as Lend Me a Tenor, Pippin, Measure for Measure, and Into the Woods. He currently serves on the board of Music Theatre for Young People and is an actor and director for the Forum Theatre.
Company Manager
JENNA RAITHEL - Jenna is a stage manager from St. Louis, Missouri and a current student entering her final year at Lindenwood University, where she is pursuing a BFA in Stage Management with a minor in Nonprofit Administration. Jenna has stage managed or assistant stage managed over 11 shows at Lindenwood such including Violet, A Christmas Carol, Oklahoma!, A New Brain, Into the Woods, and has even worked with Broadway star Nikki Snelson (Legally Blonde The Musical). Jenna has previously had internships at STAGES St. Louis and Circus Smrikus, a Vermont based award-winning international youth circus. Jenna is excited to return to New England for her first summer at Theater Under the Stars.
