The Hawaii State Theatre Council Announces New Officers

The Hawaii State Theatre Council Members elected new officers for 2019. For the first time in the 48 year history of the organization, all four of the elected officers are women.

"I doubt there's ever been a conscious effort to elect male officers for the Council" says previous Vice President, now incoming President Donna Blanchard. "For our small Theatre Council, this milestone is worthy of note, but I hope we're headed in the direction on these islands and in this country and world in which it is perfectly normal for an entire leadership body to be made up of women."

These are the incoming officers of the Hawaii State Theatre Council:

President - Donna Blanchard

Donna is the Managing Director of Kumu Kahua Theatre, Consulting Director of The ARTS at Marks Garage, Executive Team Member of the 'Ohina Short Film Showcase and Lab and host of Backstage with Donna Blanchard. She's an accomplished nonprofit and for-profit business development professional with more than 20 years of experience in business rescue, management, and alignment for stability and growth. She is also an award-winning actor and director. She has been with Kumu Kahua Theatre and has been its representative member of the Theatre Council since January 2012.

Vice President - Mary Calatonic
Mary Calantoc is the Director of Education and Engagement for Diamond Head Theatre. She has been working in nonprofit arts for over 12 years and is happy to be doing so here in Hawaii. Mary is also a musician and board member with the Oahu Civic Orchestra. Mary has been with Diamond Head Theatre for 4.5 years and has served on the Council for 2.5 years.

Treasurer - Jessica Jacob
Jessica has worked in university and non-profit arts administration/arts education since 1990. She is a UHM alumna (MFA in Theatre) and returned to UHM's Kennedy Theatre as the Theatre Manager in 2015. She has been a member of the Hawaii State Theatre Council since 2015.

Secretary - Nicole Tessier
Representing the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, Nicole has an MFA in Asian Theatre Performance from UH, and has worked with many theatres in Hawaii and in NYC. She has worked in all aspects of theatre as a performer, director, educator, box office/house manager, techie, and volunteer. She supports local theatre by seeing as many shows as possible! Nicole is a new member of the Council though she has been with the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival since it's inception in 2002 and became its Managing Director in 2018.

The incoming officers will oversee their first quarterly meeting of the Council in January 2019.

Founded in 1970, the Hawai'i State Theatre Council serves and supports the theatre community in Hawaii. That community includes, but is not limited to: theatres and their managers, actors, directors, playwrights, musicians, technicians, costumers, students, educational institutions, and audiences. The Council does this by promoting live, local theatre; acting as a conduit for theatres to work collaboratively; and providing educational experiences in the performing arts.

State Theatre Council Member theatres include All The World's a Stage, Aloha Performing Arts, Chaminade University Performing Arts, Diamond Head Theatre, Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Hawaiian Mission Houses, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kailua OnStage Arts, The Leeward Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre, Maui OnStage, Mid-Pacific Institute, Paliku Theatre at Windward, PlayBuilders of Hawaii, TAG - The Actor's Group and UH Kennedy Theatre.

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