BRT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Company Management Apprentice
America Rising: BRT's new play development program includes readings, workshops, and residencies. Our goal is to help playwrights develop their from an early draft to a performance-ready script. We are committed to seeing the work that we promote through America Rising find its way to our mainstage and other stages throughout the country.
Amy Kaissar has been affiliated with BRT in one way or another since 2009. She was the Managing Director from 2009-2014, a trustee from 2015-2020, and now Co Producing Director since 2020.
Outside of BRT, she was the lead producer of Shake and Bake: Love's Labour's Lost (Drama Desk Nom) and Midsummer: A Banquet (Drama Desk Nom), Producer of Telephone ("Inspired and utterly original" - Ben Brantley, NYT), and Co-Producer of The Heidi Chronicles on Broadway (starring Elisabeth Moss, Jason Biggs, and Bryce Pinkham). She was part of the financing team of the Broadway productions of Fun Home (5 Tony Awards including Best Musical), and Shuffle Along (10 Tony nominations) and the Off Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof, in Yiddish (winner Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards). From 1999 - 2008, she was also the Producing Director of Epiphany Theater Company, which she co-founded to assist the work of early career theatre artists. At Epiphany, Kaissar supported the work of over 200 emerging artists, among them the future winners Tony, Richard Rodgers, Jonathan Larson, and other prestigious awards.
In her first stint at BRT, as Managing Director from 2009-2014, she restructured the company, leading to a doubling of overall revenue, a 35% increase in subscribership and the erasure of the accumulated deficit. In 2017 she served as Interim Managing Director at Philadelphia Theatre Company, setting the stage for their successful turnaround after many years in financial distress.
Kaissar holds a BFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA in Producing from Columbia University where she was a Dean's Fellow, Presidential Scholar, and Rudin Foundation Fellow. She has been on the faculties of Penn and Columbia Universities and has enjoyed guest lecturing at NYU, Carnegie Mellon, and The University of the Arts.
She is a current or previous board member of The Bucks County Arts and Culture Council, The Bucks County Commissioner's Economic Development Committee, The Bristol Borough Strategic and Economic Development Committee, Bristol Riverside Theatre and Third Rail Projects.
Barbara McCulloh is a girl of two cities. She lives on the River in Bristol and also resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Barbara has been a professional actress since the age of 18. Although acting is how she makes a living, she has worked professionally in nearly every aspect of the theatre, including directing, choreography, scenic design, and lighting. But no… she doesn't sew.
Barbara is the voice of over 300 audiobooks.
She's performed internationally in opera houses and concert halls all over Europe and Asia, and in theatres in almost every state, including the largest Broadway house (it's the Gershwin, if you're curious), and the tiniest off-off-waaay-off Broadway black box, (now closed).
Barbara's partnership with BRT began in the last show of BRT's first season where she played the runaway teenage bride in The Robber Bridegroom.
For ten years, Barbara has coproduced a series of "Angels of Music" concerts to benefit the Angel fund, which raised over a million dollars to save the African cheetah from extinction. In the process, she has traveled to South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, and Botswana to promote awareness and understanding.
Barbara dances, practices yoga, and gardens whenever possible. She has a cat named Blu who speaks seven languages.
Britt Michael Gordon (Wyatt) regional credits include Camelot (Actors Playhouse); Around the World in 80 Days (Savannah Repertory Theatre); The Legend of Georgia (Vermont Stage); Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Good People, and The Pitmen Painters (American Stage); Assassins and Peter and the Starcatcher (freeFall Theatre); Tribes, The Unexpected Guest, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and Cabaret(Florida Repertory Theatre); Arcadia (Palm Beach Dramaworks); and Butterflies Are Free (Broward Stage Door). You can also catch Britt in the feature film What She Said. He received a BFA in Acting from Florida State University.
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Job Titles:
- Senior Director of Relationships
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the Resident Costumer
Job Titles:
- Trustee
- General Counsel and Vice President at Hoshino, Maker of Ibanez
Jill Cohen is General Counsel and Vice President at Hoshino, maker of Ibanez guitars and Tama drums. Jill's passion for theater began when she played Queen Gertrude in her high school production of Hamlet, experiencing live theater's ability to transport and transform. Since then, Jill has been an avid patron of theater arts. Jill is particularly proud to support Bristol Riverside Theatre's work with students in the local community, and its commitment to DEI in the Arts.
Mr. Jordan is a 30-year veteran of the Finance Industry. He is the former Vice President of Commerce and TD Banks, where he headed up their Trenton NJ Community Banking Division. He is currently a consultant and provides Strategic Management Solutions to Businesses and Non-Profits. He currently serves as the Director of Finance and Operations at Discovery Charter School.
In addition to his experience in Finance, Mr. Jordan dedicates much of his time doing advocacy work and currently serves on several Boards. He volunteers with the Pennsylvania State NAACP where he serves as their Community Relations Committee. He serves as an advisor to Hands across Philadelphia, he serves on the Bucks County Community College, Diversity, Committee and as Vice President of the Bucks County Chapter of the NAACP.
Mr. Jordan is dedicated to education. He served 8 years on the Bucks County Technical High School and Morrisville, PA School Boards serving as Board President for two of those years. He has also served on the Governor's Advisory Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
His many Accolades include but are not limited to, recently receiving the prestigious Drum Major for Justice Award for his work in Civil Rights. He was appointed to the National Voting Rights Commission by President Obama for his work in Pennsylvania protecting voting rights. He's also a recipient of the President's Award from the Central New Jersey Boy Scouts Council for their Learning for Life Program, a program that mentors at-risk youth.
Job Titles:
- President of the Board
- Vice President of Global Customer Success for the Fintech Company, Corcentric
Keith has enjoyed a long relationship with Bristol Riverside Theatre; first as a performer on the BRT stage and then serving as a Trustee and officer since 2018.
Keith is Vice President of Global Customer Success for the fintech company, Corcentric, a global provider of business spend and revenue management software and services. For over twenty-plus years, Keith has held multiple executive leadership roles for consulting and professional services companies; leading and transforming organizations, post-merger and acquisition.
Over the past fifteen years, his production company, Enspire Productions, has produced countless culturally-relevant concert programs and helped raise funds for student education and organizations such as The Father Center, The Peace Center, and First Tee. Currently, Enspire is focused on producing performances that highlight the African American cultural experience. Keith remains passionate about the importance of arts education and performance for younger audiences.
Keith lives in Dresher, PA with his wife and three children. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and an EMBA from Penn State's Smeal College of Business.
Job Titles:
- Co - Producing Director
- Producing Director
Ken Kaissar became BRT's Co-Producing Director in 2020, having worked at the theatre as a playwright, developing many of his plays in BRT's America Rising program. At BRT, he recently directed Clue and A Few Good Men and he wrote the play A Leg Up which kicked off the 2022-23 season. He has worked at The Goodman Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, and the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. His plays have been performed or developed by the Philadelphia Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, Phoenix Theatre Company, Fusion Theatre Company, Wordsmyth Theater Company, Jewish Repertory Theatre, Urban Stages and Passage Theatre. His play The Victims or What do You Want Me To Do About It (published by McFarland & Company, Inc.) was developed by Golden Thread Productions and Silk Road Rising. His adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales was commissioned by Columbia University. His other plays include A Modest Suggestion (available on Amazon), Liberal Arts and Weekend at Betty's. He holds a BFA in directing from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA in playwriting from Columbia University. Ken is also the the host of the podcast The Audition Helper available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get podcasts.
Megan grew up in the theater as a dancer where she performed in stage shows and competitively. Upon graduating from the University of Iowa, Megan continued her performing career at Walt Disney World in Florida, where she danced in countless parades and shows for Guests of all ages in all four of Disney's theme parks. Eventually, Megan moved into a behind-the-scenes role as an Entertainment Manager for live entertainment offerings in the Magic Kingdom, including character meet-and-greets, fireworks, and stage shows. In this role, Megan found her passion for enriching the lives of the people she works with and helping them achieve their potential, and thus began her transition into a career in Human Resources for media and entertainment organizations.
Megan has spent the last decade of her life working as a Human Resources Business Partner for multiple media organizations, including POLITICO, The New York Times, The Walt Disney Company and Dotdash Meredith. In her current capacity, Megan is a fierce advocate for representation in media, not just in the various mediums that audiences consume, but also inside of the companies she serves. She has a Master's in Human Resources from Georgetown University.
Megan Jones is a graduate of Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she earned her BA in Arts Management. Prior to joining the BRT team, she worked as the General Manager at Pig Iron Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. Born and raised in Nebraska, Megan enjoys gardening, reading, and cooking.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Vice President
Phil has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2014. He currently serves as Vice President and Secretary of the board and as Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee. Phil has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and spent his entire career in the pharmaceutical industry with a number of companies and in a variety of positions.
Rich and Eileen live in Upper Makefield Township and has lived in Bucks County for many years.Rich is a Wealth Manager and Senior Investment Strategist at The Philadelphia Trust Company. Prior to that he has worked in Princeton and the Philadelphia Main Line in similar Investment related positions. His New York roots keep him rooting for New York sports teams and enjoying Broadway. His attachment to terrific Bucks County led him to BRT and their terrific team and theatre.
Ryan Gordon works in wealth management for Raymond James & Associates out of their Newtown branch helping individuals and non-profits with financial planning and investment management. He and his wife Rachel live in Holland with their two young children, Benjamin and Eliyanah. Ryan sits on the board of the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce, as well as chairing his own foundation the Andy Schram Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Relief. Throughout high-school and college, Ryan enjoyed being a member of his school's theater productions playing percussion in various shows. His favorite theater experience came when he was hired as the pit drummer/percussionist for a 28-show production of RENT.
In 1983, Susan D. Atkinson founded The Repertory Company of Bucks with the aim of producing new and classic works for Bucks County residents. For three years, the organization produced plays in and around Doylestown.
Meanwhile, the Grundy Foundation sought to revitalize Bristol by purchasing properties and creating a safe environment for cultural and recreational activities to thrive. The Grundy Foundation's then Executive Director, Len Snyder, believed that turning an X-rated movie house into a legitimate live theatre could transform the town's image and economy. Despite a feasibility study indicating that a professional theatre in economically-distressed Bristol was not feasible, the Foundation renovated the theatre anyway and partnered with Atkinson to create theatre that would rejuvenate the town.
Tyrone L. Robinson (Director) Tyrone L. Robinson is delighted to be back at Bristol Riverside Theatre having last been seen on stage here as an actor during the 2002-2003 season. Since that time Tyrone has worked on Broadway, Broadway national tours, and at regional theaters all over the country.
His work as both a writer and director have earned him the Evelyn Russell Layton Award, ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award, and an Off-Broadway Alliance Award nomination. Most recently, Tyrone has directed for companies in New York City (Vital Theatre Company, MJB Films) and his short film Un{H}armed was an official selection and screened at film festivals nationwide.
Tyrone holds a M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is currently on faculty at New York City Center Encores where he teaches acting and musical theatre. He is truly honored to be back at Bristol Riverside championing this new play and working with these great actors and this incredible playwright. Thank you Amy and Ken for the opportunity!
Victoria Rae Sook is a two-time drama desk award nominee as the Artistic Director of Food of Love Productions. A member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and an SDC Associate favorite shows include Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Mamma Mia. She's on the overhire list at The Public Theatre and often choreographs for the ON-Comm-Award-winning, The Show Must Go Online. Most recently she raised funds for the Tony Award Winning revival of Company and directed and choreographed Carrie for Tantrum Theatre at Ohio University. @victoriaraesook
William Penn Bank Summer Music Fest: Each summer, BRT presents this concert series with a wide range of bands, from local bands to cover bands to nationally renowned bands like The Indigo Girls, The Commodores, and Collin Raye.