Company member Mary Elizabeth Scallen sat down with Zak Berkman, Erica Ezold, and Katherine McNabb to ask them about their leadership roles at People’s Light. Read on to get to know Board President Katherine McNabb. Click here to meet Zak Berkman, the Producing Artistic Director, and click here to meet Erica Ezold, the Managing Director.

What was your first encounter with People’s Light?
Shakespeare’s The Tempest was the first show I attended at People’s Light back in the early 80s. Eager to see the play performed, I invited along the man I was dating at the time. When he responded, “What’s The Tempest?”, that sounded the death knell in our relationship!

What particular skill sets do you bring to your new position?
I bring to the office of Board President a long history of being in charge, probably starting with being the oldest of six children!

As a high school actor, former high school English teacher, and sometime writer, I know the power of stories to lighten and deepen hearts, expand minds, and inspire the spirit to action. I believe that stories help us understand ourselves and one another. I see this Theatre as a community storyteller, offering us an important means of perceiving our strengths and our foibles.

In addition, I’ve subscribed to People’s Light for 30 years and served as a Trustee for 14 years. I carry with me a love for this particular Theatre and a knowledge base of its history, much of which I’ve witnessed firsthand.

On what aspect of the Theatre will you focus in the immediate future?
I’m fired up to make sure we get the funding we need to carry us into our new, exciting business model. I know how much seeing a good play has made a difference in my life and in the lives of my children, and I want to make sure that the people in our community and beyond continue to have access to the excellent art that People’s Light produces.

I also plan to spend a lot of time deepening my connections to the people of People’s Light, specifically the Trustees and the Theatre staff.

What growth do you hope to effect at People’s Light over the next five years?
I want to help the Theatre significantly increase the number of people seeing our plays, attending our programs, and visiting our campus for food and festivities. The new business model I mentioned above includes a lot of unique ways for people to engage with us. I’d love for our community to feel excited to learn what we’ll offer next.

What is a recent production that mattered to you?
I’ve loved so many People’s Light productions over the years, but this past season, Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Panto, Thurgood, and Lettie really stand out. I loved how Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Panto connected with middle schoolers. Those audiences seemed especially to relate to Alice navigating her self-worth and fitting in with her peer group, wondering if she was too tall, too small, and so on. Thurgood brought to life critical aspects of history about which I had previously known little. Lettie challenged me to contemplate the social dilemmas of ex-convicts, drug addicts, and the families broken or damaged by these problems. These productions expanded my thinking and deepened my empathy. I’m excited to see what we’ll offer next.

Learn more at People’s Light.