aBOUT THE creative team

Lynne Streeter Childress (Playwright) is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions, a professional theater company based in Annapolis, MD, that does shows for young audiences all based in themes of kindness, respect and the things that make us all better people. This is her 28th year in professional theater, with much of that experience in theater for young audiences. This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Adventure Theatre, and teaching for institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library. Through all those experiences, Lynne has seen firsthand how theater can communicate the most important things in the clearest and most interesting of ways, especially to young people. Her written shows include We Got It: A Show About Empathy, The Not-So-Ugly Duckling (as part of a 3-writer show called Friendlier Fables and Thoughtful Tales), Feeling All The Feelings, all for Building Better People Productions; Identically Different co written by Leslie Gray Streeter, written for the Brown Sugar Bakeoff; The Queen, The Cake and Zak the Yak, co-developed with Caren Hearne and Michael Marra for Building Better People Productions and Mariposa Theatre For Young Audiences (co-production); Welcome Back, commissioned by Berkeley Carroll School, and performed virtually in separate productions by students at Berkeley Carroll School and Rutgers Preparatory School and Shiny and Bright, originally written for and produced by Adventure Theatre's Jingle in July, in July 2020. Also produced as a virtual staged reading by BBPP. Lynne lives in Annapolis, MD with her husband and son, and is SUPER excited to be working with Encore Stage and this talented group of young performers and technical artists!

Caren Hearne (Director) comes to Encore from Pittsburgh after spending years touring the United States and Europe and performing in Washington DC and NYC. Performing credits include: European Tour: Guys and Dolls (Adelaide) National Tours: Meet Me in St. Louis (mother), Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (Mom, Mrs. Dickens). NYC: The Cougar Ball 1,2,3, and 4 (cabarets for the Actors Fund). Regional: Hello Dolly (Dolly Levi), Mame (Mame Dennis), The King and I (Anna Leonowens), Annie (Miss Hannigan), USO Remembers and USO Christmas (Mabel Norton), Singin’ in the Rain (Lina Lamont), Crazy for You (Irene), Babes in Toyland (Luna, Queen of the Moon), 1776, (Abigail Adams) and others. Currently, Caren is the Executive Artistic Director of the professional theatre for young audiences in Pittsburgh, Mariposa Theatre for Young Audiences. Caren is a proud member of the Actors Equity Association and The Stage Directors and Choreographers Association.

Debra Leonard (Costume Designer & Build, Make-up Designer) is designing her 21st season with Encore Stage & Studio. She has designed costumes for many area theatres and film companies, with over 100 productions to her credit. Debra has also designed for American University, Prince George’s Community College, and Allentown College in PA. Additionally, she works as a Special Education teacher with Prince George’s County. Debra is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Kalamazoo College, with her graduate degree from American University.

Kristen Jepperson (Technical Director, Set Design & Build) is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, with a BFA in Harp Performance. Since graduation she has toured nationally as a member of the New Christy Minstrels and with Ragtime, the Musical (Emma Goldman). Theatrical credits include: Daisy, The Adding Machine, Studio Theater; Reno, Anything Goes, Olney Theater; Agnes Gooch, Mame,