Page 15 - A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN FINAL

who’s who the inaugural Resident Theatre Company
at La Jolla Playhouse and to awards
also a co-founder of the Off-Broadway from the American Theatre Wing, the
theatre The Production Company. National Endowment for the Arts, Actors’
Mr. Epps has directed both plays and Equity Association, and the N.A.A.C.P.
musicals at many of the country’s major San Diego Branch, among others. Other
theatres, including Roundabout Theatre directing and acting credits include The
Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe, Yale Repertory Theatre, 5th
Guthrie Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, Avenue Theatre, Indiana Repertory
Seattle Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Theatre, San Diego Repertory Theatre,
and Goodman Theatre. He conceived the and Native Voices at The Autry, among
highly acclaimed musicals Play On! and others. She was the recipient of the
Blues In the Night, which both received inaugural Leadership U[niversity] grant
Tony Award nominations. He directed from Theatre Communications Group/
productions of both of those shows on The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which
Broadway, in London, and at theatres took her to Arena Stage in 2013 as a
throughout the world. Mr. Epps also Visiting Artistic Associate in mentorship
has had a busy career as a television with Molly Smith. She holds an M.A.
director, helming episodes of shows in International Relations from the
such as “Frasier,” “Friends,” “Everybody University of Chicago.
Loves Raymond,” “Girlfriends,” and
many others. For more than a decade, A NIGHT WITH
he has served as a member of the JANIS JOPLIN
Executive Board of the Society of Stage
Directors and Choreographers. Mr. Epps SPONSORS
received the James Irvine Foundation
Leadership Award for his efforts and
accomplishments at The Pasadena
Playhouse. Under his leadership, The
Playhouse has earned distinction for
productions of artistic excellence, critical
and box office success, and highly praised
theatrical diversity. He also Co-Directed
the Broadway production of Baby It’s
You!, which premiered at The Playhouse.

SEEMA SUEKO (Associate Artistic
Director) joined The Pasadena Playhouse
staff in January 2014 as Associate Artistic
Director, where she directed Stop Kiss
earlier this season. For the past nine
years, she served as the Executive Artistic
Director of Mo`olelo Performing Arts
Company, a community-focused, socially
conscious Equity theatre company she
cofounded in San Diego. In addition to
directing at Mo`olelo, Seema developed
Mo`olelo’s greening initiative and
consensus organizing methodologies.
She led the company to its selection as

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN P15