From the El Cerrito Stage to Bigger Roles

A number of people who learned acting or teaching theater arts on El Cerrito stages have gone on to working on bigger stages. Here is a partial list.

From Contra Costa Civic Theatre

Robert “Bob” Campbell was an actor in “Dear Ruth,” the very first show presented at CCCT in 1960. Campbell would go on to represent west Contra Costa County in the California State Assembly for 16 years.

Laura Dreyer performed as an actor at CCCT and is now a jazz musician in New York City. A saxophonist, woodwind artist and composer, she  has headlined at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, Blue Note Napa, The Montavilla Jazz Festival, The Syracuse Jazz Festival and other festivals and jazz venues.

Lisa Drummond, a former CCCT actor, has worked extensively in the Bay Area and Southern California as a teacher, actor, director and acting coach for the last 20 years. Her acting credits also include productions with San Diego Repertory Theatre, Starlight Musical Theatre, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre and the Willows Theater Company. She joined the Diablo Valley College faculty in 2009.

Bob Campbell, Laura Dreyer and Lisa Drummond

Nancy Fineman was an actor and stage manager at CCCT and is now a civil court judge for the Superior Court of San Mateo County. She was appointed to the bench by former Governor Jerry Brown in 2017.

Matt Flynn, son of CCCT founders Louis and Bettiane Flynn, learned set design at CCCT, studied architecture and became a television production designer for more than 20 shows including “The Office” and “Just Shoot Me.” He has also designed theater sets for more than 50 productions.

Asa Kalama was both a CCCT summer drama camper and counselor. He is currently a VP executive of Creative & Interactive Experiences at Walt Disney Imagineering and oversees the development of interactive experiences for Disney’s theme parks. One of his most recent credits was working on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Nancy Fineman, Matt Flynn and Asa Kalama

Dena Martinez has 40 years of national professional acting experience to her credits, including touring with the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Culture Clash and El Teatro Campesino. Her theater credits include leading roles at California Shakespeare Theater, Denver Center Theater Company, Marin Theater Company, Berkeley Rep, Word for Word, San Jose Rep, Magic Theater, TheaterWorks Silicon Valley and Shotgun Players. She is also a director and agent.

Dallas McMurray, a native of El Cerrito, was an actor and dancer at CCCT. He received a B.F.A. in dance from the California Institute of the Arts and joined the Mark Morris Dance Group as an apprentice in 2006 and became a company member in 2007.

Nina Meehan was a director of CCCT’s summer drama camp who went on to found the Bay Area Children’s Theater and now directs children’s theater at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Dena Martinez, Dallas McMurray and Nina Meehan

Joe Paulino was an actor at CCCT and has been a voice-over actor for more than 25 years, appearing in a wide range of video games and advertising campaigns.

Robert Turturice, a former CCCT stage manager, became costume designer for television and movies and was best known for his work on Batman & Robin (1997), Moonlighting (1985) and CBS Afternoon Playhouse (1978). He was president of the Costume Designers Guild from 1992-96 and received the Costume Designers Hall of Fame Award posthumously in 2010.

Jim Paulino and Robert Turturice

Elaine Walenta, a former CCCT actor and teacher, has taught classes in drama, advanced drama and theater tech at Abraham Lincoln High School in San Francisco since 2001.

From the El Cerrito High School Drama Program

Jim Letchworth went on to a career in nursing, but also acted on occasion. Most recently he portrayed Ebeneezer Scrooge at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair held annually at the Cow Palace.

Eric Lichtman earned his master’s at UC Berkeley and is director at ETL Consulting, and education and communication consultancy in Paris, France.

Nancy Shelby works at Word For Word Theatre Company in San Francisco as a theater actor and director, public appearance coach and consultant for writers reading their work in public.

Jim Letchworth, Eric Lichtman and Nancy Shelby