Meet the New Executive Committee
Every two years, LMDA Members vote on an Executive Committee to support the Incoming President. These positions also sit on the larger LMDA Board which handles overall strategy and budget decisions for the organization. They are called Vice Presidents of [insert their specialty here].
Most of our Executive Committee Members (our VPs) began their volunteer journey with LMDA as Committee Members working with a VP.
Check out the new VPs below and reach out if you are interested in volunteering or have a question/idea about their purview of LMDA.
Alphabetical By Last Name
Jane Barnette, Vice President of University Relations
Greetings, all! It’s a privilege to be part of this team, and to help represent the labor of university-affiliated dramaturgs in the Americas. This year, we will be using an asynchronous digital platform to collaboratively construct flexible yet meaningful guidelines for how university-based dramaturgs can narrate their creative practice–if you would like to be part of that effort, or you have input or questions, please reach out to me at university@lmda.org // You can find/follow me on Twitter (atldramaturg), Instagram &/or Facebook (janebarnette)!
Lindsey R. Barr (she/her), Administrative Director
I’m so excited to continue to serve LMDA and its membership alongside the incoming Executive Committee. If you have any questions about LMDA, need more information about a program, or need any assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at LMDAnyc@gmail.com.
Emma Bilderback (she/her), Co-Vice President of Anti-Oppression
I'm thrilled to join LMDA in a more official capacity by continuing to create a better artistic practice for all of us who make this process not just possible, but amazing. Find me on Twitter and Instagram as @EmmaDramaturgy or email me at emma.bilderback@gmail.com
Elizabeth Coen (she/her), Co-Vice President of Publications
It is a privilege to showcase dynamic artistry and scholarship performed by dramaturgs in LMDA’s annual peer-reviewed journal REVIEW. Please consider sharing your work with us.The submission deadline is typically February and the journal is published every fall. Questions? Please reach out to me at coen.liz@gmail.com
Russell M. Dembin (he/him), Co-Vice President of Anti-Oppression
I’m delighted and honored to work with Martine, Emma, and the other members of this amazing Executive Committee on facilitating and supporting LMDA’s ongoing efforts to make the organization, and all spaces that include or interact with the dramaturgical community, as welcoming and accessible as they can be. You can get in touch with me on Twitter (@Dramaturgs) or via email at antioppression@lmda.org or russell.dembin@gmail.com.
Jacqueline (Jackie) Goldfinger (she/they), Vice President of Communications & Marketing
Hello, hello! we’re still on a Conference high so THANK YOU again for making our week extraordinary!! We’re moving from Conference Chair to VP of C&M. While working on the Conference has been a blast, it has also taught us a lot about different ways that our members value conversation and knowledge-sharing, and how to best support those values. We look forward to learning more from you as we move into this new arena. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time: communications@lmda.org.
Natasha Hawkins, Vice President of Freelance
Hello everyone! I am excited to participate in LMDA for my first year. Alongside Finn Lefevre, I hope to dive into this ever changing field and explore new ways to effectively freelance. You may contact me at nhawkins@umass.edu or njh.hawkins@gmail.com.
Heather Helinsky, Co-Vice President of Membership
After four years getting to know the LMDA community better as co-VP of Freelance, I’m excited to serve the wider community in this capacity with Evan Medd. I will continue to work with Deanie Vallone on a project to check in on Institutional dramaturgs on the stressful rollercoaster of producing through Covid, and will continue to collaborate with Team Dramaturging the Phoenix in the fall on Forums that create spaces for members from a wide range of dramaturgical fields, backgrounds, and career stages. Looking forward to listening to what the LMDA community has to say and how we can better serve you in all chapters of your professional life. Always feel free to reach out at membership@lmda.org!--HH
Liana Irvine (she/they), Co-Vice President of Regional Activity
My hope is getting each region active. I'm excited to see how the people thread together each patch (Region) that makes up LMDA into the quilt of this community. Contact: ig @liana.irvine, email <liana.s.irvine@gmail.com>
Jessica Kahkoska (she/her), President of Programs
I'm excited to collaborate with Linnea to bolster existing LMDA programming and imagine new ways for members to connect, with a focus on sustainability and how LMDA programs can be a source of nourishment and thought partnership. Email me at jkahkoska@gmail.com, or instagram jkos13
Kristin Leahey, Co-Vice President of Publications
Hello! I’m excited to continue to collaborate with my co-editors on the publication of LMDA’s official journal REVIEW. We look forward to your submissions and the publication of our next issue this fall! kleahey@bu.edu
Finn Lefevre, Co-Vice President of Freelance
Email: freelance@lmda.org
Matt McGeachy, President, LMDA Canada
Email: canada@lmda.org
I’m thrilled to be representing LMDA Canada and my Canadian colleagues on the LMDA Executive Committee. We are all excited to welcome dramaturgs from across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and beyond to Banff for the 2023 Conference. The best way to get in touch with me about the Conference or about anything Canada theatre related is matt.mcgeachy@gmail.com.
Karen Jean Martinson, Vice President of Advocacy
Email: advocacy@lmda.org
I love being in a position to advocate for the various needs of our members! Of particular interest to me this year is to raise the visibility of innovative dramaturgical collaborations and to support mentorships and programming that help our field thrive, especially as students move from the university to the profession. Most of all, though, I want to be responsive to YOUR needs - never hesitate to reach out with any ideas, questions, or concerns!
Anne G. Morgan (she/her), LMDA Board Co-Chair
As wonky as it may sound, I'm excited to continue exploring how LMDA's governance and fiscal policies can both empower the ambitions of this President and Executive Committee and lay a solid foundation for the work of Presidents to come. Email: boardchair@lmda.org
Brenda Muñoz, Vice President of Mexico
Tanya Palmer, Treasurer
Roxanne Ray, Vice President of Grants & Awards
Hi everyone! I really love to see artists receiving money to bring their projects to fruition. I’m looking forward to your submissions for the Grants & Awards available in the coming year, and our adjudication panels always need new volunteers. The time commitment for adjudicators is brief, so please reach out and volunteer! You can reach me at awards@lmda.org. Thank you so much!
Jenna Rodgers (she/her), LMDA Board Co-Chair/2023 Conference Co-Chair
I'm excited to be modeling co-leadership as a sustainable option everywhere - but particularly for a volunteer run organization. My objective is to support the Presidency in their creative vision for the organization, and to keep a mindful eye on the big picture along the way. Email: boardchair@lmda.org
Martine Kei Green Rogers (she/her/hers), Co-Vice President of Anti-Oppression
Hello, everyone! I am super excited to continue my service to LMDA in this position. With my other team members, Russ and Emma, we look forward to continuing education, conversation, and action around Anti-Oppression in our field and the larger theatre scene. You can find me at martinekeigreen@gmail.com or on Insta and Twitter @martinekei.
I am a little slower with emails at my gmail account these days because of my new position at DePaul but I will return your email as soon as I can.
Lynde Rosario (she/her), President
It is an honor to serve LMDA as President for the next two years! The dramaturgs here who have graciously agreed to support LMDA as the Executive Committee and Board are giving me confidence in a robust future for our field. Collectively we have made strides towards advancing best practices and expanding the definitions of dramaturgy. Accessibility, international relations, and collective protections are top priorities and all efforts will be made to increase connectivity among members. Always feel free to contact me at president@lmda.org anytime!
Deanie Vallone (she/her/hers), Vice President of Institutions
The past couple years have been a rollercoaster for dramaturgs, including those navigating the complexities of institutional work. My goal is to see how institutional 'turgs are faring in the current landscape; assess what their immediate needs, concerns, and hopes are; and curate programming and support around that. I'm excited to use this position to bring the institutional dramaturg community closer together with each other and the greater dramaturgical community as a whole! I can best be reached via email at dvallone333@gmail.com. And feel free to add me on Facebook!
Executive Committee By Title
President: Lynde Rosario, Playwrights' Center
Administrative Director: Lindsey R. Barr, University of Maryland, College Park
Treasurer: Tanya Palmer, Northwestern University
VP Advocacy: Karen Jean Martinson, Arizona State University
VP Canada: Matt McGeachy, Factory Theatre Company
VP Mexico / Conference Coordinator: Brenda Muñoz
VP Membership: Heather Helinsky, Bay Area Playwrights Festival; Evan Medd
VP Communications: Jackie Goldfinger
VP Anti-Oppression: Emma Bilderback, Russell M. Dembin; Martine Kei Green-Rogers, The Theatre School at DePaul
VP Freelance: Finn Lefevre, University of Massachusetts - Amherst; Natasha Hawkins
VP Grants & Awards: Roxanne Ray
VP Institutional: Deanie Vallone, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
VP Publications: Liz Coen, Intiman Theatre & Kristin Leahey, Boston University
VP Programs: Jessica Kahkoska, Linnea Valdivia
VP Regional Activity: Liana Irvine
VP University Relations: Jane Barnette, University of Kansas
Past President: Bryan Moore, Concordia University
Board of Directors
Co-Chair: Anne G. Morgan, National New Play Network
Co-Chair: Jenna K. Rodgers, Chromatic Theatre
Marie Barlizo
Ken Cerniglia
Michael Chemers, University of California at Santa Cruz
David Geary, Playwright's Theatre Centre
Natasha Sinha, Playwrights Horizons
Gavin Witt
Advisory Board
Oskar Eustis, The Public Theatre
Gregg Henry, Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival
David Henry Hwang, Playwright
Morgan Jenness, This Distracted Globe Consultancy
Jackie Maxwell, Shaw Festival
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times
Silvia Peláez, Playwright