THE THEATRE GROUP 

Katie Laris (Co-Chair & Director) is a stage director and an instructor of acting at SBCC. Recent productions include Becky's New Car, August: Osage County, The Solid Gold Cadillac, Love, Santa Barbara, Machinal, The Suicide, Moonchildren, Stirring the Pot, Twelve Angry Men, Over the Tavern, Seascape, The Physicists, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Lola Goes to Roma, Gunfighter: A Gulf War Chronicle, Real Women Have Curves, Ghosts, Fortinbras and Baby with the Bathwater. Previously she directed Fuente Ovejuna, All’s Well That Ends Well and The Birds in New York City and The Trial, The Ride Across Lake Constance and Danger Cave in Portland, Oregon. She also produced and wrote TV programs for Animal Planet, Discovery Health Channel and PBS. Katie received her B.A. in Theatre/Literature from Reed College and her M.F.A. in Theatre Directing from Columbia University.

R. Michael Gros (Co-Chair & Director) is a member of the professional theatre directors union (SDC) and currently serves as an associate professor and Co-Chair at Santa Barbara City College. He was a member of the graduate theatre faculty at Kansas State University. Michael served as Artistic Director for six seasons with PCPA Theaterfest. At PCPA he produced and/or directed 70 Equity productions including world and west coast premieres. At SBCC he teaches all levels of acting, development of drama and directing. In 2005, Michael was one of 48 persons selected worldwide to receive a residency fellowship in non-profit arts leadership at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation. He earned his MFA in directing from the University of California at Irvine, studying with Robert Cohen, Keith Fowler, Ian Bernard, William Needles (Stratford Shakespeare Festival) and Brewster Mason (Royal Shakespeare Company) among others. He earned his BA in theatre, Magna Cum Laude, at UCLA. Michael serves on the Board of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology and is the directing focus group representative for the Association of Theatre in Higher Education. For SBCC he has directed Present Laughter, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Almost, Maine, Tartuffe and Trojan Barbie.

Pamela Shaw (Director of Costume & Makeup) was Assistant Costume Designer for The Artist, the 2011 Academy Award winner: Best Picture & Best Costume Design, designer Mark Bridges. Credits include Becky's New Car, Present Laughter, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, August: Osage County, Avenue Q, Through the Fire (SBCC), Ghosts, Lion In Winter, Crime & Punishment (Ensemble Theatre Company), Home Siege Home (Ghost Road Ensemble at Inside the Ford), Doubt, Lonesome Traveler, Steel Magnolias, (The Rubicon Theatre), The Elephant Man,Children’s Hour, The Rocky Horror Show, Lope de Vega’s Lo vingido ferdadero (Loyola Marymount University), Camping with Henry and Tom (McCoy Rigby Entertainment), and the annual Holiday Parade for Universal Studios Theme Park. She is co-author of the definitive costume resource guide, Shopping LA: The Insiders’ Sourcebook for Film & Fashion, 3rd edition. Ms. Shaw served two terms as Vice President of the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892 and is currently a Trustee for the Western Region Board of United Scenic Artists, Local 829.

Ben Crop (Technical Director) is a technical designer/director and Stage Manager.  Ben Started at SBCC in 2011, after being the assistant technical director for Portland Center Stage (LORT B/D), and Technical Director at Chemeketa Community College in Oregon.  Light design credits include Midsummer Night's Dream, Death of a Salesman, To Kill a Mockingbird; the world premieres of Thunder City, Taming of the Shrew/Woman’s Prize, and Driving Under the Influence.  Stage management credits include Kiss Me Kate*, Moonlight and Magnolias*, The Underpants*, The Women, W(h)acked, and Passages.  In addition to theatre, Ben has worked in the concert industry having been a light director and designer for such artists as Alice Cooper, Poison, Leanne Rimes, Wynona Judd, Kenny Loggins, and Air Supply.  Ben recently returned from New York City where he worked with Theatre Communications Group (TCG) working on their 2008 Free Night of Theater program, helping coordinate it nationally.  Moreover, while in New York, Ben worked with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company as a designer and technician and a trainee Stage Manager on Broadway’s Wicked.  Ben earned an undergraduate degree in Technical Theatre from Willamette University in 2008 and his M.B.A in non-profit management from Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management in 2009.

* denotes equity 

Clarice Hillebrand (Costume Studio Director) bio to come.

Jason Flynn (Theatre Technician) has been at the Garvin Theatre since 2004 and SBCC since 1996.  He started his interest in working backstage at La Cumbre Junior High School and San Marcos High School.  After High School, Jason was a theatre student here at SBCC.  He really enjoys working with the Theatre and Music Departments and is excited to be back in our beautiful newly remodeled building. Since the early 1990's, Jason has been part of the production team in over 63 shows at SBCC.

Christopher Turner (Scenic Studio Foreman) bio to come.

Pamela Lasker (Theatre Manager) is the Theatre Manager for the Garvin Theatre and the Theatre Group at SBCC. She started with the Theatre Group in 1986 after working at the Lobero Theatre as the Business Manager for five years. In addition to managing the finances, front of house, box office, and all other aspects of the business end for the Theatre Group, she also handles all events that use the Garvin Theatre. 

 Christina Frank (Senior Staff, Production Office) bio to come.