CORE COMPANY
Since Theatre Lunatico’s restructuring to a collectively run company by its Core Members in 2020, we have worked to move away from a single Artistic Director vision to one that is representative of the Core Company members who have committed to develop and co-run the company. We feel that the collaborative nature of our organization allows us to question and grapple with our choices both administratively and creatively.
Theatre Lunatico is the resident company at La Val’s Subterranean Theater in Berkeley, a 45-seat, black box venue located below the pizzeria.
Our core company members make it all happen, working alongside our growing pool of San Francisco Bay Area artists.
Shawn Oda – Executive Director, Actor
Shawn has been a Core member since 2015 and has a breadth of knowledge of the company’s roots, mission, and artistic evolution that help her to write grants, manage publicity campaigns, and to facilitate the artistic expression of her fellow Core members, the directors of each production, and the artistic associates who comprise our ensembles. Shawn has performed in a multitude of Lunatico productions and loves being a part of an ensemble that delves deeply into text and physical expression to tell human stories, all while building meaningful relationships in rehearsal, performance, and ultimately with the audience. She holds a BA in Dance & Choreography from U.C.L.A.
____________________________________________________________
Eileen Fisher – Board President, Financial Director, Actor
Eileen brings to Theatre Lunatico her financial expertise from being the Chief Financial Officer for her family’s modern furniture stores with locations in San Francisco and Michigan. Eileen also serves as treasurer on the board of San Francisco’s Z Space. Eileen has been a core member of Theatre Lunatico since Fall of 2015 playing Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as a multitude of other Theatre Lunatico productions both in Marin and at La Val’s Subterranean Theater. Most recently, she brought her exactitude and fiery spirit to her portrayal as vampire hunter, Van Helsing, in Steven Dietz’s Dracula, where Tina Taylor gender-swapped the role and made Van Helsing a woman for Theatre Lunatico’s interpretation. Eileen began her acting career over 20 years ago and has played in theaters all over the Bay Area.
____________________________________________________________
Michael Barr – Board Member, Co-Artistic Director, Actor
Michael Barr is a core company member of Theatre Lunatico, where he has performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, The School for Scandal, Dracula, Titus Andronicus, and Convoy 31000. In addition, he has directed Lunatico productions of Measure for Measure, and staged readings of A Fine Day to Hang Oneself and Tis Pity She’s a Whore. Michael has worked as a performer throughout the Bay Area with AmiosWest, TheatreFIRST, Crowded Fire, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Livermore Shakespeare Festival, and PASCo, among others. He has also directed for Breach Once More (Rabbit Hole), AmiosWest (Shotz! and Longshotz!), Ross Valley Players (The Tin Woman) and Novato Theater Company (Our Town, A Streetcar Named Desire, ). Michael holds an MFA from the Shakespeare Theatre Company / George Washington University, and a BFA from College of Santa Fe / Greer Garson Theater Center.
____________________________________________________________
Devon deGroot – Core Member, Actor
Devon deGroot (she/her) is a Bay Area performer and theatre lover. She is grateful to join Lunatico as a core company member as of 2023 after performing in Attempts on Her Life by Martin Crimp in 2022. She was a company member with Troupe Theatre for many years, an ensemble theatre formed by alumni from the SFSU Theatre Department, where she graduated with a BA in Drama. Some favorite roles include Natasha in Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Catherine Givings in Sarah Ruhl’s play In the Next Room, and the titular gravedigger in Gravedigger: The Musical by Dylan Waite and Casey Robbins.
____________________________________________________________
Lauri Smith – Co-Artistic Director, Rentals Manager, Actor
Lauri Smith has been a core company member of Theatre Lunatico since 2019, where she has performed in Romeo and Juliet, The Moors, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, A Rose for Emily, Attempts on Her Life, Convoy 31000, Measure for Measure, and Kursk and directed The Revolutionists (2024), and Frankenstein (2025). An accomplished actor, playwright, director, author, speaker, and educator, she has performed at theaters across the country, from Berkeley Rep to the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Her solo work, Gasping for BreaDth, won the 2007 Ellen Hansen Memorial Prize for demonstrating the bravery and independence of women. Beyond the stage, Lauri is the CEO of Voice Matters, where she helps wild-hearted leaders and loving rebels transform the vibe in the room when they speak to ignite meaningful change. Lauri is deeply honored to join Michael Barr as Co-Artistic Director and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with this extraordinary group of artists to create bold, ensemble-based physical theatre that challenges, inspires, and moves audiences.
____________________________________________________________
Rachel Brown – Core Member, Actor
Rachel Brown is a core company member of Theatre Lunatico, where she was most recently seen in Tales From Behind the Basement Door. Previously, Rachel was a company member with Ragged Wing Ensemble in downtown Oakland. With Ragged Wing, Rachel was seen in A Winter’sTale; was an actor/collaborator in the world premiere of Multiverse: Beyond the Broken Universe; appeared in the world premiere of A Different Long Stretch of Earth by Addie Ulrey; and performed in Time Sensitive by Amy Sass. Rachel received her BA in English from UC Berkeley, and her MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. She has also studied with the Moscow Art Theatre, The British American Drama Academy, and SITI Company, as well as at The American Conservatory Theater. Rachel has taught students from preschool through the graduate-school level, including tenures with The Nueva School, Spotlight! Girls (Go Girls! Theatre Camp), Ragged Wing’s The School of Fierce Play, and The University of Southern Mississippi.
____________________________________________________________
Umut Yalcinkaya – Core Member, Actor
Umut is thrilled to be a core member of Theatre Lunatico. A graduate of Mills College at Northeastern University, she is an award-winning installation artist whose work transforms spaces, blending storytelling with striking visual compositions. Her artistic touch can be seen throughout our beautiful basement theater, where she brings imaginative set designs to life. Beyond her work in design, Umut is also a passionate writer and performer, seamlessly weaving her creativity into every aspect of the stage. Whether acting, writing, or shaping the world of a play through her set work, she is dedicated to making theater a dynamic and immersive experience for all.
___________________________________________________________
Tina Taylor – Founder
Tina was the founding member of Theatre Lunatico, initially setting the company up in 2007. As Artistic Director she steered the company for many years, building a company from the ground up that reflected her commitment to bold, inquisitive, physical ensemble theatre, and also focused on her commitment to putting women’s narratives centre stage. Since 2020, Tina has been based in the UK.
____________________________________________________________
Associate Artists
Theatre Lunatico has had the pleasure of working with a growing number of actors, directors, playwrights, creative designers, producers, choreographers, and stage managers. We extend a huge thank you to all the dedicated and talented artists we have worked with:
Jeannette Adejobi
Tyler Aguallo
Shoresh Alaudini
Laura Alderdice
Asha Alvarez
Melanie Bandera-Hess
Cedar Banks
Francesca Berlow
Jason Berner
Franny Beck
Jordan Beck
Liam Blaney
Tara Blau*
Rob Bradshaw
Jean Cary
Jayme Catalano
Camille Cheetham
Heather Cherry
Melissa Clason
Katherine (Maddie) Cope
Jessica Corbitt
Deborah Cortez
April Culver
Ben Davis
Eugene de Christopher
Sonia Decker
Carla BaNu Dejesus
Stephen Deitz
Jon Demegillo
Megan Donahue
Sharron Drake
Kevin Droese
Sarah Dunnavant
Steve Egelman
Eduardo Esqueda
Shane Fahy
Isabella Faillace
Leon Goertzen
Madge Grahn
Robyn Grahn
Maria Grazia Affinito*
Harley Greene
Jennifer Greene
James Paul Gregory
Isabelle Grimm
Elizabeth Hall
Pablo Hamlin
John Hanlon
Michel Harris
Sam Heft-Luthy
Gendell Hing-Hernandez*
Robin Jackson
Derek Jepsen
Sarah Jiang
Christian Jimenez
Jeffrey Kimmich
Joe Krenn
Isabel Langen
Carol Lashof
Jessica Lauren
Verena Lee
Miranda Lenore
Talya Levine
Emily Ludlow
Lorelei Luc
Ray Martin
Kristen Matia
Kenneth Matis
Aeron Mcintyre*
Charlie Morgan
Aella Ney
Tom O’Brien
James Aaron Oh
Irina Okittens
Jourdán D. Olivier-Verdé
Melissa Ortiz*
Omar Osaria-Peña
Tom Osborne
Kateryna Ponomarenko
Rainier Pearl-Styles
James Perry
Eileen Puppo
Scott Ragle*
Keara Reardon
Gwyneth Richards*
Gillian Robins
Malcolm Rodgers
MaryAnn Rodgers
Camille Rose
Sophie Ruf
Gary Sandford Jr.
Susan Santiago
Julie Sarabia
Adriana Schurman
Emily Serdahl*
Bryce Smith
Jake Soss
Jax Steager
Elana Swartz
Chanel Tilghman
Zoe Taylor-Wolland
Jasper Thelin
Nadia Thomas
Nicole Thordsen
Kit Turner
Kaz Valtchev
Dalia Vidor
Éssa Vilanue
Michael Walraven
Loran Watkins
Andrea Weber
David Westley Skillman
Alison Whismore
Cierra White
Cathy Wilmouth
Michelle Zhao
Bessie Zolno
____________________________________________________________
Gideon Jones – In Memoriam
Gideon joined Theatre Lunatico as Stage Manager for our 2015 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and went on to serve as Technical Director and Scenic Designer as a Core Member.
In 2022, we tragically lost Gideon to a short and devastating illness. His loss is immeasurable, and he remains forever a part of our company’s heart.
Gideon spent over two decades building scientific apparatus at a local research lab, developing the creative problem-solving skills that perfectly suited Lunatico’s bare-bones but evocative style. The foundations he laid endure. Before a career-ending injury, he performed professionally with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, San Francisco Opera Ballet, and in Europe and Israel.
We miss him more than words can say.