CARMEL'S COMMUNITY THEATER ADDS EXPERIENCE TO BOARD

Leadership Changes Come As Organization Makes Move to New Home

(August 24, 2009 - Carmel, Indiana) - Four new board members and one new business director have joined the leadership team of Carmel Community Players (CCP). These key additions bring the total years of combined community and professional theater experience to just over 200 years. The new leadership team raises the average years of involvement with CCP at just over eight years. CCP has been in existence since 1993.

CCP recently signed a lease agreement with Simon Property Group and Lauth Property Group to establish a theater space at the Clay Terrace outdoor mall in Carmel, Indiana. The 4,500 sq. ft. space will be called the Carmel Community Playhouse at Clay Terrace. The first production, Rabbit Hole, opens on the new stage on October 16th.

The following individuals are joining the existing CCP Board of Directors which currently includes board president Michael Long and members Tanya Haas, Glenn Dobbs, and Risa Krauter:

Gail Eastburn has been involved with CCP for the past 13 years. She brings to the board a solid background in Business Management, Database Management, Acting, Directing, and Fundraising. Eastburn is a graduate of Duke University with a degree in economics and previously worked for IBM in Atlanta and Indianapolis. She has also worked in freelance consulting and instructing roles around central Indiana. Eastburn spent 14+ years at Indianapolis Life Insurance Company, until the company sold out in 2000. Since then she has worked under contract with NPower Indiana, part of a Microsoft-seeded enterprise which provides IT services to non-profits. Having performed as a pianist and vocalist all her life, she sports a long list of concert/theater appearances. Here in Indiana, she has performed for hundreds of church and civic venues as Mary Poppins or Maria Von Trapp, most notably at the Children's Museum, the Indiana State Fair and CarmelFest. In the 1980s she performed the national anthem for the Pacers. In 1988 she soloed with the Carmel Symphony for its "Night at the Opera". Eastburn is an active church musician at Carmel United Methodist, having served as a soloist, interim director of children's choirs, occasional accompanist/hymnist, as well as producing/directing drama for worship and church-wide events. Since 1996, he has appeared in seven CCP productions in minor and major roles. She assistant-produced "Fiddler" (2004) and "Birdie" (2005). Offstage, she created a customized computer database for CCP, which tracks every type of constituent activity. She assumed leadership roles for two annual CCP fundraisers. She served on the CCP Board for 5 years, and is now returning to the Board. Eastburn hopes to employ her skills in data gathering/dissemination to support sound fundraising endeavors, and to help assure the professional operation of the CCP Board as the business and policy-making arm of this highly deserving artistic organization.

John C. Clair is returning to CCP with 29 years experience in theater, 14 years with CCP. Clair's skill set includes Business Management, Financial, Leadership, Technical Direction, and Acting. He is a seasoned business professional and who has a love for community theater and is looking forward to bringing his financial skills back to Carmel Community Players. He graduated from Butler University in 1972 and earned his MBA from Indiana University in 1991. He spent 25 years as a retail loan analyst with Chase Bank and five years as a tax analyst with Ernst & Young. John's theater experience dates back to 1980 where he served as a board member for the Broad Ripple Playhouse. He has also acted, taught theater classes and serve on the board of the Repertory Theater at CTS. He volunteered as a consultant to Carmel Community Players in 1995 and served on CCP's Board of Directors from 1997 - 2002. John became the part-time Auditorium Director for Clay Middle School in 2002 and has served as Technical Director for the annual Clay Middle School musical production. He is a creative writer, editorial consultant and playwright. Clair's understanding of financial topics will make him a valuable member of Carmel Community Players leadership team.

Rich Phipps has been involved with CCP since 1997 and has 27 years of theater experience. His core strengths include Corporate Leadership, Profit & Loss Analysis, Business Development, Acting, and Directing. Rich returns with 25 years of corporate leadership experience having served in senior roles with GE and Thomson, with profit and loss responsibility. In product management and business development, Phipps has a solid track record in leading business teams to capture emerging multimedia markets. His far-reaching background in market analysis, consumer research, and orientation to end-users have made him an expert in addressing new market opportunities and the dynamic needs of the marketplace. He has served as company spokesperson for new product launches and strategic alliances. He is a cum laude graduate of Colgate University (Hamilton, NY), and has an MBA in marketing from Syracuse University. While at Colgate, he served as Leader of the Colgate 13, an a capella singing group which performed the National Anthem at Superbowl XIII in Miami. With CCP, Rich has had numerous leading roles, both on and off-stage, and received an Encore Award for his direction of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He sings with the Orchard Park Church choir and men's quartet and has served as Elder at the church. He has frequently coached his children's teams in basketball and baseball and is Baseball Commissioner for the Carmel Dads' Club. Phipps looks forward to bringing his love of community theatre and leadership skills to the board of CCP.

Jeremy Cales has earned as one of the Indianapolis-areas to technical directors for community and professional theater over the past twenty years, two of which have included CCP. He has been a successful actor, musician, singer, dancer, stage manager and technician/designer in numerous theatres around Central Indiana, including Carmel Community Players (Carmel, IN), Indianapolis Civic Theatre (Indianapolis, IN), Myers Dinner Theatre (Hillsboro, IN), Footlite Musicals (Indianapolis, IN), American Cabaret Theatre (Indianapolis, IN), The Artists' Studio (Fishers, IN), Actor's Theatre of Indiana (Indianapolis, IN), Spotlight Players (Beech Grove, IN), Buck Creek Players (Acton, IN), Wayne Township Community Theatre (Indianapolis, IN), Theatre on the Square (Indianapolis, IN), to name a few. Along with stage managing, he has also directed numerous productions including co-directing the Indiana premiere of RENT. He also received an Encore Nomination for Best Director of a Musical for his production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Jeremy is currently the vice president of the Encore Association, an organization of 11 Central Indiana-based theatres that promote theatrical excellence. Calesis proud to be a part of CCP and able to provide his knowledge of technical theatre to the organization.

Another familiar face has recently joined CCP as director of public relations and marketing in the group's business division and will oversee the operations of the new Carmel Community Playhouse.

Brian Koning returns to Carmel Community Players with 30 years experience in theater and has acted and directed in CCP shows since 1999. Koning has a 25-year background in sales, marketing, advertising, public relations and event management. A 1986 graduate of Purdue University in corporate communication, he has been involved in community theater and served in leadership positions for various arts and professional organizations since the early 1970s. While attending Purdue University, Koning was the featured baritone soloist with the Purdue Varsity Glee and served as public relations chair for the PurduSirs honorary. Besides acting in and directing shows for Carmel Community Players, his theater experience includes Dayton Playhouse (Dayton, OH), Lafayette Civic Theater (Lafayette, IN), Main Street Productions (Westfield, IN), Indianapolis Civic Theater (Indianapolis, IN), and Beef & Boards Dinner Theater (Indianapolis, IN). He has served on the Board of Directors of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, Lafayette Children's Choir, Songwriters Association of Mid-north Indiana, and Main Street Productions. Brian owned and operated Galaxy Entertainment Group, Inc., where he managed entertainment events for corporations, fairs & festivals, and performing arts organizations throughout the Midwest. He also served two years on the Indiana Fairs and Festivals Association Board of Directors as well as the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Marketing Association. Koning currently owns and operates BTK & Associates, LLC, a marketing and sales consulting firm in Carmel and is a member of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce. He is honored to once again lend his talents and marketing/sales skills to Carmel Community Players to help with marketing, procure sponsorships and source additional funding.

Other members of the CCP leadership team's business and artistic divisions include Vickie Cornelius-Phipps, Lori Raffel, Kurt Krauter, Patricia Schiro-Long, Mindy Marts, and Jan Jamison.

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