STAFF/Stage Crew

Our Staff and Crew are dedicated to bringing you the highest qualit entertainment and the best opportunity to hone your craft. Please take a moment to meet out staff and crew

A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Our Vision: CatNic Community Theatre's primary mission is to produce quality plays, musicals, revues, theater, dramas, educational workshops and seminars, and to develop the art and craft of acting, stage directing and the production of stage plays. We are committed to instilling a love for theater and a passion to develop the Art and Craft of Acting. We commission and produce new plays, both original works and contemporary adaptations of classics, which combine the artistry of professional and community collaborators. We are located in Phoenix Arizona as an Arizona non-profit Corporation.

We invite you to experience CatNic Community Theatre by joining us as we produce theater with, and for people of many ages, cultures and levels of theatrical experience.

CatNic Community Theatre brings the appreciation for culture and the arts to all ages and backgrounds as well as enrich the quality of our lives as individuals, and as a community.

Michael R, Herst
Artistic Director/President

This corporation is an Arizona Non-Profit Corporation formed in June of 2007, and organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes as specified in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, including for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now enacted or hereafter amended, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that also qualify as Section 501(c)(3) exempt organizations; CatNic Community Theatre Inc’s primary mission is to produce quality plays, musicals, revues, theater, dramas, educational workshops and seminars, and to develop the art and craft of acting, stage directing and the production of stage plays. We are committed to instilling a love for theater and a passion for the arts.

Artistic Director

Michael R. Herst

Michael is a graduate of the Hollywood Film Institute as a Director and Line Producer, an actor with seven feature films to his credit, numerous stage performances, and various television commercials over th elast 18 years, he graduated from the Writers Boot camp for screenwriting in 2003, Michael created the one and only interactive film festival in the world as well as developed and produced the Las Vegas Screenwriters Conferences in Las Vegas Nevada. Michael's personal workshop "In the Room, the art of pitching" for the Las Vegas Screenwriters Conferences, helped many screenwriters fine tune their pitching skills to help them get their screenplays in front of the right people.

Michael directed and produced several independent films, and is an avid theatre enthusiast. Michael was also a Development Executive for GreyLine Entertainment, a motion picture and literary agency, and graduated in November of 2007 with a Bachelors degree in Business Management. (Read a little history below to understand some past productions and achievements.) Creating the best Community Theatre experience in Arizona is Michael's goal!

Director of Customer Relations/ House Manager

Toni Spets

Toni as an Anthem Resident that specializes in Feng Shui, with her business Ultimate Feng Shui, balancing the mind body and soul. Toni is a teacher by profession, a customer relations specialist by trade.

An Avid theatre enthusiast Toni is part of the CatNic Community Theatre family and has helped to define the direction that the Community Theatre is going. Toni was instrumental in the selection of the fantastically talented cast for Love Sex and the IRS, and Toni's time, effort and dedication to CatNic Community Theatre has allowed this organization to take the necessary steps to become the premeire Theatre group in the North valley.

Toni's is a welcome member of the family of and Managing staff for CatNic Community Theatre.

Stage Manager

Kelly O’Connell-Weigel

Kelly was an Air Force brat who recently moved to the Phoenix area from Newport News, VA. New to the Desert Foothills Theater she assistant stage managed Gypsy and is very excited to take on the role of stage manager for CatNic Theatre's production of Love, Sex, and the IRS. While in VA she earned her Bachelors of Arts in Technical Theater and Design from Christopher Newport University and spent three seasons with Busch Gardens Europe working as a Stage Manager and technician with such productions as their Irish step-dancing shows Emerald Beat and Irish Thunder as well as with their original German show This Is Oktoberfest and their original Hall-o-scream production Fiends in the Festhaus. She also worked with Williamsburg's popular Mystery Dinner Playhouse working as the Production Manager for their original productions of Murder Rides Again and A Prom To Die For. Outside of theater Kelly worked with a local Virginia TV station as their On-Air Promotion Manager and is
also a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard. She is excited to come out to Arizona with her husband and two cats and put her passion and experience to use for the local theater community.

Lighting Designer

Wes Sullivan

Wes is a theatrical lighting designer who has returned to Phoenix after graduating from the University Nevada Las Vegas with an MFA in Lighting Design. In Las Vegas he worked for Lance Burton and most recently was the Assistant Lighting Designer for "Stomp Out Loud," at Planet Hollywood Casino. He also worked for the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago during their Telluride Colorado residency. Wes is glad to be back in Phoenix with his beautiful wife.  He unfortunately misses the casinos sometimes, though his pockets don't.

Assistant Director/Intern

Alex Fox

Costumer

Caitlin Herst

Assistant Stage Manager/Intern

Nicole Herst

Set Design

Zach Coffey

Stage Crew Chief

Stage Crew

Jenna SpetsAmber TarantoHillary Brad

MBS Elite Inc. started in 1999 as Lifestyle Productions. During the time period between 1999 and 2005 we produced and developed Two (2) international, critically acclaimed film festivals and five (5) of the world renowned Las Vegas Screenwriting Conferences. The Cripple Creek Film Festival and the Hollywood in the Rockies International Film Festival, earned the distinguished honor of being written about in the Wall Street Journal in 2000 as one of the top 6 new film festivals to attend. We combined the artistic value of the film festival with the first and only interactive segment in the world. For the film festival, he wrote produced and shot a film during the festival with the assistance of full time actors, crew and editors, and put the film festival attendees right next to them during the entire process. The film was the showcased at the conclusion of the festival This was the inventive way of teaching the film enthusiast the art and craft of making movies. (© 1999-2007,Interactive Film Festival, Michael Herst) The Las Vegas Screenwriting and Movie making conferences brought together over 30 Hollywood industry professionals each conference, and taught screenwriting from developing the idea to culmination on the big screen. We attracted screenwriters from around the globe to include: TaiPei, Hong Kong, Canada, Spain, France and London. The conference was showcased in twelve magazines and several newspapers. A few of our elite guests were: Mr. Tony Curtis, Mrs. Shirley Jones, Gary Marshall, Shane Black (Lethal Weapon), Christopher Lockhart from ICM, Ross LaManna (Rush Hour), Steven Katz (the Mummy), George Gallo (Bad Boys), Karen McCullah Lutz (Legally Blonde) just to name a few. CatNic Community Theatre is a result of the enthusiasm and desire to educate, and instill a passion for the entertainment industry, in particular the theater. Michael welcomes the opportunity to develop an institution for people of all ages and cultures to learn and grow within the entertainment field and excel in the art and craft of theatre.

PRESS
(Click on one of the links to open an article) A few of the articles written about the events and productions.

Script Magazine Absolute Write Films In Review Cripple Creek Film Festival (scroll down on the article)