Sara Cath – Treasurer, Box Office Administrator
Sara became a member of the British Players in 2014 and joined the Board in 2016. She began her tenure with the Players helping backstage for the 50th Anniversary Music Hall, which quickly snowballed into performing in Panto and Music Hall. While continuing to be a part of almost every production over the last eight seasons, she took on the role of Treasurer and production Business Manager in 2017 after earning her B.S. in accounting. Currently, Sara serves as Treasurer and Box Office Coordinator, and in her “spare” time, she attempts to adjudicate for the Ruby Griffith Awards.
Matt Craun – Strategic Planning, Outreach & Diversity
Matt has been with the Players since 2005, when he joined the ensemble for Babes in the Woods Pantomime. He was in every Music Hall and Pantomime running up to 2015 when Matt took a break from the stage. He has also worked as a barman for many music halls. He returned to the BP stage for the Frosted pantomime in 2019. One of the things that Matt brings to the board is the sense of camaraderie and his love of British theatre. Matt works as a system administrator for one of the top financial firms where he has to continuously think on his feet, and has experience in conflict resolution when differences of opinion arise. Matt is dedicated to the continued success of the British Players.
Colleen Darling – Box Office Administrator, Socials
Colleen joined The British Players in 2019 when her daughter was cast in Alice in Wonderland. Since then, Colleen has held various positions with The British Players, including Producer, Covid Compliance Officer, and Box Office Manager, and is currently serving as Producer for Matilda the Musical. Colleen worked as an Associate General Counsel for Clark Enterprises (parent company of Clark Constructions) from 1998 – 2006, and has an undergraduate degree from University of Maryland and a juris doctor degree from Widener University. Since 2006 Colleen has been raising her daughter, performing remote work for multiple companies, and volunteering with several educational organizations
Nicola Winterton Hoag – Vice President, Wardrobe Mistress, Socials
Nicola has been a member of The Players for 30 years after performing as a Bow Belle in Music Hall. Over the years she has been involved in many productions both on and off stage, and has served on The Players’ Board as Corresponding Secretary and Social Chair. Currently she serves as Vice President and Socials Co-Chair as well as being responsible as Costume Mistress for the Players’ extensive collection of costumes. Nicola co-produced, co-directed, costumed, and appeared in BP’s Online Pandemic Holiday Spectacular in 2020 and Let’s All Go to the Music Hall in 2021. Nicola directed our very successful Panto, The Wizard of Oz, the Player’s first show at Kensington after the 2-year COVID hiatus, and this season’s Rapunzel.
Ellen Kaplan – Newsletter Editor
Ellen has been a member of BP since 2007 and has performed on stage in many Pantos and Music Halls. For her first Panto she ran a follow spot. Each time, she has felt welcomed and appreciated and has enjoyed herself immensely. Ellen served on Hexagon’s Board for two years and is aware of the challenges and commitment needed for successfully running a non-profit theatre group.
Matt Mills – Technical Director, Website Manager
Matt is a web designer by day and sound designer by night. He has worked in many different technical theatre roles (even on stage once!) for over 55 productions in the past 10 years, after being bitten by the theatre bug. The 51st Old Time Music Hall was his first show with the Players and one of the first shows he worked on after leaving his Columbia, South Carolina theatre community behind. He enjoyed it enough to stick around for 12 more BP productions and is still counting. He was elected to the Board in 2018 and currently serves as Technical Director. Matt continues to serve on the Board, and contributes his technical expertise to BP’s operations and productions.
Emilia O’Connor – Corresponding Secretary, Membership Secretary, Socials
Emilia has been a BP member since the times when we were still at the Embassy. More often than not, you will see her involved in Panto or helping out wherever she can. Aside from directing a Panto for BP, she has worn practically every theatre “hat” having been an actor, director/asst. director, teacher, stage manager, vocal coach, and techie, among others. She started at an early age with Imagination Stage (Bethesda Academy of Performing Arts) and went on to NYU’s Playwrights Horizons Studio. She is a co-founder and artist for ArtStream, Inc., where she was on the board for almost a decade, and has served on the BP board this past year as Membership Secretary and previously assisted with publicity. She is also a Special Educator for Montgomery County Public Schools.
Lauren Pacuit – President
Lauren has been involved with the Players for eight years, five of which were on the BP Board as Socials Co-Chair and currently is Publicity and Social Media Manager. She enjoys performing in Panto with her daughter, Lily, and Co-Produced Alice in Wonderland in 2019, The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 2022, As You Like It in spring 2023, Jack and the Beanstalk in 2024, and is Assistant Directing and Co-producing Robinhood & The Babes in the Wood in 2025. Lauren has served on the Board of Directors of Blossom Birth and also the Rollingwood Citizens Association, where she was Co-President for two years. She currently serves on the Child Center of NY advisory board, and loves volunteering in the community and helping to bring people together.
Lou Pangaro – Recording Secretary
Lou is a recent member of the British Players since appearing as Touchstone in As You Like It (2023), and he was in The Dresser the following year. He was in productions elsewhere recognized with a Ruby Griffth Award for Hamlet (1992) and A Delicate Balance (2018). He has acted in many local productions of Shakespeare, Moliere, Chekov and Arthur Miller and has directed Shakespeare, Shaw, Christopher Fry, Harold Pinter, and Peter Shaffer plays. He was a board member of Cedar Lane Stage for many years, and has had numerous positions in the federal medical school here in Bethesda and in national organizations for medical education. He and his wife, Kathy Pangaro, live locally in Rock Creek Highlands.
Lisa Singleton – Artistic Liaison, Special Productions
Lisa joined The British Players in 2018 as choreographer for Frosted. More recently, she performed in the BP productions of The Wizard of Oz, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rapunzel, and will play Mrs. Lyons in the upcoming production of Blood Brothers. Throughout her career, Lisa has performed, choreographed, and directed for multiple high school, community, and professional theatre productions. She has an undergraduate degree in musical theatre from Catholic University and a master’s degree in school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. Lisa is an administrator at a private school in Washington, DC.
Ian Swank – Grants Writer
Ian has been involved in community theatre in the DMV area since 2018. He has appeared in several British Players productions with his son, Aidan, including The Little Mermaid, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the upcoming production of Matilda the Musical. Ian believes in the power of theatre to unite people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to allow people to see the world from someone else’s perspective. He is particularly passionate about supporting the next generation of artists, and believes in introducing children to the arts early. When not on stage, he works as a grants management professional at an international NGO.
Missi Tessier – Play Selection Chair, Strategic Planning Chair
Missi has served on the Board since 2021. She co-produced, co-directed and appeared in BP’s Let’s All Go to the Music Hall online production in 2021, as well as BP’s Online Pandemic Holiday Spectacular in 2020. Missi performed in Music Hall in the 1990s, then returned to BP to appear in Fawlty Towers, Something’s Afoot, two more recent Music Halls, and five pantomimes. Missi was active in Hexagon for many years, performing, writing, serving on its Board for three years and receiving its President’s Award. In her professional life, Missi has been a public affairs consultant, speech writer, political communications director, media trainer, content editor and media strategist.