Who We Are | The Players Theatre

Who We Are

THE PLAYERS THEATRE COMPANY - WHERE EVERY STORY TAKES CENTER STAGE

The Players Theatre Company began in 1967 as The Little Theatre of Conroe, producing shows on the Conroe High School stage and later moving into a former plumbing supply store at the corner of Galveston and Robertson Streets. In 1979, The Players cleaned and restored The Crighton Theatre, where we operated for nearly 30 years as The Crighton Players. Then in 2008, we moved into our current residence at The Owen Theatre. A 501c3 non-profit, The Players offers six or seven productions each year utilizing the remarkable pool of volunteer talent in our area.

OUR MISSION

The Players Theatre Company advances its mission of enrichment, education and entertainment by building an inclusive and welcoming community among our audiences, patrons, volunteers and visitors through high-quality, authentic stage productions, education outreach and the support of all aspects of theatre craft. We are committed to responsible and sustainable operation and growth with transparent accountability to our donors, patrons, sponsors and supporting organizations.

MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are an all-volunteer, working board of directors. Each member serves a 3 year term and actively heads and participates on committees to drive the mission of the theatre forward.

Shananda Poulos (President)

A busy wife and mother of two, Shananda is also the District Manager for South Texas for Massage Envy. With an extensive musical background, her power-house voice has highlighted productions of Sweeney Todd, 9-to-5 and this season’s Into the Woods and The Rocky Horror Show.

Jean Ciampi (President Elect)

Jean is an award-winning playwright, an actress and director. Her work was awarded the 2024 Robert J. Pickering Award for Playwriting Excellence and a 2024 Veterans Repertory Theatre writers’ grant. She’s a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and the Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive.

Shari Wojta (Secretary)

With over 14-years experience in theatre, Shari’s previous board experience includes CYT National and Houston (Chair). Her artistic team credits include Bright Star, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Sweeney Todd and Anything Goes. In 2021, she produced her own show, Disenchanted! She is an investor in Broadway, West End and National Tour musicals. She is also a proud wife and mother.

Jamie Ballard (Treasurer)

Senior Vice President and North Team Lead for Veritex Bank, Jamie made his stage debut with The Players in the 2023 production of Leading Ladies. A Michigan native, a former youth minister, as well as a husband and father of two daughters, Jamie is also an avid hunter and fisherman.

Cynthia Burns

Cynthia is the Houston Regional Account Executive at First Citizens Bank, specializing in Community Association and HOA financial management. When not volunteering with her church or at her son's school, Cynthia enjoys sailing Lake Conroe and cheering for the Astros.

Jennifer Clevenger

Jennifer is a Mission Operations and Integration engineer with NASA, working as a liaison with Russia's Mission Control Center and leading the integration team for the Artemis lunar missions. She is also a Woodlands native, Aggie, Disney fanatic, wife, mom and grandma. Jennifer has been involved with The Players both on stage and backstage since 2021, most notably for Matilda, A Christmas Story: The Musical, Sweeney Todd, and The Rocky Horror Show.

Ari Kogut

Ari has been very active in the Conroe theater community for the past 10 years. He has also served on the board of directors for several small mineral exploration companies as well as Christian Youth Theater (CYT) National and CYT Houston (Chair). Ari has been involved with The Players for the last five years as a cast member, sets designer and volunteer. He is a proud husband and father to three girls.

Veronica Amandola

The past 4 years, Veronica has established herself as a devoted member of the theater community in both the Houston and Conroe Areas. Favorite music directing credits include Les Mis the School Edition, Sweeney Todd and Anything Goes. Favorite performance credits include Next to Normal (Diana), SpongeBob the Musical (Sandy Cheeks) and Into the Woods (Bakers Wife/Florinda). She is a music educator and a dedicated dog mom to Archie.

Rusty Groos

Rusty spent his career in the sales and marketing of computer technology to the financial industry. He also traveled extensively as a professional Conference Speaker and member of the National Speakers Association. Acting became his avocation some 35 years ago and he has performed in 50+ productions. Now in retirement, he promotes community theatre across Southeast Texas as a volunteer for the Theatre Network of Texas (TNT).

THE PLAYERS THEATRE COMPANY - WHERE EVERY STORY TAKES CENTER STAGE

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MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS We are an all-volunteer, working board of directors. Each member serves a 3 year term and actively heads and participates on committees to drive the mission of the theatre forward.

FUNDED IN PART BY THE CITY OF CONROE ARTS & CULTURE GRANT

MEET OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are an all-volunteer, working board of directors. Each member serves a 3 year term and actively heads and participates on committees to drive the mission of the theatre forward.