Advisory Board Members

 

(FY2026-2027)

The Free Theatre’s Advisory Board is comprised of adult professionals with expertise in a variety of fields, and student alumni who have committed to supporting the company in an advisory capacity.

Marci Shegogue, Board President & Acting Treasurer

Marci has served as music director for hundreds of professional, community and educational program productions in the D.C. area over the past 40 years. In addition to working with The Free Theater (Fame, Mamma Mia, In the Heights, Sweeney Todd, Pippin, Chicago, Urinetown, Footloose, 9 to 5, Mean Girls, The Prom), she is the resident Music Director for Free Range Humans, a professional immersive theater company, and serves on the Board for Free Range Kids. Marci has worked extensively with educational musical theater programs in the DMV, including American University, University of Maryland College Park, Montgomery College, and Montgomery County Public Schools. Favorite productions include The Prom (Univ of MD), Once (American Univ), Little Women (Univ of MD, and MC Summer Dinner Theatre productions) Jekyll and Hyde, Murder Ballad, Always Patsy Cline, Striking 12, 35mm (Free Range Humans), Double Trouble (Imagination Stage), Infinite Future: A Celebration of Leonard Bernstein (Monumental Theater), Catch Me If You Can (Act Two at Levine), Tommy (Kensington Arts Theater), Newsies and Anastasia (Quince Orchard HS Drama), Aida and In the Heights (Northwest HS Drama), Spamalot and Forever Plaid (Rockville Musical Theater), and Beauty and the Beast (Damascus Theatre Company). She is a University of Maryland theater and music department alumnus and has trained professionally with DC and NYC artists. Marci is also a collaborative accompanist, mentor and audition coach and freelance musician.

Tina Craun, Secretary

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seoyoung Kim, General Advisor

Seoyoung has worked professionally around the DMV area as a production manager, designer, and all around tech since 2017. They started working with The Free Theatre as the Production Manager for “Fame” tech week and performance in 2019.

Rikki Howie Lacewell, General Advisor

Rikki Howie Lacewell is a WATCH nominated choreographer, director and performer based in the Washington DC area. She has worked extensively in the Professional and Community Theater community over the past 20 plus years. She is the founder of Confidence Theatrics, a professional performance and consulting theatre company based in the DMV, but available internationally: confidencetheatrics.com.

Ari Rubenstein, Alumni Advisor

Prior Creative Team Lead

Ari Rubenstein is an alumna who joined The Free Theatre during their first season. Alongside acting in FAME and In The Heights, he also directed the 2021 production of Pippin. Ari is very passionate about The Free Theatre’s mission, and ability to give kids invaluable leadership experience onstage and offstage, something that is truly unique to the program. He is currently a documentary filmmaker based in NYC.

Brinlyn Cohen-Rider, Alumni Advisor

Prior Stage Manager & Assistant Production Manager

Brinlyn is a recent Free Theatre alumni and has been in the performing arts for as long as she could walk. She was with TFT all four years in high school, serving roles from crew hand to stage manager to assistant production manager. At her school, she served as the student technical director.

Claire Gelillo, Alumni Advisor

Prior Marketing Director

Claire Gelillo is an alumna of The Free Theatre who joined during the company’s inaugural season. In addition to performing in the company’s productions of In The Heights, Fame, Sweeney Todd, and Pippin, she served as the Marketing Director from 2019-2021. Claire hopes to forward The Free’s mission by providing guidance on best practices in marketing, student leadership, and more. She is currently training at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting at NYU Tisch.

Gillian Gravatt, Alumni Advisor

Prior Company Manager

Gillian Gravatt is an alumna of the Free Theatre who became involved with the company during their very first production, Mamma Mia.  As a junior, she directed the Free’s production of Fame, and went on to be Company Manager her senior year.  Gillian is very passionate about the Free Theatre’s mission to make educational theatre accessible and student-driven, and hopes to continue to forward this mission as a member of the Advisory Board.  Gillian graduated from Walt Whitman High School in 2021 and is currently a student at Rice University majoring in Political Science.

Grace Awono, Alumni Advisor

Prior Marketing Director

Grace is a graduate of Northwest High School and is currently studying Musical Theatre at American University. She was a company member of the Free Theatre starting in August of 2020. She was a Featured Dancer in Pippin, the Asst. Choreographer for Chicago, and the Choreographer for Urinetown and 9 to 5, and served as the Marketing Co-Director in the 2022-23 season.

Avery Hook, Alumni Advisor

Prior Company Manager

Chase Pasekoff, Alumni Advisor

Prior Company Manager

Jen Jeon, Alumni Advisor

Prior Costume Designer

Nate Kauffman, Alumni Advisor

Prior Company Manager