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River Rep’s Search Committee consists of both old and new friends who have dedicated their time and talents to finding a new home for our next twenty seasons. Each brings their own unique gifts and insight to the complicated task of finding a suitable and exciting venue for River Rep. We are ever thankful. Meet the team!
Jean DeGrooth
Jean DeGrooth lives in Old Lyme and has appeared in
many River Rep productions over the years, most recently
Present
Laughter (2004). She is semi-retired from a
teaching and Non-Profit Management career. Her husband,
Fred, is a Teaching Tennis Professional in the area
and her four granddaughters are her pride and joy. Jean
is dedicated to keeping professional theater in our
little corner of Connecticut.
Rick Hoskins
Rick Hoskins had a memorable and humorous start to his
long association with the River Rep. When calling to
reserve tickets to the Rep’s 1988 production of
Arsenic and Old Lace, the box office staff
thought him a prank caller when he placed his reservation
in the name of Mr. Hoskins. Few people will remember
that “Mr. Hoskins” is the name of the corpse
in the window seat throughout the show. For the better
part of the next 19 years, Rick’s theater students,
friends, and children became a “Strike Night”
staple. He and his “crew” have helped build
countless sets, find props, and recruit actors and stage
crew — all the while cheering their “theater
family” from the back row of the balcony on closing
nights. His children Kristin, Christopher, Erin, and
Sean have all taken their turns watching River Rep theater
and helping to strike sets. Along the way, they have
cried, laughed, cheered, and honored a fallen soldier
together. Rick feels that River Rep has given so much
to his family over the years and wishes to do anything
he can to keep the magic flowing around this next bend
in the river. For the past twenty years, Rick Hoskins
has been the English teacher and Activities Director
at Killingly High School in Danielson, CT.
Arthur Pignataro
Arthur Pignataro has been River Rep’s irreplaceable
Production Manager for the past 12 years — a post
that makes him uniquely valuable to this search committee.
Originally from Westerly, RI, Arthur has an extensive
theatre background both on and off the stage. In addition
to his many duties behind the scenes at River Rep, audiences
have come to recognize Arthur’s on-stage contributions
in dozens of River Rep productions — most recently
2005’s An
Ideal Husband. When not toiling for the Rep, he
directs in Westerly, RI for the Granite Theatre (Sylvia,
I Hate Hamlet, among others). He served as
Production Stage Manager for The Colonial Theatre for
two seasons, and has acted as Production/Company Manager
for The American Musical Theatre in New London, CT.
Arthur is looking forward to celebrating River Rep’s
20th Anniversary season!
Jackie Sidle
Actress Jackie Sidle has lived in Hamden, CT for 2 years,
after relocating from Chicago. She discovered River
Rep 2 years ago, in New York City, where she enjoyed
one of the friendliest and funnest auditions of her
career. She is now proud to be a part of the River Rep
family, having appeared in several shows including 2005’s
opener How
The Other Half Loves. Jackie is looking forward
to River Rep’s 20th Anniversary season. When not on
stage, Jackie plays the part of mom to her 2 young sons.
Nancy Smith
Most of Nancy Smith’s professional life has been spent as a writer and editor, working primarily at colleges and universities in England and the US. After retiring from Wesleyan University a few years ago, she moved into a converted barn in East Haddam, and now has almost as much time as she would like to read, travel, play with her family, and indulge her affection for anything and everything to do with the theatre. She is delighted to be able to help River Rep on this search project.
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