WTC’s Staff
Executive Director
gayle@whitefishtheatreco.org
Since moving to Whitefish in 1994, Gayle has had a full time job
keeping the box office and business office running smoothly. Despite the appearance of her
desk, she really is quite organized! The theatre became the MacLaren’s second home when
their daughter Abigail discovered her love of theatre. Abigail left to seek her own career
several years ago but her parents are still enjoying the challenges and the satisfaction
of producing community theatre in our valley. Abigail now lives in Minneapolis and son
Duncan, practices law in Philadelphia.
Jesse DeVine
Artistic Director
jesse@whitefishtheatreco.org
Jesse has taught Devising Theatre, acting, directing, and Shakespeare courses at the University of Maine, community colleges, high schools, and theatres across the country for 20 years. At WTC her recent directing credits include Mary Poppins, Venus in Fur, God of Carnage, and Elephant’s Graveyard. She was last seen on stage in WTC’s Two Rooms. To date she has directed over 140 shows, (10 of which were original) making her an oddity in MT as she is a theatre bum instead of a ski bum! In 2006 she became the 2nd person in the US to receive a Masters in Devising Theatre/Directing and she holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Ithaca College. Along the way, she studied at New York University, Carnegie Mellon, Broadway Dance Center, and was fortunate enough to work side by side with several incredible esteemed theatre mentors. Jesse is the MT State Representative for American Alliance for Theatre and Education, served on the WESTAF grant panel for 3 years, and is a 16 year member of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education. She obtained her first Equity acting role at the young age of 12 and has remained a devotee of the theatre ever since. She would like to thank her husband Kevin for being all that she needs and more! It is you -my Irish, red headed wildland firefighter that enables me to see the forest through the trees and this has made all the difference. Our path is a good one- all my love!
Jen Asebrook
Development Director
marketing@whitefishtheatreco.org
Jen Asebrook joined the WTC staff in 2013 to oversee Marketing and Public Relations and serve as the Bookkeeper. Jen became an avid fan of WTC when she moved to the Flathead Valley in 1993, loving the variety and quality of both the theatre productions and the music performances. She is now thrilled to part the community of people that keep the theatre arts alive in Whitefish and is especially excited to draw in new patrons to the magic of live theatre and WTC. Jen also works as a botanist for Glacier National Park, a job she has had for over 20 years, and is co-owner of the small environmental firm Calypso Ecological Consulting, LLP. She has a BS in Environmental Science from Wesleyan University and an MS in Plant Ecology from Duke University. Jen is especially thankful to her husband Richard and sons Gabe and Sam who let her pursue all these endeavors. The theatre bug has already caught her boys who have both been in local theatre performances.
Lonnie Porro
Costume Designer
lonnie@whitefishtheatreco.org
Lonnie learned her sewing skills in 4-H, Home Ec classes, and from her mom. Growing up on a Montana farm, she ordered fabric from Sears and Roebuck catalogs, and used cotton chicken feed sacks as yardage. Many years later, in California, she stitched costumes for friends at Renaissance Festivals. She began a long career in Los Angeles producing television programs for PBS — performing arts, home improvement, docu-dramas, kid’s crafts, travel and cooking shows. In 1980 she moved to Whitefish, continued to do TV work around the country and volunteered to assist Nancy Nei with Whitefish High School and WTC productions between television assignments. She also worked as a costumer on Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard feature films filmed in Montana. In 2001 she became a staff member and continues to design the majority of the theatre shows. Lonnie loves to travel to far-away places with strange sounding names.
Robert Moody
Technical Director
robbie@whitefishtheatreco.org
Robert has been living working, and training in Montreal’s English theatre community since 2012. In that time, he’s worked professionally as lighting and sound designer, stage carpenter, event and stage technician, and most recently, Production Manager and Technical Director for the Hudson Village Theatre company producing professional shows in the summer, and supporting community productions in the winter. Although he’ll miss the Village Theatre and the Montreal community, he’s excited to be joining Whitefish Theatre Company to help maintain their high production standards, and become a part of the Whitefish community.
Fred Warf
Facilities Supervisor
As a native of Eastern Kentucky — a jock, an egghead — Fred never discovered the arts until he was in college. Since then he has been hooked to the two wonderfully creative lifestyles he now leads. Fred has enjoyed his life in many theatrical dimensions. Now when he is not building sets or tending the O’Shaughnessy Center’s many needs, you can catch him in his post-hillbilly studio creating art from the way outside. “Come by the scene shop sometime and say hello and see how the gears work!”
Scotty MacLaren
Production Assistant
Scotty, like his wife Gayle, found a new “family” at WTC both on stage and in the tech booth. He works with sound, lighting, projection equipment, the new conference room "smartboard" and he maintains WTC’s computers. He also creates and maintains the WTC website. He has appeared in many WTC productions over the past 13 years including: The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Almost Maine, The Other Room, The Foreigner, Lombardi, Elephant’s Graveyard and Oliver!, Other Desert Cities, The King and I and last season in Mary Poppins. When not at the theatre, Scotty can be found skiing on the Big Mountain or refereeing recreational, select or high school soccer matches.
