2023-2024 Board of Directors

Laura W. Andruski
President

Ms. Andruski, a Rockville resident, is an award-winning director of Equity, regional, educational and community theatre productions. Favorites include: The Miracle WorkerTo Kill a MockingbirdThe NerdA Flea in Her EarThe Music ManFiddler On the RoofA Midsummer Night’s DreamAn Ideal HusbandThe Wizard of OzHay Fever, and The Secret Garden. Originally educated at the University of Wisconsin-Professional Training Program and Equity trained at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, she has stage managed for These Mortalsby Players, McCarter Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, and the Southern Arizona Light Opera Company. Laura received her undergraduate degree in theatre/communication from Rider University. She is employed as the Theatre Program Coordinator at the Arts Barn/City of Gaithersburg.

Steve Howlett
Vice President

A Rockville resident, Mr. Howlett is the managing partner of Horn and Watson Capital, which specializes in raising debt and equity for infrastructure projects in challenging international markets. In his career, he has raised over $43 billion mainly in the power and transportation sectors. He is married with four teenage children which includes three daughters involved in theater. Mr. Howlett has a BA in Foreign Service and an MBA from Baylor University in Texas.

Jeff McDermott
Treasurer

Mr. McDermott has served on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer for RLT since 2012. He is a lifelong theatre lover – ever since he apprenticed at a professional theatre in high school – and has produced, directed, and acted for several theatres in the Washington area. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Perisphere Theatre, a newly-formed professional theatre in Washington. Jeff received his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and his law degree from Georgetown University. He currently serves as an Assistant Inspector General for the Department of State, where he leads the Office of Evaluations and Special Projects, responsible for conducting special reviews and investigations of issues with significant public and congressional interest.

Natalie McManus
Secretary

Ms. McManus has served on the board of directors for several theatres over the past three decades. She has performed in a number of productions at RLT, including Radium GirlsBook of DaysKill a MockingbirdAn Inspector Calls, and Bad Seed. Her other area theater credits include All My SonsCollected StoriesThe Laramie ProjectEnchanted AprilOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s NestThe Last Days of Judas IscariotMousetrapAll In The Timing and Rumors. She has received numerous acting awards.

Natalie is a professional Voice, Speech and Presentation Skills Coach. She is a licensed Speech Pathologist, Designated Linklater Voice Teacher, Certified Forensics Coach (public speaking), and Actor. She taught theatre voice at George Mason University for almost a decade. Natalie now works privately with individuals and groups, through her company, Professionally Speaking, located in Potomac, MD 20854. She also chairs the Arts Committee at her church and volunteers with the Metropolitan Washington Ear, reading/recording news for the blind.

Jerry CalliStein

Mr. Callistein has been living theatre since the age of 5. In the 20 years since he moved to Rockville he has been active as actor, director, producer, and mostly as stage manager for RLT, RMT, and other community theatre groups in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Most recently he was stage manager for Radium Girls with RLT, and Brigadoon with RMT. Mr. Callistein also serves on the board of Sandy Spring Theatre Group and helped draft the original RESCO (Rockville Resident Theatre Company) agreements while a member of the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission. He is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management and helps people learn about and start small businesses as a Career Transition Coach.

Susan Chen

An avid DC theater goer, Ms. Chen has never acted but has performed on stage with orchestra and chamber groups as a violinist. Arriving to Rockville via Taiwan, Texas, Los Angeles and then Japan, she has been a resident since 2003. Ms. Chen is a scientist at AstraZeneca. She is also active in the community having served on several PTA/PTSAs in various capacities and volunteers at the National Gallery of Art. At RLT, Ms. Chen will be focusing on marketing, communications and social media. She is married and has two sons. Ms. Chen has a BS in Microbiology from the University of Texas, Austin and a MS in Biology from Caltech.

Leena Shrivastava Dev

Leena has been performing since the age of one when she ran up on stage during her mother’s fashion show! As a child, she performed Indian classical music and dance which is where she developed her love of performing. Leena has participated in drama classes, workshops and productions at the high school, college, and community level in both onstage and backstage roles. For RLT, Leena has appeared onstage in Arsenic and Old Lace and as Celia in As You Like It for Walking with Shakespeare. Outside of theater, Leena is a general pediatrician with a specialty in forensics. She served as an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan, Drexel University and UMDNJ. Leena attended NC State, UNC – Chapel Hill and University of Michigan. When not pursuing theater or practicing medicine, Leena enjoys riding her road bike and taking care of her garden, pond, and fishes within. She lives in the area with her husband and two sons (who are gymnastics performers) and proud Terps.

Dean Fiala

A Rockville resident, Mr. Fiala fell back into theater with RLT in A Flea in her Ear, and hasn’t left since, taking onstage roles in Go Back for Murder and A Christmas Story, and producing several plays including To Kill a Mockingbird and Almost, Maine. A perspiring playwright, he has had eight shows produced. Most recently, he was named “Up and Coming Playwright” for Negotiable Virtue at the Maryland Community Theatre Festival. His theater dream is to play Lady Macbeth. Dean received a BS in Political Science from MIT, and serves as a Managing Director of Software Development for Ankura Consulting in Washington, DC.

Ken Kemp

Mr. Kemp has served on the RLT Board since 2008, including serving as President from 2012-2016. He has worked on numerous RLT productions, both appearing on stage, and serving in various technical roles. As a board member, he has focused his attention on Marketing, Publicity and Fundraising, drawing on over two decades of work in corporate sales and marketing, including 11 years with DisneyABC. He has also served on the board of Damascus Theatre Company, and has a broad range of experience acting, directing, and working backstage with dozens of local community and professional theatre companies. He currently works as a professional actor/singer, appearing in live theatre productions, and in television and independent films all over the DMV area. Ken was born and raised in Rockville, and is a lifelong MoCo resident.