Jenny Neyman, president

Jenny Neyman has been involved with the Kenai Performers since moving to the Kenai area in 2002, generally in all things backstage and behind the scenes — set construction, lights, sound, stage managing, etc. She’s been on the board of directors since 2007 and is excited to help facilitate the organization’s progress toward establishing a permanent home and expanded role in the area’s creative community. An Alaska brat, she’s originally from Wrangell in Southeast, and came back to the state after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in journalism in Spokane, Wash. She’s worked for the Peninsula Clarion newspaper, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and currently is the editor/publisher of the Redoubt Reporter newspaper.

Kelly Keating-Griebel

Kelly Keating-Griebel was born and raised on the Kenai Peninsula. She married Scott Griebel in 1992 and daughter, Hayley, was born a year later. She graduated from Soldotna High School in 1989 and from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1995 with a teaching degree in elementary education. Kelly decided to try out the family business in 2001 and became a Realtor at her father’s company, Freedom Realty. Ten years later, she’s been a top-producing Realtor for the entire Kenai Peninsula for the last for the last several years.

She is a big supporter of the Kenai Performers, as both Scott and Hayley have been very active in our local productions. Scott has headlined as Gaston in “Beauty and the Beast” and as The King in “The King and I.” Hayley has had parts in several “Summer in the Playhouse” plays since she was 7, and has recently headlined as Rizzo in “Grease.” Kelly helped start up Curtain Call Consignment with Mary Krull in 2009 as a way to help the Kenai Performers, and has continued to volunteer there when her real estate schedule allows. Curtain Call has been an extremely rewarding and successful venture.

Kelly also has served on the state and local Realtor’s board for many years since 2001, has served on the local Hospice Board for three years, has served on the Soldotna Chamber Board and is an active Rotarian. She was awarded the Excellence in Profession award in 2006 from the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and enjoys being involved and giving back to our community.

Jamie Nelson, board member

Jamie has been a member of the board since early 2005. He has enjoyed volunteering for Kenai Performers in many capacities. After running lights and sound for productions, taking directing workshops, teaching stage combat, helping with summer camps, directing and selling ads for programs, acting is still his favorite part. He feels privileged to have been on stage for so many wonderful productions. When not part of the cast, he enjoys coming to support the organization by watching productions.

Phil Morin, vice president

Phil has served on the board for the last two years. He’s lived in Kenai for 51 years and has participated in Kenai Performers since its creation, starting when his mother, Phyllis, was a founding member and director. He currently teaches biology at Nikiski Middle/Senior High School.

Marc Berezin, treasurer

Marc has been involved with Kenai Performers since 1981 and has performed in many plays and musicals. After only 19 years, it occurred to him that having all the fun without taking on any responsibility wasn’t quite fair, so he joined the board in 2000 as treasurer. Marc spent 20 years with the Kenai Peninsula School District in various roles, from teacher to gifted program manager to technology specialist, and he retired from KPBSD in 1998. He has since worked as a database developer in a home office. Marc has been married since 1971 to Libby, a studio potter. They have two grown children and a new grandson, all of whom they are immensely proud.

Laura Forbes, secretary

Laura was born and raised in the Kenai area. The Forbes family has been involved with Kenai Performers for as long as she can remember. After graduating from the University of Alaska, Anchorage with a bachelor’s in theater, Laura worked and lived in Anchorage and Homer, including as adjunct faculty in the UAA Department of Theater and Dance and as the youth theater director for Pier One Theater in Homer. Laura spent about eight years in Chicago working as a freelance designer, stage manager, director and teaching artist. Laura was an education associate and teaching artist for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the education coordinator for the Vittum Theater (now Adventure Stage Chicago) at the Northwestern University Settlement House. Glad to be back in Kenai, Laura is now the director of programs and exhibits at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center and is working on her master of arts degree in integrated teaching through the arts with the Kenai Cohort of Lesley University.

Sally Cassano-Archuleta

Sally Cassano grew up in Northwestern Montana and began her love of live theater in 1978. She was cast in numerous Flathead Valley Community College productions and danced with the Kalispell Dance Company. She participated in, choreographed and directed many shows, including judging pageants. Sally has been in the Kenai area for eight years and has been involved with Kenai Performers shows as a director, writer, actor and choreographer, including, "The Dining Room," "Sudden Theater," "The King and I," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Steel Magnolias" and "Oliver." Sally s husband, Pete Archuleta, and children Charlotte Zumbuhl and Crockett Schipman. have both been Kenai Performers, as well. Sally has served on Kenai Performers Board of Directors for five years.

Mary Krul, board member

Mary moved to Alaska from Los Angeles in 1999 and opened the Vintage Moose Tea Room several years later, which operated for 2.5 years. Her other artistic endeavors include creating window glasswork. She’s a mother of three, two of which began acting with Carol Ford during Summer in the Playhouse’s production of “Snow White and the Seven Oompa Loompas.” Mary’s daughters got hooked on theater then, and have been active ever since. Mary helped found Curtain Call Consignment in 2009 and continues to co-manage boutique. She became a Kenai Performers board member in 2010.

Chris Cook, executive director

Chris Cook was introduced to theater in Kenai in the 1960s under the tutelage of Jean McMaster, Lance Peterson and her mother, Phyllis Morin. Chris has been involved with Kenai Performers since the group’s inception and has served as everything from a board member, costumer, producer and. currently, the executive director. Chris has costumed multitudes of performers around the Kenai Peninsula, including many in Pier One Theatre, Peninsula Dancers, Anchorage Civic Opera, Anchorage Community Theater, UAA Dance Deptartment, Kenai Central High School Drama, Nikiski High Dance and Drama and Triumvirate Theatre. Chris has served as a commissioner on the Kenai Library Commission, as a volunteer for the Central Peninsula General Hospital Volunteer Guild, and is currently serving on the Central Peninsula Garden Club board and as a hospice volunteer.