Pasadena Playhouse Announces New Board Officers

PASADENA, CA (CelebrityAccess) — The historic Pasadena Playhouse announced the organization’s new board of directors, Chair Erin Baker, Vice Chair Julie Gutierrez, Secretary Leigh T. Olivar, and Treasurer Bonnie Wongtrakool.

Following the board election, Erin Baker, who served as the organization’s co-chair with Dennis Cornell for the past season, will now assume the role of solo chairperson at the theater.

Baker’s current affiliations include The Fitzberg Foundation, Trader Joe’s, and Huntington Hospital. Vice Chair Julie Gutierrez’s affiliations include the City of Pasadena. Secretary Leigh T. Olivar is the Owner and General Manager of Bella Adorna, LLC, and Treasurer Bonnie Wongtrakool is the Global Head of ESG Investments for Western Assets.

Additionally, Alfred Molina, Bonnie Wongtrakool, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, and Bernhard von Thaden have all joined the theater’s board of trustees in the past year.

The full Board of Trustees for Pasadena Playhouse include Chair Erin Baker, Vice Chair Julie A. Gutierrez, Treasurer Bonnie Wongtrakool, Secretary Leigh T. Olivar, and Trustees Sheri Ball, MaryLou Boone, Dennis Cornell, Brandon Dickerson, Peggy Ebright, Danny Feldman, Beth Fernandez, Cristina Hernandez, Melanie Holden, Y-Vonne Hutchinson, Jane Kaczmarek, Brad King, Harmon Kong, Brandon Levin, Jim McCarthy, Ken McCormick, Alfred Molina, Bingo Roncelli, Jeff Smith, Lilah Stangeland, Ann Sunshine, Patricia Barajas Tavera and Bernhard von Thaden.

“After 4 years as Chair of the board navigating the Playhouse, from one of its most challenging periods in our history to our recent Tony-Award success, it is with great pride that I hand the reins over to our co-Chair, Erin Baker.” Dennis Cornell, immediate past chair said. “I’m confident that Erin and our new officers will lead our extraordinary Board of Trustees to new heights as we continue to support the Playhouse as one of the top theaters in the country.”

The historic 686 first opened in 1924 and hosted premieres by authors such as Eugene O’Neill, William Saroyan, Noël Coward, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tennessee Williams and the venue was named the state theater of California in 1937.

However, by 1969, facing financial challenges from the changing theatrical landscape in the U.S., the theater shuttered until it was revived in 1986, primarily as a community theater.

Amid further fianncial difficulties, the Pasadena Playhouse shuttered again in 2010, but managed to re-emerge just four months later with a new lease on life.

Earlier this year, the theater was recognized with the 2023 Regional Theatre Tony Award.

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