Contact Us

SteppingStone Theatre
55 Victoria Street North
Saint Paul, MN 55104

(651) 225-9265 (tel)
(651) 225-1225 (fax)
info@steppingstonetheatre.org

Richard Hitchler, Artistic Director
Ross D. Willits, Managing Director
Rosalyn Claret, Development Associate
Nikki Anthony, Education Program Associate
Christine M.P. Shyne, Audience Services Manager
Melissa Schmitz, Box Office Lead
Jackie Schluter-Johnson, Weekend House Manager
Kendra Plant, Marketing Associate
Julie L. Odegard, Production Stage Manager
Alan Pagel, Technical Director

SteppingStone Theatre Staff Bios

Richard Hitchler, Artistic Director, earned a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota and has been an administrator, teacher, actor, and director since 1987. Locally, he has worked with Illusion Theatre, Mixed Blood Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Cricket Theatre, Teatro Latino, and the Homeward Bound Theatre. Richard spent a number of years in Florida, working with Florida Studio Theatre, TheatreWorks, and the Orlando Shakespeare Festival. Hitchler was appointed Artistic Director of SteppingStone Theatre in 1997 where he has directed over 25 productions including Hanuman King of the Monkeys, Young MLK, The Stinky Cheese Man, Ruby!, and produced more than 60 productions.

Ross D. Willits, Managing Director, has been working with SteppingStone Theatre since 1998. He was a member of the theatre’s Board of Directors for two years prior to joining the staff in 2002. He has held artistic and administrative positions at many Twin Cities theatre companies including the Guthrie Theatre, the Playwrights’ Center, Cricket Theatre, Penumbra Theatre Company and Triple Espresso Company. He earned a Ph.D. in Theatre History & Dramatic Theory and an M.A. in Theatre Arts & English Literature from the University of Minnesota, and a B.A. in Theatre Arts & 20th Century Literature from St. Olaf College. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Arts & Culture Partnership of Saint Paul, and plays upright bass and sings in the popular bluegrass band, The Whistlepigs.

Christine M.P. Shyne, Audience Services Manager, has been with StepppingStone Theatre since 2004. Before working at SteppingStone, she worked at a variety of organizations throughout the Twin Cities. She is very happy to have "come home" to an organization like SteppingStone to be working with children and theatre both. Christine earned a B.A. in Theatre and Spanish from the University of Minnesota-Morris and is the proud mother to two aspiring young actresses.

Melissa Schmitz, Box Office Lead, is thrilled to be with SteppingStone Theatre. After graduating from the College of St. Benedict in 2006 with a double major in Theater and Spanish, Melissa moved to St. Paul for a year-long volunteer program and has never left. After theater, Melissa’s second love is dance – especially ballroom and Middle Eastern styles. She has worked with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, CLIMB Theatre, and can sometimes be seen performing in local productions.

Julie L. Odegard, Production Stage Manager, has been the Production Stage Manager at SteppingStone since 2002. She has worked with Children's Theatre Company, The Playwrights' Center, Iowa Summer Repertory, and Cleveland Play House. She graduated in 1999 with an MFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Iowa, and she has a BA in Media and Theatre Arts from Montana State University.

Kendra Plant, Marketing Associate, earned her M.A. in Arts & Cultural Administration from St. Mary's University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and her B.S. in Business with a minor in Vocal Performance from University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She specializes in marketing, graphic design, social networking, and increasing arts participation. She has working with local organizations such as: Teatro del Pueblo, The Ritz Theater/Ballet of the Dolls, People Sittin' Around Doin' Theatre, and the Guthrie Theater.

SteppingStone Theatre Board of Directors

Richard Hitchler, Artistic & Executive Director, ex officio

Officers
Jeffrey Burt
President
Ecolab, St. Paul, MN

Laura Krenz
Vice President
Lindquist & Vennum, Minneapolis, MN

Patti Leslie
Treasurer
3M, St. Paul MN

Jane Zilch
Secretary
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis, MN

Leah Harvey
Past-President
Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN

General Members

Brigid Dowdal, William Mitchell College of Law, Saint Paul, MN
Frank Duan, Duan Corp., Plymouth, MN
David Graham, Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP, Minneapolis, MN
Susan Munson-Regala, Securian Financial, St. Paul, MN
Andrea Nordaune, Andersen Corporation, Bayport, MN
Ben Redshaw, Travelers, Saint Paul, MN
Paul Schatz, The Muddy Pig, Saint Paul, MN
Susan Schuster, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, Eagan, MN
April Scott, GE Health Care
Kenneth Scott, Advantech Corporation
Lawrence Silber, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, Eagan, MN
Lori Swanson, Pioneer Press, Saint Paul, MN
Kay Willshire, Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, M
Jacob Zimmerman, Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, Minneapolis, MN