Chris has served as the Producing Artistic Director for the Theatre SilCo (formerly The Lake Dillon Theatre Company) since 2002. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a modest budget of $135,000 to an impressive $2.4 million. He has received numerous directing accolades for his productions from the Denver Post Ovation Awards, Colorado Theatre Guild, CultureWest, and has been honored with the distinguished “Outstanding Nonprofit Professional Philanthropy Award.” He is a proud member of the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society, a member of America for the Arts, and currently serves on the musical selection committee for the 2023 National Alliance for Musical Theatre New Musical Festival. Chris spearheaded the creation of the Vivo Dual Language Theatre Program which stands as the largest after-school provider in Summit County and welcomes participants from all backgrounds at no cost to them. Chris currently serves on the Summit School District Board of Education. Chris holds an M.A. from Texas A&M, Commerce, and was a Graduate Fellow at Texas Tech University.
Originally from North Carolina, Morgan has been working with young performers for over a decade. She has earned her BFA and MFA in theatre with a specific focus on Theatre for Young Audiences. She loves sharing her passion for the arts and education with Summit County and she looks forward to exciting programing and partnerships for the community!
Shannon joined the staff of the Lake Dillon Theatre Company in July 2021. Shown early the joys of live
theatre and music from her parents, she then performed in high school productions and graduated from
Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH with a degree in Journalism/Electronic Media. Shannon happily used
her degree, and love of questioning everything, first as a Chief of Staff for a Cincinnati City Council
member, then with a long-running radio show and as a morning show host on the Resort Sports
Network, both in Dillon, CO. Shannon fell madly in love, married an entrepreneur, and became the
bookkeeper and customer service manager for the family restaurants.
Shannon is thrilled to be immersed in two of her passions every day- keeping tidy books and
entertainment and relishes in working with incredibly creative people!
Kate Groninger hails from the world of museum philanthropy where she has worked at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Guggenheim, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. She is the founder and editor of two academic journals for the museum community, and spends time serving on diverse nonprofit boards. Kate completed her PhD at the University of St Andrews (Scotland), and holds degrees in art history from Princeton, and in arts administration from NYU.
A recent Chicago transplant, Kate lives happily in Frisco with her chubby foxhound where they dabble in outdoor activities. Kate is a former beekeeper, aspiring accordion player, and enjoys ordering two desserts when out to eat. She loves watching British sports (cricket, rugby, polo) though she doesn’t know the rules, and can recite the movie ‘Clue’ word for word.
Graco Hernandez is excited to be in beautiful, snowy Colorado. He currently works as part of the Dual Language After School program for Summit County through The LDTC aka VIVO. Credits include: Living Out (Bobby), Much Ado About Nothing (Conrade), Culture Clash in America (Lover, Tom, Con #3), The Refugee Hotel (Condor Passes). Graco graduated from the University of California, Irvine.
Sorrel joins us as she transitions from the hospitality and software sales world where she paved her way working in both B2B and B2C to help customers. With a passion for working with people, building and fostering relationships, and contributing to the success of Summit County, Sorrel is excited to be a part of the Theatre Silco team.
Sorrel moved to Summit County in 2019 after completing the 480-mile Colorado Trail and passing through Breckenridge along her travels. Since then she has become an avid skier and hiker, joined the Reply All Improv Troupe, and adopted a puppy from the Summit County Animal Shelter. After work, you can find her on the trails with her dog, practicing yoga, or spending time with friends.
My name is Jess Short and my family and I reside in the Cove. I feel very lucky to live here in Summit County and this amazing community. I love to spend my time with my family especially outside and being creative.
I could not be more excited to be joining this team. I am coming to SilCo from the tech world, most recently Atlassian, however I have a degree in Interior Design and Studio Art. Being creative and solving problems is my happy place and therefore I am excited to return to my roots in a creative field.
