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.
Rob Barnes (he/him) has been performing since childhood. Originally from Flagstaff, Arizona, Rob received his MFA in Acting from the University of Connecticut in May of 2020. Past credits include: Yepikhodov in The Cherry Orchard, Clifford Bradshaw in Cabaret, Reverend Parris in The Crucible, and Melchior Gabor in Spring Awakening: A New Musical. Rob is thrilled to be making his Theatre Silco debut in Patrick Barlow’s A Christmas Carol.
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!
Nicole grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, and has been mesmerized by the Rocky Mountains since she arrived in Denver in 2019. A multi-disciplinary artist, Nicole has created new works and performed with theatre and dance companies across the country. In Colorado: The Pastisserie (co-creator), Zotto (Kaibyo), and Clown Lung (staged reading). Additional credits include: The Three Musketeers (Sabine), Blithe Spirit (Ruth), The Threepenny Opera (Jenny), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania), Our Town (Emily), The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily), Mad Forest (Lucia), Translations (Sarah), and Nicole’s own solo shows Unmarked Boxes and Sisrahtac I: American Character. Nicole holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of South Carolina.
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.
Amanda grew up on her family’s farm near Shickley, NE. She carries that rural upbringing, surrounded by wide open spaces, everywhere life has taken her. She received her Broadcast Journalism degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and her MA in Communications and Public Relations, with a nonprofit focus, from CU Denver. She and her husband, Clark, moved to Summit County from Denver just over 3 years ago, where they opened a photography gallery in Frisco featuring Clark’s work – Wilderness Exclusives Fine Art Photography.
Amanda’s experience in and passion for the art of utilizing organizational marketing and communications for the betterment of our communities is something she has fostered through her work with nonprofit organizations like CASA in Nebraska and the Civic Center Conservancy in Denver. Most recently, she worked as the Operations and Staff Manager for a local real estate company, leading a team of 12 employees in their marketing support of the company’s real estate agents, while also serving as the Board Chair of the Slifer Smith & Frampton Charitable Foundation. Amanda was honored with the company’s Frampton Award for Community Service in 2024.
Amanda is absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Theatre SilCo team! She has always enjoyed the performing arts, having been a state qualifer in duet acting and persuasive speech in High School, and a member of the University of Maryland’s Concert Band as first chair alto sax. She is looking foward to supporting the Theatre Silco team in their ongoing growth and positive impact in our Summit County communities!
Audrey Lang is a playwright, stage manager, and educator originally from New York City. She is excited to have made Summit County her home after spending two years as a VIVO Teaching Artist, primarily at Silverthorne Elementary. She is an internationally-produced playwright and her work has been seen around the United States and in London with organizations including Pride Plays, Bay Street Theater, Jewish Plays Project, Theatre503, and The 24 Hour Plays, as well as a U.K. Premiere produced at the Bread & Roses Theatre by Theatre Zima. As a stage manager, Audrey has toured with Jersey Boys (ASM) and CoComelon Live! JJ’s Journey (PSM) and worked on productions at Soho Rep, The Workshop Theater, Mac-Haydn Theatre, and of course, Theatre SilCo (Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty, The Legend of Georgia McBride, A Christmas Carol, ¡Lotería: Game On!). Audrey has taught playwriting at The Peak School and The Bronx High School of Science. She is a 2025 Social Justice Fellow with Colorado Jews for Justice; a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, and Ring of Keys; and an alumna of MCC Theater Youth Company and SPACE on Ryder Farm. Audrey holds a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Ithaca College.
Emily MacIntyre (Production Manager) holds a BA in Theatre from California Lutheran University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mississippi University for Women. Emily began her career as a Production Stage-manager for Kingsman Shakespeare (Thousand Oaks, CA) and moved into Production Management in 2005 for the Mizel Arts and Culture Center in Denver, CO. From 2016-2018 she was also the MACCs Education Director. Most recently, Emily has been working as a Production Manager for Denver School of the Arts while freelancing for theatres in the Denver area. Emily has served as Guest Artist for the Stagecraft department at DSA, teaching and mentoring stage management students since 2005; she also teaches Playwriting and Immersive Storytelling for the Creative Writing department. Emily has been honored to appear as a spoken word artist with Davis Contemporary Dance and Women’s Voices Theatre Festival. Favorite production credits include The Tempest (Kingsmen Shakespeare), Poignant Irritations (Mizel Arts and Culture Center), Rumpelstiltskin (Denver Children’s Theatre), Tomato Plant Girl (Denver Children’s Theatre), Chicago (Denver School of the Arts), Ms. Clause Storyhour (Denver Zoo), and Shout (TownHall Arts Center).
