BEHIND THE SCENES AT THEATER IN THE OPEN

From our origins as a children’s theater to the dynamic, multi-faceted organization you see today, Theater in the Open continually evolves to meet the community’s needs. Which means there's a lot of work that goes on at the Gatekeeper's House year round. Theater in the Open is delivering on all aspects of its mission — as a professional theater company, as a center for youth arts education and as a community partner with the vision to create art that is accessible to all. 

Board of Directors

BETH PLATOW, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
Beth Platow is Associate Professor of English in the Liberal Arts & Sciences Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She has worked as an educator, writer, and speaker for over two decades, with a specific focus in social justice and gender studies. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Bennington College, has received many writing prizes, and has numerous publications including her book Little Myths, published in 2017 by National Poetry Review. Beth has volunteered for many years with Theater in the Open and is new to the Board. She lives in Newburyport, MA with her family.

SUZANNE DUBUS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD & CHAIR, DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Suzanne has served as the Chief Executive of the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center since 1998 and is credited with developing and administering domestic violence prevention programs that are effective, innovative and community-based. Suzanne is also a strong supporter of the arts and of the education work Theater in the Open does in the community. Theater in the Open is fortunate to benefit from Suzanne’s extensive experience with fundraising and development, as well as education program planning and community advocacy. Suzanne is a resident of Exeter, NH and she and her family have strong ties to the Newburyport area.

CALEIGH PACE, TREASURER
Caleigh first attended Theater in the Open’s Summer Arts Workshop in 1998 and began performing with us in 2001. She remained involved with the Theater and its youth arts education programs throughout high school and college, performing, teaching and volunteering. She holds a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Delaware and works as a Manager of Technical Product Management for an Education Technology company. Caleigh is a Newburyport native and current resident of West Newbury, MA.

SIERRA GITLIN, CLERK
Sierra joined the Theater in the Open Board of Directors in 2017. She holds a BA in English Literature with a minor in Psychology. A talented artist herself, Sierra is an actor, dancer and musician who is raising her two children to also love the creative process and the joy it brings. In addition to serving a term as Clerk, Sierra also plays a lead role in producing our annual Circus Smirkus fundraiser each year.

JUDITH CHAFFEE, BOARD MEMBER & CHAIR, MARKETING COMMITTEE
Judith is a retired dancer, choreographer, Equity actor and Associate Professor Emerita at Boston University, where she was Head of Movement for the School of Theatre and for the BU Opera Institute. She co-edited The Routledge Companion to Commedia dell’Arte with Olly Crick, and has two CD’s on Period Styles through Insight Media, edited by Joel Asher. She was co-artistic director with Boston Dance Collective for over 20 years, and continues to choreograph and direct theatre throughout New England. Judith has lived on Plum Island in Newbury since 1992 and is thrilled to be a part of Theater in the Open.

ALYSSA GIBBS, BOARD MEMBER & CHAIR, EDUCATION & OUTREACH COMMITTEE
Alyssa has been involved with Theater in the Open since 1990 as an actor, teacher, writer, Education Director, and parent of a workshop student. She has taught theatre and English at the high school level for over fifteen years and currently works as the Performing Arts Department Head at the Landmark School in Beverly, MA. Alyssa received a BFA in Theater Studies from Emerson College and is completing her M.Ed with a concentration in Special Education at Boston University. Alyssa lives in Ipswich, MA with her family and two very spoiled black labs.

DON PITMAN, BOARD MEMBER & CHAIR, GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
As the proud father of several kids who have grown up in Theater in the Open (and as a frequent audience participant in several Pantos), Don joined the board of Theater in the Open in 2022. As the principal of The Pitman Law Offices LLC, Don has represented numerous families in the Merrimack Valley since 2009, has been a member of the Massachusetts bar since 1995, and serves as the President of the Greater Newburyport Bar Association. Don is a graduate of Rockport High School, holds a Bachelor of Science from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a law degree from Suffolk Law School. He, his fabulous wife (who had nothing to do with the writing of this bio) and their kids live in Amesbury along with their dog, Totoro, and their cat, Sana, both of whom are looking forward to whatever participation they can have in an upcoming TITO production.

LAURIE HYLTON, BOARD MEMBER
Laurie spent the majority of her corporate career at Eaton Vance Corp., where she served as Chief Financial Officer from 2012 until the firm was acquired by Morgan Stanley in April of 2021. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College in English and an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. After almost 30 years of commuting to Boston, Laurie is now happily retired and thrilled to be focusing her time supporting arts organizations like Theater in the Open that are closer to the Newburyport home she shares with her husband, two daughters, and her “COVID puppy.”

ELIZABETH DE VEER, BOARD MEMBER
Elizabeth de Veer is the author of The Ocean Winter, published in July 2021, and is the parish administrator at St. John's Episcopal Church in Gloucester. She has a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and has been admitted to writing residencies at the Jentel Artist Residency, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a member of the Finance Committee, and lives in Georgetown, Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and ridiculous labradoodle.

DEEDEE KEARNEY, BOARD MEMBER
DeeDee's love for Theater in the Open was sparked from her first encounter with their magic when she enrolled her two children in their workshops. While spending most of her career in the music industry, where she worked alongside some of the biggest names like Katy Perry, Coldplay, and Elton John during her 20-year stint at Capitol Records, DeeDee found a new passion for theater through her experiences with Theater in the Open. She now serves as the CEO of The Moxi Group, a music and lifestyle digital marketing and advertising agency based in Amesbury, Massachusetts, where she resides with her two teenage daughters, their dog River, their fluffy cat Captain, and two guinea pigs.

OLIVIA ACHTMEYER BOGER, BOARD MEMBER
In 2007 after earning her Master’s in Education from Harvard Education School, Olivia Achtmeyer Boger established Runway for Recovery to honor of her mother who passed away from breast cancer in 2001. It began as a side project and she ran it for the next decade while raising her own children and working in education, running the administration of the nonprofit on nights and weekends and with the support of a highly-engage volunteer committee. In July of 2019, Olivia started her role as the full-time Executive Director of Runway for Recovery. After fifteen years in education, working as both an educator and an administrator at three different independent schools — Middlesex School, Phillips Andover, and The Fenn School -- Olivia transitioned to this role to pursue her dream of running her non-profit on a full-time basis. The organization draws on the idea that breast cancer never impacts just one person and that there are ways to tangibly change the trajectory of a families’ grief experience with support for wrap-around services and needs. Since 2012, Olivia has lived in Newburyport with her husband, Andy, her three kids, Stuart, Jackson, and George, and her chocolate lab, Harry Potter. 

KIMBERLY HYBL D’ALELIO, BOARD MEMBER
Kimberly became a Registered Yoga Teacher of Hatha Yoga in 2008. Degreed in Business with an emphasis in Marketing, she founded the first children's yoga studio in the Northshore. Her practice has been based not merely on a series of postures but on a philosophy of living mindfully. In the theater world, Kimberly has played a supportive role to her son, a Northwestern Musical Theatre graduate and a Governors Academy alum. She is a proud Latina, a mentor to many, and mother to three beautiful and talented boys. Kimberly and her husband live in Newburyport, where they enjoy tending to a prosperous garden and cooking healthy meals together.

KELLY SHEA KNOWLES, BOARD MEMBER