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
Kristi Johnson, Education Director
Martha Benda, Education Program Associate
Christine M.P. Shyne, Audience Services Manager
Katie Schmieg, 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 Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Arts & Culture Partnership of Saint Paul, and plays guitar and sings in the popular alt-country band, Po'Boy Local 151.

Kristi Johnson, Education Director, is a licensed K-12 Theatre Instructor. Kristi was Education Director at SteppingStone Theatre from 2004-2008 and returned to the position in August 2011. Prior to 2004, she spent three years as the Assistant Director of Education with Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Most recently, Kristi was the theatre director and educator at Brooklyn Center IB & Arts Magnet School in Brooklyn Center, MN. Her theatre education specialities include theatre for social change, devising original work, arts integration and reading comprehension through drama.

Kristi has also directed over 25 shows throughout her career. Some of her favorites include Tasty Baby Belly Buttons, The Suessification of Romeo and Juliet, Into the Woods and The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Monkey King. Kristi wrote and performed a one-women show through the Chicago Women's Theatre Alliance called The Blackness Becomes Her. The show was then picked up for the Fillet of Solo at Live Bait Theater.

Kristi has worked throughout the Twin Cities for Children's Theatre Company, Stages Theatre Company & Youth Performance Company, among others. Kristi earned her B.A. in Theatre from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She has also studied at the Steinhardt School of Education at NYU in the Educational Theatre Program.

Martha Benda, Education Program Associate, joined SteppingStone Theatre in May of 2011. She most recently worked at Interact Center for The Arts, working to support adult actors and visual artists with disabilities to perform and create art. She has a B.A. in Theatre from The University of Minnesota and an M.F.A. in Acting from The Florida Sate University, Asolo Conservatory. Everyone should spend a couple of winters in Sarasota. She has spent most of the past 16 years raising her 3 kids, a job she considers a privilege and honor. Martha has worked for various non-profits around the twin cities including: Wingspan, AccessAbility, The Red Cross, and Farm in the City. She is grateful to be with an organization with such a rich history and mission, and yes, she was the grandma in the 2010 SteppingStone Theatre production of My Grandmother's Tsotchkes.

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. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Nonprofit Administration at Metropolitan State University.

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 Saint 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 worked with local organizations such as: Teatro del Pueblo, The Ritz Theater/Ballet of the Dolls, People Sittin' Around Doin' Theatre, the Guthrie Theater and the Arts & Culture Partnership of Saint Paul.

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

Paul Schatz
Treasurer
The Muddy Pig, Saint Paul, MN

Jane Zilch
Secretary
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis, MN

General Members

Lisa Benjamin-Phillips, Securian Financial, St. Paul, MN
Bridgid Dowdal, William Mitchell College of Law, Saint Paul, MN
Richard Frommeyer, United Health, Minneapolis, MN
David Graham, Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP, Minneapolis, MN
Andrea Nordaune, Andersen Corporation, Bayport, MN
Brandon Paris, General Mills, Minneapolis, MN
Summer Scharringhausen, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Susan Schuster, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, Eagan, MN
April Scott, GE Health Care
Kenneth Scott, Advantech Corporation
Christopher Stall, Moss & Barnett, Minneapolis, MN
Lori Swanson, Pioneer Press, Saint Paul, MN
Kay Willshire, Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, MN