Board of Directors Election Candidates
Joanie Pugh Newman
I’m happy to continue to contribute to PSP in any way that would be helpful to the organization.
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
I have been working with PSP continuously as an actor since about 2008, and I served on the PSP Board for about 10 years (between 2008- 2018). Following my Board service, I participated on the Artistic Committee (primarily play selection) for another few years.
As an attorney specializing in employment law, I have provided PSP with assistance in drafting and reviewing contracts, policies, and legal questions.
Julia Noel
I’ve truly enjoyed my time with PSP—the welcoming and supportive community they’ve built is something special. I have a deep love for theater and am always eager to help it grow however I can. I would love the opportunity to become more involved with PSP, not only as an actor but also in a larger leadership capacity. I bring past leadership experience, including serving as Co-President of the Opera America Teen Council, as well as founding and managing my own nonprofit, One Voice Mentors (OVM), during the COVID-19 pandemic, where we provided free voice lessons to children.
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
I was fortunate to be part of Fiddler on the Roof, where I had the pleasure of playing Fyedka. I’m thrilled to be returning to PSP this fall in Cinderella, where I’ll be taking on the role of Lord Pinkleton.
Katie Murdock
long involvement with theate -expanding vision oh what’s possible. to enlarge vision and possibilities
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
yes several capacities, donor crew
Kristen Pearson
The importance of community theatre at such a time as this, is too great to even be expressed. My goals are to bring the community closer together, and to create events that bring the theater into the public light, so that the shows at PSP can have an even greater impact than they already do.
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
I have Stage Managed for A Murder is Announced, designed props for The Prom, and Perfect Arrangement, and acted in The Prom, and soon in Rumors, and Cinderella.
Pamela Mackenzie
I would like to support PSP in as many ways as I can. I would love to see more and more highly successful shows and would be as involved as much as possible.
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
Yes. I have performed, directed, and been on the board before.
Utkarsh Sanghi
Hi everyone, I am Utkarsh, a 33 year old transplant from India to the Bay Area. I have had the fortune to live in 4 countries (in 3 continents) over the course of my life, so I bring a global set of perspectives. I have been passionate about theatre my whole life, and started acting in commercials in India at the age of 5. I spent my post high school life and my 20s away from theatre, to have a stable job in technology.
However I always had a yearning to do more with theatre. In the last year, I have reduced my full time tech career to be part time, and spent that recovered time in voice acting. I would love to also spend this time growing our local arts scene and this seems like the perfect opportunity to help with that. I think in particular my goals are to donate my time and effort to help our physical events (shows) run well and to help our coastside community to experience the wonders of theatre.
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
I have attended ~10 plays with PSP as a audience member in the past 5 years since I moved to the coastside. I would have loved to have more involvement as a cast or crew member, but unfortunately my workload prevented me from spending more time with theatre in general and PSP specifically. Now I have switched to part time work, and therefore I have a lot more time to spend on my passions, one of which is local theatre.
Vickie Cheng
I was introduced to theater a few years ago by my partner Abigail, and since then, I’ve been playing catch-up on years of missed theater references. I’d love for PSP to reach more folks like me, who may not have grown up with access to theater, but could end up loving it just the same.
More concretely, I have some experience in nonprofit finances from managing finances (book balancing, paychecks, filing taxes, etc) for a student-owned not-for-profit co-op at UCSD. I also have experience coordinating volunteers – I organized quarterly weekend volunteer trips for students to give back to their communities. I have an eye for making things more efficient and generally enjoy helping out wherever I’m needed most!
How have you been involved with PSP in the past?
I started volunteering to sell concessions at PSP during Spring Awakening in 2024. I’ve volunteered in a handful of capacities since and have worked on A Murder is Announced, The Prom, and will be involved with the upcoming production of Cinderella.
