Stephanie Naumoff (President)

Stephanie Naumoff has enjoyed performing, directing, and designing for over 30 years in multiple area theatres, as well as various venues in Chicago, and across the country. Stephanie has also been fortunate to lecture and teach courses in acting, directing, costuming, improv, and Shakespeare for local middle schools, high schools, and colleges. Stephanie was honored to portray both Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Maria in Twelfth Night for The Gary Shakespeare Company, as well as directed and costumed multiple GSC productions. Shakespeare has always been a passion of Stephanie’s; a passion she shared with her father who was the greatest actor she has ever known.

Kelly Denise Horton (Vice-President)

Kelly was born in East Chicago and raised in Gary. Theatre has been a passion of hers ever since she performed as a turtle in a Christmas Pageant as a second grader. Soon after, Kelly began taking piano lessons and then playing piano for her church children’s choir. In addition to acting and playing the piano, Kelly also enjoys singing and has performed with multiple theatre companies throughout the Region.

Janice Pritchard (Treasurer)

Janice discovered Gary Shakespeare Company through her husband, Dexter, who has performed with GSC several times, and is thrilled to be able to contribute to the financial health of the company. Janice is a Property Accountant with Pathway to Living.

Jim Severa (Secretary)

Jim Severa is a retired educational and healthcare facilities administrator...and an amateur theater set designer. Jim has created sets for over twenty stage productions with the Purdue Calumet 'Building Community Through the Arts' series, the Purdue Calumet Theater Company, and the Gary Shakespeare Company.

Christina Biancardi (Historian)

Christina has a B.A. in Theatre and English from Indiana University, Blooomington and has been doing theatre for over 20 years as an actor, director, designer, writer, techie, and producer in professional as well as community theatres, playing with Beatniks on Conkey, 4th Street Theatre, Living Hope Productions, and Hope Creative when she is not performing or handling graphic design and marketing for Gary Shakespeare Company. She was Gary Shakespeare Company’s Hamlet in summer 2018! Christina also produces and tech directs at Living Hope Church in Merrillville, IN.

Corya Kennedy Channing

Corya was one of the original founders of the Gary Shakespeare Co. She has been teaching drama, producing and directing theatricals and organizing events for various organizations for decades. She and her partner, John Lisbon Wood, are involved in many aspects of theatre in the Northwest Indiana and Chicago area. She is happy to be back home with Wm. Shakespeare again!

Christina Hearne

Christina Hearne is a proud native of Gary, IN. While this is her first year on the Gary Shakespeare Company board she has been involved indirectly for many years because of her husband, Brandon (past board member and long-term actor with GSC). She is very excited to be a part of an organization whose goal is to give back to the community through the arts. Beyond GSC, Christina serves as director of Valparaiso University’s Access and Accommodations Resource Center. She obtained her BSW from ValparaisoUniversity and her MPA from Indiana University Northwest. Christina enjoys spending quality time with her amazing husband, children, and family. She lives by the saying, “I am because, we are.” She is dedicated to inclusion, equity and belonging for all people.

Tisha Jones

Tisha is a lifelong writer, Gary resident, and proud graduate of the Gary Public Schools system. She is a lover of all things Shakespeare and enjoys learning the life lessons, irony and timeless spirit of all Shakespeare’s works. A quiet technology worker by day, Tisha has found she has an alter ego that loves bringing art, entertainment and a simple beauty to life’s little moments. In her very rare off-time, Tisha reads books on any topic: psychology, history, religion, spirituality, politics, relationships, fun. When she’s not reading, writing or saving someone’s computer system, Tisha is secretly a sucker for each and every stray cat in the neighborhood, feeding them with whatever scraps she can find.