David Haberbush, president of the board of directors of the Long Beach Playhouse, recently announced that Lauren Morris has accepted the position of managing director as of June 7. In addition, Sue Snead has been named the marketing director and Andrew Vonderschmitt, who served as the interim managing director, will continue as the artistic/technical director.
“We are very excited about our new team at the Playhouse,” said Haberbush. “Lauren is a recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach with a joint masters degree in fine arts and business administration in theatre management. The chair of the theatre arts department, Joanne Gordon, told the ad hoc committee that Lauren is the most outstanding graduate of the program in the last 20 years.”
“I am honored to be leading an organization that has been so integral to the arts in Long Beach for 80 years,” said Morris. “Our 81st season promises to be full of changes that we hope will galvanize and energize the present and future Long Beach Playhouse community.”
Lauren Morris’s experience in theatre management in both Indiana and California has included being the associate producing artistic director at the Shawnee Summer Theatre, the marketing and literary intern at South Coast Rep and the theatre management consultant for the Summer Stock Stage in Indianapolis. Morris is also a freelance theatre artist performing as a director and actor, and she is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association.
While receiving her bachelor’s degree in theatre from Indiana State University in 2001, she worked as the advertising manager for the Indiana Statesman newspaper. Her experience also includes ticket management, public/media relations, marketing, electronic communications and web management, and teaching theatre in Indiana and at Cal State Long Beach.
Sue Snead has been in the advertising and marketing industry for the last 26 years. She is the owner of Snead Custom Publishing and Advertising since January 2010. Most recently she was the retail advertising/specialty products manager for the Press-Telegram. Snead has worked with major businesses and organizations in the greater Long Beach area, such as the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Press-Telegram, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, Belmont Shore Business Association, and the Downtown Long Beach Association, along with many small business owners.
Snead is an alumnus of Leadership Long Beach and will soon receive her professional certificate in online teaching from the University of Wisconsin, Madison and her Master of Business Administration from the University of La Verne. Snead has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Pepperdine University.
Andrew Vonderschmitt has directed more than 30 productions in Long Beach and Orange County. In addition he designs lighting, sets and sound for as many shows. Prior to joining the Long Beach Playhouse as artistic/technical director, he served as technical director for Deep Blue Sea Repertory and the Garden Grove Playhouse.
