Rowan Joseph - Producing Artistic Director

Rowan Joseph has worked in the entertainment industry for over 35 years as a producer, director, and actor; 2017 marks his fourth season as the Producing Artistic Director at Totem Pole Playhouse. As founding Managing Director, Joseph built, opened and operated The Century Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, where he presented Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama, How I Le...

arned to Drive, starring Mary Louise Parker and David Morse. He served as the Executive Director of the Laurie Beechman Theatre, on Theatre Row in Manhattan, for seven seasons presenting hundreds of both new and established artists, including Holly Hunter, Ben Stiller, Robert Sean Leonard, Julianne Moore, Ethan Hawke, Lewis Black, and the early work of such acclaimed writers as Aaron Sorkin, Alan Ball, Donald Margulies, and Peter Hedges. In Los Angeles, he ran the legendary film & TV director Garry Marshall’s the Falcon Theatre for five seasons. Under his management the Falcon began a five-play subscription series, a highly-regarded children’s theatre program, numerous theatrical & TV events and several workshops of the musical, Happy Days, a New Musical based on Marshall’s hit TV series from the ’70s. Joseph continues to co-own and operate Theatre A Go-Go, Inc., along with business partner Shane Partlow. TAGG has presented such national tours as An Evening with Jack Klugman and the all-male production of The Queen of Bingo, which Rowan directed and co-stars in with Partlow. Other productions include: Tapestry, The Music of Carole King: Off-Broadway (Union Square Theatre), Cincinnati (Playhouse in the Park), Cleveland (Playhouse Square); The Queen of Bingo: off-Broadway (Greenwich House Theatre), Chicago (Buckingham Theatre), and Los Angeles (Coronet Theatre); Bent, Los Angeles (Coast Playhouse); and One Slight Hitch, Charlotte, NC (Charlotte Rep), Kansas City, MO (Waldorf Astoria DT). As an actor, Joseph began his career as a member of the prestigious Mirror Repertory Company in New York City alongside Academy Award-winners Anthony Hopkins, Geraldine Page and F. Murray Abraham. He has appeared in leading roles in numerous stage productions in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and across the U.S. His TV credits include roles on Gilmore Girls, Boston Legal, Treme and most recently on HBO’s critically-acclaimed series, Veep alongside Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Hugh Laurie. His film credits include Raising Helen starring Kate Hudson, Princess Diaries 2 with Anne Hathaway, The Campaign, with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, and Grudge Match, starring Robert DeNiro and Sylvester Stallone. He was also featured with his business partner, Shane Partlow, on the 23rd edition of the Emmy Award-winning reality series The Amazing Race.s


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James Nadeau - Associate Producer

This is James’ first season with Totem Pole Playhouse but he is no stranger to the entertainment industry. He recently finished a ten-year contract with Stiletto Entertainment as a Casting Director. His experience also includes House Manager for The Geffen Playhouse as well as Production Manager for several other production houses in the Los Angeles area. In New York, James worked as Assistant Box...

Office Manager for the popular show Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theatre and helped open The Century Center for the Performing Arts as Assistant Box Office Manager/House Manager. Some of James’ favorite Equity roles include, Bud Frump in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hannah in La Cage Aux Folles, Freddie in My Fair Lady and Billy Lawlor in 42nd Street.


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Sue McMurtray - General Manager

Having enjoyed a brief retirement of 10 months from her position as Managing Director in 2013 after 25 years at Totem Pole Playhouse, Sue was delighted to return to her old desk as Director of Marketing and Promotion. Recently she took on the role of General Manager. A local gal, she graduated from Waynesboro Area Senior High with the class of 1965.  A graduate of The Wilmington School of Radiolog...

ic Technology, her career has been as varied as the web of a spider. Employed as an x-ray technician at The Chambersburg Hospital, she operated Penn National Inn and Caledonia Station restaurants, and was a floral designer for several local florists. During Thunderbird, Ltd’s original production of A Christmas Carol she created the role of Mrs. Fezziwig. Upon retirement she started her own catering business, but believes her best and most fun job was driving Jean Stapleton’s VW Bug cross-country with her best friend, Judy Houser. Some of her most enjoyable catering jobs were catering to the cast and crew of John Putch’s films “Route 30 Three” and “The Father and The Bear” starring veteran actor Wil Love. Sue is a member of The Chambersburg Rotary Club where she has served as a past President, was named Rotarian of the Year, and currently serves as Secretary. A member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, she has served as a Deacon, chair of Fellowship Ministry and Church and Ministry. Sue loves to travel abroad, but found her best trip to be to Poland, homeland of her paternal grandparents. When not at the theatre or catering, she spends her spare time with her Kizhi, her 4th black standard poodle.


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Renee Rankin - Box Office Manager

Renee is a native of Chambersburg. She received her MFA in Creative Writing in 2011 from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT. She wrote the INSPIRATION column for JLTNews, the e-newsletter for Juneteenth Legacy Theatre. She’s had ten-minute plays produced by The Queens Players Act 5 New Play Festival in Queens, NY and the InGenius Fesitval and Testogenius Festival at Manhattan Theatre Source. In Sep...

tember 2011, her one-act play, Zap Belly, enjoyed a successful public reading at Manhattan Theatre Source as part of the Writers’ Forum New Play Reading Series.


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Betsy Liou - Office Manager

(Bio coming soon!)

Cyd Tokar - Graphic Designer

Most recently from Tucson, Arizona, Cyd is returning to her east coast roots and embracing a love for all things theater! A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology with degrees in Graphic Design and Textile Design, as well as a degree in Organizational Management from University of Phoenix, Cyd has put her varied skills and experience to work in fields such as family practice, behavioral h...

ealth, IT, retail, and event technology. She has worked both on stage and off as actor, set designer/builder, costumer, prop master, lighting tech/designer, and drama teacher, and is looking forward to all that Totem Pole Playhouse has to offer this community.


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Robert Salm - Production Manager

Robert graduated from Texas Tech University in 2007 with Bachelors Degree in Theater, and is currently working on a MFA at University of New Orleans in Theater Design. Prior to joining the Totem Pole Playhouse, Robert has taught high school and Middle School Theater all across the state of Texas and currently serves as Technical Director at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA.

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