our leadership
Ben Bartolone
Artistic Director
Artistic Director
Adam Fitzgerald
Co-Founder / Artistic Associate
Adam is a founding member of kef theatrical productions. With kef, Adam directed productions of METHTACULAR!, Killing Women, Lyric is Waiting, V, Roll, Corpus Christi and the 92Y presentation of Island Song in addition to multiple concerts, readings and workshops. Adam served as a Directing Fellow at Playwrights Horizons assisting Wilson Milam, Bartlett Sher and Kate Whoriskey on plays by Nicky Silver (Three Changes with Maura Tierney), Craig Lucas (Prayer for My Enemy with Victoria Clark and Jonathan Groff) and Christina Anderson (Inked Baby with LaChanze) and the Artistic Associate at Playhouse West (where his production of Defiance garnered Critics Circle nominations for Director and Production and was named in the Top Ten Productions of 2007 by the Contra Costa Times). Other directing credits include Town Hall, NYMF, Ground Up Productions, EST Youngbloods, Rachel Reiner Productions, 12 Miles West, Diverse City Theater, First Look Theatre Co. (NYU), The SF Theater Festival, WE Theater (with Ironjaw Productions), FringeNYC (at the Cherry Lane) and Fringe Encores (at Soho Playhouse). Adam is also a founding partner of FIFTY2&NINE where he wrote and directed the national contest winning PSA for GLSEN, The Ad Council and the THINK B4 YOU SPEAK campaign (Talent House, judged by Brett Ratner) and the web series "Conversations with My Ex" for Gwist TV.
Co-Founder / Artistic Associate
Adam is a founding member of kef theatrical productions. With kef, Adam directed productions of METHTACULAR!, Killing Women, Lyric is Waiting, V, Roll, Corpus Christi and the 92Y presentation of Island Song in addition to multiple concerts, readings and workshops. Adam served as a Directing Fellow at Playwrights Horizons assisting Wilson Milam, Bartlett Sher and Kate Whoriskey on plays by Nicky Silver (Three Changes with Maura Tierney), Craig Lucas (Prayer for My Enemy with Victoria Clark and Jonathan Groff) and Christina Anderson (Inked Baby with LaChanze) and the Artistic Associate at Playhouse West (where his production of Defiance garnered Critics Circle nominations for Director and Production and was named in the Top Ten Productions of 2007 by the Contra Costa Times). Other directing credits include Town Hall, NYMF, Ground Up Productions, EST Youngbloods, Rachel Reiner Productions, 12 Miles West, Diverse City Theater, First Look Theatre Co. (NYU), The SF Theater Festival, WE Theater (with Ironjaw Productions), FringeNYC (at the Cherry Lane) and Fringe Encores (at Soho Playhouse). Adam is also a founding partner of FIFTY2&NINE where he wrote and directed the national contest winning PSA for GLSEN, The Ad Council and the THINK B4 YOU SPEAK campaign (Talent House, judged by Brett Ratner) and the web series "Conversations with My Ex" for Gwist TV.
Greg Etling
Board Liasion
Board Liasion
Hilary Davies
Literary Manager
Literary Manager
board of directors
Ken Banta is a proven executive and advisor in the pharmaceutical industry, driving transformational change and building high performance leadership and organizational cultures. As the Founder and Managing Partner of The Forum For Leadership, Ken is a senior advisor to CEOs and top management including at Forest Laboratories and Retrophin Incorporated. He is also the Principal of The Vanguard Forum For Health Care Leadership, an annual leadership meeting for top tier executives drawn from across the healthcare spectrum. From 1982 through 1991, Ken was a writer and foreign correspondent for Time Magazine based in Chicago, Vienna and London. This included his assignment as Eastern Europe
Tony Powe has 20 years+ experience in the hospitality industry with 3 neighborhood restaurants, a bar, a speakeasy, a travel agency, a real estate company and a prehistoric cave (!) under his belt. Tony is also the founder and CEO of WeLocals® Group, which provides strategic business coaching for small to medium sized organizations, helping leaders to step back, assess and focus on how to make their businesses more successful.
advisory board
The following inspiring professionals provide guidance and advice to the leadership of kef theatrical productions:
Eleanor Holdridge - Director, faculty at Catholic University
Elizabeth Ingram - Actor and vocal coach, faculty Syracuse University and Shakespeare & Co
Maria Marrero - Costume designer, faculty Syracuse University
Michele Pawk - Tony® Award-winning actress, faculty at Wagner
John Patrick Shanley - Tony Award winning playwright, Oscar® Award-winning screen writer and director
Susan Wands - Actress and producer
Sam Weisman - Director of TV, theatre and film
Eleanor Holdridge - Director, faculty at Catholic University
Elizabeth Ingram - Actor and vocal coach, faculty Syracuse University and Shakespeare & Co
Maria Marrero - Costume designer, faculty Syracuse University
Michele Pawk - Tony® Award-winning actress, faculty at Wagner
John Patrick Shanley - Tony Award winning playwright, Oscar® Award-winning screen writer and director
Susan Wands - Actress and producer
Sam Weisman - Director of TV, theatre and film
