About Clayton Theatre Company
History
Clayton Theatre Company (CTC) was founded in 2012 to bring the theatre experience to the greater Clayton community. After years of attending festivals and music concerts in the city park, the Clayton community deserves its own quality performing arts. Whether you are on the stage, back stage, or in the audience, local theater unites us in an enjoyable cultural experience, while introducing new friends to our beautiful downtown, its businesses, and restaurants.
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We are honored to be a recipient of numerous Shellie Awards for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Choreographer, Best Lighting, and Special
Contributions to the Performing Arts.
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Mission and Vision
A community-based, non-profit organization CTC’s mission is to entertain, educate, and enrich our community. An all-inclusive and diverse production company with non-traditional and color-blind casting, CTC produces a wide variety of plays and musicals. Through our Summer Stage program we strive to instill a love of theatre in our youth. A 2-week summer camp for children ages 6-16, Summer Stage introduces all aspects of singing, dancing, acting, and the many components of putting on a musical. The camp culminates with a final musical performance.
Our future vision is to offer additional meaningful educational opportunities including audition, vocal, and dance workshops. With your support we believe that we can do this.
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Location
CTC productions are staged at Endeavor Hall, a 100-seat, city-owned facility. Although Endeavor Hall is not a ‘theatre auditorium,’ the hall allows CTC to offer affordable, high-quality, live theatre in an intimate setting. Seating is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis with our patrons needing extra assistance being first to be seated.
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The Clayton Theatre Company Staff
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Roxanne Pardi, Managing Director
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La Tonya Watts, Artistic Director
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Patti Berrow, Board of Directors – President
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Cara Bent, Board of Directors – Treasurer
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Lupe Szymanski, Board of Directors – Publicity
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Roxanne Pardi,
Director/Vocal Director
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Roxanne received her BA degree in Vocal Music and a K-12 Lifetime Teaching Credential from San José State University. Past acting credits include: Guys and Dolls PCT (Martha and Vocal Director); Sweeney Todd DLOC (Prostitute/Ensemble); Fiddler on the Roof PCT (Golde and Vocal Director – Shellie Awards nominee for Best Actress in a Musical); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum PCT (Domina and Vocal Director – Shellie Awards nominee for Best Actress in a Musical); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat PCT (Ensemble and Vocal Director); Annie PCT (Grace and Vocal Director); Pajama Game PCT; Kiss Me Kate Los Medanos College (Lilli/Kate).
Roxanne was the Vocal Director for the African American Shakespeare Company’s Scenes from Carmen Jones and Cinderella.
Roxanne’s Clayton Theatre Company credits include: Working, The Mousetrap, Forbidden Broadway,'s Greatest Hit's, The Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, The Savannah Sipping Society, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Lend Me A Tenor (Assistant Director); The 1940s Radio Hour (Director); Moon Over Buffalo (Assistant Director); You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Director, Vocal Director – 2018 Shellie Awards nominee); Rumors (Assistant Director); Urinetown, the Musical (Josephine “Ma” Strong/UGC Staff, Vocal and Co-Director – 2017 Shellie Awards nominee Best Director of a Musical); Arsenic and Old Lace (Assistant Director, Costumer – 2015 Shellie Awards nominee); A Trip Down Broadway (Co-Author, Vocal Director, Director – 2015 Shellie Awards nominee); Night of January 16th (Assistant Director); The Robber Bridegroom (Director, Vocal Director); and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Recipient of the 2018 “Women of Distinction Award” from the Soroptimist International organization. Roxanne is a CMEA Adjudicator and teaches private vocal and piano lessons.
La Tonya Watts
Artistic Director
(Director/Choreographer): LaTonya has worked with several famous directors and choreographers to pursue her passion. She has directed and choreographed many theatrical performances for some of the Bay Area’s popular theatrical companies. Her work includes: Taming of the Shrew; Romeo & Juliet; The Wiz; Grease; Pippin; Oedipus; Cinderella; Macbeth; Dreamgirls; Blackballin; Once Upon This Island, Chicago (2011 SFBATCC and Shellie Awards nominee for Best Choreographer); West Side Story; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Hairspray; Life Could be a Dream; 9 to 5; Rent; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Robber Bridegroom; Night of January 16th; A Trip Down Broadway (2016 Shellie Award winner for Best Choreographer); Aladdin; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Arsenic and Old Lace; Urinetown, the Musical; Rumors; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Moon Over Buffalo (2018 Shellie Award winner for Best Director); The 1940s Radio Hour; Lend Me a Tenor; Once Upon a Mattress; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Zombie Prom; The Savannah Sipping Society, School House Rock, jr., Young Frankenstein, Freaky Friday, A Raisin in the Sun, Fences, Dreamgirls, Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits and Annie Jr.. She was a recipient of the 2018 Women of Distinction Award from the
Soroptimist International Organization. In 2022, she was inducted into the Pittsburg California Entertainment and Arts Hall of Fame and for Broadway World San Francisco 2022 Regional Awards she won Best Director of a Play Fences and Best Play Fences.
Patti Berrow
CTC President
Patti graduated from Mills College with a BA degree in Administration and Legal Processes/Economics. Over the years, Patti has held a multitude of positions: Parent Educator for Mt. Diablo Adult Education, Founder and President of two PTA programs in the MDUSD, Insurance Underwriter and Licensed Agent, Founder of a non-profit private K-12 school (Diablo Valley School), and was the official “tutu seamstress” for California Ballet Theatre.
Patti’s extensive background in administration of non-profit organizations, combined with her lifelong love of working backstage in community theatre and dance, have made her a valuable member on the Clayton Theatre Company Board of Directors, where she currently serves as President and House Manager.
Patti is passionate about creating quality shows that support and uplift her community and was overjoyed when her love of the theatre was reignited by her involvement in the company. In the past four years, Patti has shared her expertise and enthusiasm to Night of January 16th; A Trip Down Broadway; Arsenic and Old Lace; Urinetown, the Musical; Rumors; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Moon Over Buffalo; The 1940s Radio Hour; Lend Me a Tenor, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
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Cara Bent
Treasurer
Cara’s passion is the performing arts. For the past 20 years and with the collaboration of a local director and choreographer, she helped bring numerous productions to life on stage by performing behind the scenes work.
As a young adult, she participated in dance competitions and later volunteered her time to advance performing arts at local schools doing sets, costumes, make-up, hair, advertisement, sound, lighting, ticket sales, and other tasks required to make the performance a success.
Cara’s next endeavor was to support local community theatres. Her work includes: Bugsy; Once on This Island; Carmen; Cinderella; Macbeth; Chicago; West Side Story; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; The Wiz; Hairspray; Life Could Be a Dream; 9 to 5; The Bad Seed; Rent; The Robber Bridegroom; Night of January 16th; A Trip Down Broadway; Aladdin; Arsenic and Old Lace; Urinetown, the Musical; Rumors; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Moon Over Buffalo; The 1940s Radio Hour; Lend Me a Tenor; and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Cara was awarded the 2017 Shellie Award for Special Contribution to the Performing Arts. She enjoys the performing arts and how they contribute to the community and change people’s lives.
Lupe Szymanski
Publicity Director
Lupe received her BA degree in Management from Golden Gate University. After a long career in business, she retired from Bank of America as a project manager/systems engineer specializing in Electronic Funds Transfer.
Lupe comes from a large family of musicians and vocal artists. Her love for music and drama plus her organizational skills is an asset to Clayton Theatre Company. Her project management skills transfer quite well to the theatre business. Lupe and her husband, Frank, have been season ticket holders for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for many years.
Lupe’s publicity work for Clayton Theatre Company include: "The 1940's Radio Hour", "Lend Me a Tenor”, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, "The Savannah Sipping Society", “The Mel Brooks Musical, Young Frankenstein”, and “Working".
Shellie Awards Highlights 2020
Ashley Dionne
Linda Sciacqua, Nathalie Archangel, Kenda Sappington, Tamara Filener
Shellie Awards Highlights 2019
Lupe and Frank Szymanski
Shellie Awards Highlights 2018
Teresa Grosserode and La Tonya Watts
Xavier Ali and Jason Wonacott
Shellie Awards Highlights 2016-2017
A Trip Down Broadway
La Tonya Watts wins a Shellie!
Roxanne Pardi and La Tonya Watts
A Trip Down Broadway