John currently serves as president of Silverthorne’s board of directors.  During the past five years he has appeared as Harpagon in The Miser, ten characters in Greater Tuna, Henry, the Old Actor in The Fantasticks and Jacob Marley in A Christmas Carol.  Previous favorite roles at other theaters include Lady Bracknell, Malvolio, Pozzo, Fancourt Babberly, Governor Danforth, and Trinculo.  In March, 2019 he participated in a program at the Renesan Institute for Lifelong Learning in Santa Fe, New Mexico by creating six of Shakespeare’s clowns.

John has been a resident actor at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Folger Theater, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, and had a recurring role on All My Children.  Directing favorites include The Crucible, The Laramie Project, Equus, 1776, Marat/Sade, columbinus, and The Boy Friend.  He directed STC’s Delectable Durang: A Collection of Six Unruly Comedies, and three seasons of A Christmas Carol, A 1930’s Radio Play.  He retired from Deerfield Academy in 2011 after having served as director of the academy’s theater program for twenty-seven years.  John’s theater education includes a B.A. from William and Mary, an M.A. from Case-Western Reserve and an M.F.A. from Temple University.

Like the rest of STC’s board members, he has also cheerfully swept and wet-mopped the stage floor, run the elevator and cleaned the toilet at The Perch, STC’s Hawks & Reed intimate theater space.

Ben is a lifelong resident of the Pioneer Valley with a decades-long connection to its theater community. The many plays he has directed include Proof and Lend Me A Tenor with Arena Civic Theatre (where he was also on the Board of Directors), as well as Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing with Hampshire Shakespeare Company. He has directed musicals such as A Little Night Music and Company, and vocal or musical directed productions of Chess, The Pajama Game, and Godspell. Ben has been a retail manager for many years, including General Manager for the departed Borders Books. He is currently the Guest Services Manager at the Yankee Candle Village in South Deerfield.

A self-taught musician, Thom was a church organist for twenty years, beginning at age twelve. Drafted into the army, he served in the infantry in Vietnam. Thom holds a B.S. in Agronomy which he utilized in various aspects of the grounds management industry. Concurrent to that, he owned a sheep farm and operated a bed and breakfast. He retired as an instructor at the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. Thom currently serves on the Finance Committee for his town. He enjoys his retirement by practicing forest management. Throughout his life, he has always been a performer. He was in a rock band in the 60’s, and a dance band in the 70’s. In the early 80’s he began acting in straight theatre, first with the Protean Theatre Company in Hartford, CT. Thom has performed all of the Gilbert and Sullivan patter roles numerous times. Eventually, he started directing. Thom has also performed lesser baritone operatic roles, notably with Opera North of Hanover, NH. Local audiences will recognize him from Silverthorne performances of Stupid F**king Bird, and Delectable Durang, among others. He is happy to lend his experience and opinions to the Silverthorne Board.

Joan Haley’s career as a motion picture production accountant has spanned more than 25 years on locations all across the United States as well as in Mexico and Norway. She has worked on Academy Award winning films like Network and The Godfather, where she and her husband, Michael Haley, first met. In addition to her work as a production accountant she has also worked as a production manager and was a member of the Directors Guild of America. Upon retiring she turned her attention to the local arts scene and in particular to theater. She has been involved as an actress, a stage manager, a committee member, a board member and budget supervisor for a wide variety of valley production companies and arts organizations.

Throughout Lucinda Kidder’s 50-year career, theater and non-profit management have been interwoven. Since high school stage work piqued her interest in that world, and her first directing job in India cemented it. She completed her MA in Theater Education at Emerson College and went on to direct over 150 plays, teach all aspects of theater at every level from little kids to university courses, and found and manage seven different theater groups wherever she has lived.

In 1999 she returned to academia to pursue an MFA in directing at UMass Amherst. There, and through subsequent doctoral studies, she explored and worked in the areas of Renaissance Theater, International Theater, Shakespearean Analysis and Performance, Multiculturalism, and Translation Studies. While at UMass she initiated a five-week intensive summer program for middle school students in Holyoke and Springfield, and with two collaborators, organized Unexpected Journeys – a festival of plays by women from Islamic cultures.

Kidder joined forces in 2014 with Northfield Mount Hermon colleague David Rowland to create Silverthorne Theater Company, and has acted as managing director since that time.

The art and love of storytelling began with my dad and me playing piano and making up songs. These often evolved into short “scenes” which would include family characters and events. I taught Photography and Filmmaking while working as librarian at Mount Holyoke College for many years. This is where I put images to many of these stories.

While working at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia I volunteered at Quintessence Theatre Group. Then, moving back to “the Valley”, I discovered Silverthorne and joined the board. I am also on the board of the Deerfield Valley Art Association in Northfield and Friends of the Dickinson Library in Northfield. It’s been a creative time and I look forward to another exciting – though with unique circumstances – year of theater!

When Silverthorne first appeared on an email from a friend, I immediately remembered many performances in that space at Northfield Mount Hermon. I showed it to my husband, Steve, who also attended plays there, and he auditioned as soon as possible. Thus began my association with the organization. When Lucinda asked me to join the board, after my retirement, how could I say no?

My own theater background includes being dragged by a friend into running the light board (pre computer) for college plays: hanging lights, focusing lights, writing my own directions for the board and then making it happen. It was fun! I have been in a couple of productions (Sister Angelica in college and My Fair Lady with The Country Players). I have helped with creating costumes for Titanic at NMH, dress actors, ushering, running the elevator, and coordinating Lucinda’s visits to the Northfield Senior Center back when I was the director.

Other interests include singing (DaCamera Singers and others), directing the church choir, sewing, reading, working in my yard and updating my house. I have two amazing children who have equally awesome spouses and a wonderful grandchild who brightens my week. I am blessed that they each live nearby and we are able to spend regular time together.

Knowing how much Steve enjoyed being part of this organization, I felt pulled to do my part as well. This is an incredibly dedicated group of people who make amazing productions happen on a shoestring budget. Being a part is an honor.

David Rowland retired in 2013 after 47 years of teaching, the last 35 as director of the Theatre Program at Northfield Mount Hermon School where he taught Acting, Directing, and other theater courses, and directed over 100 major productions. Shortly after his retirement, Rowland and Lucinda Kidder began talking about starting a professional theater company in Franklin County.

Silverthorne Theater Company, named after the principal performing space on NMH’s old Northfield campus, was officially founded in 2014, celebrating that first year with productions of Peter Shaffer’s Black Comedy (directed by Kidder) and Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle (directed by Rowland) in NMH’s Chile’s Theater.

Following two years at GCC’s Sloan Theater, Silverthorne moved in 2017 to its present home on the fourth floor of Hawks & Reed Performing Arts Center in downtown Greenfield. Rowland directed the first production in this new venue, the Long, Singer, and Winfield parody, The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged), with three actors offering comically twisted excerpts from the Bard’s collected works.

Most recently, Rowland directed A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters as a benefit for Silverthorne in the LAVA Center, Greenfield, in February of 2020. Retiring from active membership on Silverthorne’s board of directors this year, Rowland continues to consult with the board to help chart Silverthorne’s course through and beyond the current pandemic.