Christopher Everett has been involved in the performing arts since the age of 10. His passion started in music and then evolved into theatre during high school. He has had many opportunities such as performing for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, being a part of national tours, directing, music directing, stage managing, and working as a professional actor with Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA. He has a degree in Vocal Performance with Departmental Honors in Conducting from Lebanon Valley College. He has also worked for some of the largest companies in the world such as Morgan Stanley, AIG, and Home Depot. He loves educating and preparing the next generation of performers and theatre goers, and loves how live theatre can bring families together, positively impact a community in every aspect, and create a safe and inclusive environment for dialogue.

Kaci Gravatt fell in love with the theatre as a prospective 9th grader touring William Penn High School. Being 15 minutes early (as usual, thanks Mom), she had the chance to see stage crew in action, and knew she wanted to join the fun – who wouldn’t want to use power tools?! Back-stage quickly led to on-stage, and she was hooked. After 4 years of high school shows and 2 years as a theatre production major at University of Delaware, she was sadly forced into an 8-year hiatus while working nights and weekends… you know, “adulting.” Thankfully, in 2017, she jumped back on stage and now refuses to leave. When not at rehearsals or coordinating fundraising events, you can usually find her eating french fries and ice cream while planning her next adventure (skydiving? world travel? impromptu beach trip?).

Andrea Hansen grew up in northern New Jersey, performing and visual arts were both a love of her’s from a young age. She now lives in Delaware with her husband and two sons. When she’s not at theatre or in school, she spends most days hanging out with her children. You may have seen some of her set painting while visiting Griffin productions. Andrea’s love of theatre doesn’t stop at sets or performing, she’s also been known to run a light board or help on crew, whatever is needed. Her favorite shows include Seussical, Peter Pan, Aida, and Book of Mormon.

Sheri Laratonda grew up in New Jersey, in an artistic family before moving to Michigan and eventually settling in Delaware to bring her daughter Elise closer to her family.  In 2021, Sheri discovered the Griffin Theatre

Sheri’s daughter, Elise’s love for Disney, particularly The Lion King, inspired their first visit to The Griffin, where they were charmed by the talented young performers in The Lion King kids musical. Elise’s subsequent audition for The Little Mermaid marked the beginning of their involvement with the theatre.

Growing up, Sheri’s parents exposed her to various arts and cultural events, instilling her love for the arts and volunteering.  Sheri and her family are all involved with the Griffin community, with her husband assisting in set building, her mother helping with props, and her father contributing his lighting and sound knowledge. Even Sheri’s sister and brother-in-law are actively involved in the theatre’s success.

Sheri’s enthusiasm for the arts and volunteering naturally led her to the role of Front of House/Hospitality Chair on the Board. She is happy to be part of an organization that aligns with her values, providing exceptional education and entertainment to the community.

Tara LeGates spent much of her youth on stage as a dancer, but her involvement in theatre came many years later, as a parent volunteer. While her daughter Marin can usually be found center stage, Tara will be somewhere in the building doing just about anything else asked of her, from front of house to stage management, and a whole lot in between. When she isn’t at the Theatre, Tara is dreaming of her next solo trip abroad or working on her latest ADHD-fueled interest, such as podcasting, stand-up comedy, baking, soap making, or something else she will likely abandon at about 84% completion.

Chris Luongo first became involved with live theater back in 2019 at The Griffin Theatre when his wife, Karen, enrolled their six year old son Greysen in his first theater experience. The Luongo family’s theatric ride has never slowed down since that first glimpse into the performing arts. Chris describes the past three years as all inspiring as he has become actively involved within the theater. Chris is impassioned by the opportunity that the Griffin provides to experience the power of the performing arts, while affording its cast the opportunity to act on their personal passions. Chris comes to us with an educational degree and has been in a high level executive position for the last fifteen years at a large insurance carrier. He has worked closely to help create a safe theater space, set construction and is actively involved in volunteering whenever possible supporting the theaters goals in putting on the best show possible. Chris feels “It’s up to you to stand up and to make a difference.”

Christine Holdren is a pediatric occupational therapist who has worked for a local school district for over 20 years. Christine became involved with the Griffin Theatre when her daughter Riley started performing in camps and shows back in 2019 and then also stated taking vocal lessons. She lives in Delaware with her husband and two amazing daughters. Christine has loved the theatre from a young age. She grew up in northern New Jersey and had the opportunity to take many trips into the city to see shows. She was involved in theatre and choir programming throughout her elementary school years into high school. Now she prefers to be behind the scenes at the Griffin whether it be in the tech booth running sound or lights for a show, volunteering for front of house, or working on the ticketing system. When not at the theater helping out, Christine can often be found at the barn where both of her girls ride horses competitively.

Mary has been involved in performing and theatre since the age of 7. It immediately became her passion. She wants nothing more than to share her love of theatre with her community. She believes that live theatre is unlike anything else you will ever experience and that it should be open and accessible for everyone to enjoy. It has always been her dream to start a theatre where the actor’s have a safe and inclusive home as well as have the ability to create a group that could take live theatre out to those that couldn’t make it to the theatre. The Griffin stands for courage  and boldness – and Mary believes everyone should have the courage to just be who they are and share that with the world! Mary’s theatre experience started at age 7 in ‘The Velveteen Rabbit’ and has continued through today. She has a BA degree in Musical Theatre Performance, Choreography,  and Education  (as well as a Sports Medicine Degree and an Education degree with a specialization in PE K-12). Some of her favorite roles include: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Shrek (Donkey), Pinkalicious (Pinkalicious), 9to5(Judy Bernley), Little Women (Jo March), Steel Magnolias (Shelby), I Love You, You’re Perfect…(Woman 1). Favorite directing/choreographer credits include: The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, Newsies, Seussical, Once On This Island, and Matilda.