Tracey Altman (Chair)
Tracey has been a member of the SBP since 1986 and has made many lifelong friends through the group. She met her husband, Ken, in 1987 during a production of Come Blow Your Horn. Throughout the years she has been both on stage and backstage, working on many productions. In 1992 Tracey served as Chair of the Board for a two-year term. In 2018 she rejoined the Board to head up Membership, and in 2020 she became Co-chair of the group. To Tracey, the SBP has always offered community, creativity and friendship. As Chair, she works collaboratively across all facets of the group. Tracey, a proud Lifetime Member, also specifically leads Membership and Staffing. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Ken, and her two cats Inga & Ulla. sbpmembership@gmail.com
Melissa Broder (Communications Chair)
Melissa joined the SBP more than 30 years ago and is a proud Lifetime Member of the group. She has served on the Board, on and off, for many years in a variety of roles, including marketing, staffing and communications. Melissa has found the SBP to be the warmest and most professional of community theaters and is proud to call it her theater home. Melissa is a retired book publishing professional, a Certified Master Gardener and a crazy cat lady who resides with her husband, Michael, (and their cats Penny and Puffer) in Hoboken, NJ.
Joe Gambino (Treasurer)
Joe joined the St. Bart's Players in spring 2001 and made his onstage debut in the fall of that year in Morning's at Seven. Soon after, he joined the Board as Co-Treasurer, later moving on to Chair other committees such as Communications, Marketing and Play Selection. This year, Joe returned to the Board in his original role of Treasurer. He has had the pleasure of appearing onstage and backstage throughout his 22 years with the group, including working twice as Producer. Joe has also worked on postcard and playbill design, and produced play readings for the group on Zoom during the pandemic. By day, he is an Audit Supervisor with the Shubert Organization, and moonlights as a voice actor. He is the creator/writer/star of the comedy web series A Cup o' Bitter Joe, available on YouTube. Joe counts joining the SBP as one of the smartest decisions he's ever made, and cherishes the friendships and memories he's made with the group. He is a proud Lifetime Member of the group.
Sami Sallaway (Production Co-chair)
Sami joined the St. Bart's Players in 2022 and has been an enthusiastic and engaged member ever since. She values the strong sense of community fostered by the group and appreciates the diverse show selections and opportunities provided. Sami served as a producer for the 2023 Spring production of "45 Seconds to Broadway" and in 2024, she accepted the role of Production Chair on the board, bringing her extensive Stage Management background to enhance the production quality of our shows. Sami is currently employed as a coordinator at Prise Partners, LLC.
Melanie Gertzman (Production Co-Chair)
Melanie joined the St. Bart's Players in 2023, and is so happy she has found her new community theater home. Being a member of the Players has restored her love of theater and performance, and she is so grateful to this incredibly supportive community of artists and technicians for welcoming her both onstage and off. Over the last decade, Melanie worked in the project/program management space in various capacities, first starting in theater as a stage manager, where she had the privilege to work regionally, Off-Broadway and on Broadway. From 2014-2020 she co-founded and was Executive Director for Bluelaces Theater Company, a non-profit theater that specialized in producing immersive, multi-sensory theater for autistic and developmentally disabled audiences. Currently, she is a program manager for the strategic consulting firm, SYPartners. Melanie is excited to bring her stage management and production background to St. Bart's Players as Co-Production Chair, and looks forward to creating theater with this group for years to come.
Merrill Vaughn (Advisor)
Merrill became a member of the St. Bart’s Players in the spring of 1978. The years have brought many changes to the Players, but what hasn’t changed is the depth of friendships forged and the quality of theater produced. Merrill joined the Board as a Production co-chair in 2001 and has proudly co-produced seven Main Stage shows. Merrill served as Board Co-Chair with various people for many years before stepping down to serve as Advisor. Anyone who knows Merrill knows that she can usually be found at the helm of one of her favorite activities: cleaning out and organizing our props closets at St. Bart’s. She is also a proud Lifetime Member of the Players. By day, Merrill is a Senior Editor at Forbes magazine; she divides her time between her homes in Maine and New Jersey with her husband, Glen, and their dog, Miami.
Erin Bruno (Front of House Chair)
After years of being a huge SBP fan, Erin officially joined the group in 2021. She has loved becoming a part of the community by co-producing shows, volunteering, performing in concerts and getting to know all of the welcoming, warm and talented Players along the way. In 2023, Erin was awarded SBP's Member of the Year, a true honor and highlight of her time with the group. She is very excited to join the Advisory Board and deepen her involvement with a community she loves and has always admired. By day, Erin supervises Psychologists with New York City Public Schools, adores her nieces and nephews, is a board game enthusiast and lives in Hoboken with her wonderful husband, Ken.
Daniel Grinko (Fundraising Chair)
Dan came to the Players at the turn of the century — and never left — having found a wonderful community of friends. He has been seen onstage playing everything from a child to a princess to a wealthy, middle-age man. Behind the scenes, Dan has created many of the Players’ show logos and marketing materials, produced cabaret events and served in several positions on the Board. With a professional career in creative marketing and design, he specializes in work with nonprofits and fundraising. He applies all of those skills when focused on raising money for the Players, whether through fundraising campaigns or events. “Our friends realize how amazing it is that we can produce and stage shows on our own. Their unwavering generosity is what keeps us going.” When Dan is not at St. Bart’s or hard at work, he’s likely home, mowing the lawn (while singing!) and enjoying his family. Dan prefers vodka martinis with three olives. He is also a proud Lifetime Member of the group. fundraising@stbartsplayers.org
Mike Pitsikoulis (Technical Director)
Mike joined the Players in 2018 because he was captivated by the sense of community he felt and the quality of the work everyone strives to create. His first Players’ show (both on stage and helping behind the scenes) was You Can’t Take it With You. Soon thereafter Mike joined the Board in the newly created role of TD. As TD, Mike oversees all technical aspects of SBP productions and manages all equipment. He helps with the hiring of designers, the planning of Load-Ins/Strikes and fills in as crew (and cast) as needed. He also serves as resident technician for smaller Players’ productions. Professionally, Mike serves as Facilities/Studio Manager of the National Dance Institute Center for Learning & the Arts in Harlem.
Andrew Brown (Special Events Chair)
Andrew joined SBP in 2018 and is excited to continue his journey with the group as Special Events Chair. After acting in and co-producing several shows, Andrew is ready to produce even more programming for the 3rd floor, including cabarets, concerts and the 3rd Floor Play Reading Series. He is looking forward to working with other members to put on new and exciting events to benefit the group and influence future St. Bart's Players' seasons. Andrew currently works in Recruitment at the global technology and e-commerce company, Rokt.
2019 Award Winners:
2019 New Player of the Year: Michael Halwagy
2019 Crew All-Star: Deirdre Mullins
2019 Player of the Year: Nicole Bournas-Ney
Crew All-Star of the Decade: Jill Conklin
2023 Award Winners:
2023 Crew Member of the Year: Hannah Miller
2023 New Member of the Year: Ashlye Valines
2023 Member of the Year: Erin Bruno
2024 Award Winners:
2024 Crew Member of the Year: Emily Reed-Edwards
2024 New Member of the Year: Melina Puzino
2024 Member of the Year: Andrew Brown
Lifetime Members
Ken Altman • Tracey Altman • Maryjane L. Baer • Robert Berger • Eric B. Bettelheim
Barbara Blomberg • Melissa Broder • Susan Carlino Nicholson
Christopher Catt • Maryellen Conroy • Alyssa Somers Farlow
Rev. Bruce W. Forbes • Joe Gambino • Danielle Giorgetti • Dan Grinko
Joe Kassner • Ronald Kross • Hope Landry Cilen • Ray McGarrigle
Fran Mullins • Jim Mullins • Nell Robinson • Joan Scribner
Veronica Shea • Jane Southall • Rev. William McD Tully • Merrill Vaughn