THE BOARD

Eric Magnus

ERIC MAGNUS, Artistic Director

Eric has been a stage actor since 1985, appearing on university, community and equity theater stage in Emporia, Wichita & Kansas City. He has been a theatre teacher and director since 1991. Eric is the director of theatre at Shawnee Mission West High School (after a 24 year stint as the director of theatre at Frontier Trail Middle School in Olathe), and a Kansas certified speech and theatre teacher for grades 7 – 12. He has been a featured director and teacher for Legacy School of the Arts in Olathe, Olathe South High School & Olathe Northwest High School, has worked in radio and has been a private acting coach since 2006. Eric is a published playwright of six adaptations of Shakespearean plays, including Romeo & Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew (www.histage.com), which have been performed all across the country. A complete list of Eric's acting and directing credits can be seen on his private coaching website, “Acting with Magnitude” (www.ericmagnus.com). Eric has been the Artistic Director of The Barn Players since September of 2008.

Vida Bikales

VIDA BIKALES, President

Vida was president of the Board of Directors for Camellot Academy from 1991 to 2009. She retired in 2008 from a 31 year career as a Senior Professional Healthcare Consultant with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Vida has volunteered for several other not-for-profits including The Jackson County Free Health Clinic, Kansas City AIDS Research Consortium and the Jackson County Chapter of the Diabetes Association. She graduated from The University of Kansas in 1976 with a BFA in Sculpture.

Barb Nichols

BARB NICHOLS, Vice President

Barbara Nichols has been involved in the Kansas City theatre world for many years. Most recently she co-wrote, co-produced and directed Overture, an original musical at the 2019 New York Music Festival. She has directed many shows for The Barn Players including Chess, The Drowsy Chaperone, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Secret Garden, Bat Boy, A New Brain, Urinetown (2006) as well as performing in August, Osage County and Urinetown (2018).

Lynn Reddick

LYNN REDDICK, Assistant Artistic Director

Lynn has a long history of involvement with the arts community in Kansas City. He has performed and served on the production staff of many theatres in town. He has served as chair of the board of the Heartland Men's Chorus and the Theatre In The Park Advisory Council. He now serves as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Barn Players. Lynn is the Director of Finance at North Cross United Methodist Church.

Kay Noonan

KAY NOONAN, Secretary

Kay is General Counsel for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a 501(c)(3) organization supporting state regulation of insurance. She was born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa and received her undergraduate degree in history and political science from Loras College. She received her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law and moved to Kansas City where her legal career has included private practice, corporate counsel in the pharmaceutical industry and her current position. She is active in community theatre as a performer and previously served two terms on the Theatre in the Park Advisory Council, including two years as Chair.

Becca Wagner

BECCA WAGNER, Treasurer

Becca works as a branch manager for FNBO. Her degree is in Consumer and Family Economics from Kansas State University. She was raised in Marion, Kansas, a small rural community. While never a performer herself, she is raising two thespians that have graced the stage in Barn Kids and Barn Junior productions along with other community and school productions.

Kathleen Marx

KATHLEEN MARX, Volunteer Coordinator

Kathleen Marx is the Director of Sales Operations for a financial technology firm based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A proud Jayhawk, she earned her degree from the University of Kansas. As a child, her father teasingly called her "Sarah Barnyard (Sarah Bernhardt!)" due to her imagination and effusive personality. Once her children were old enough, Kathleen returned to the stage and has been in productions with Leawood Stage Company, Midlife Players, Theatre in the Park, Olathe Civic Theatre, The Culture House, The White Theatre, Black Repertory Theatre, and, of course, The Barn Players. Kathleen has worked in a volunteer capacity with the Johnson County Library (presenting webinars), as an officer with local chapters of the Association for Quality & Participation and the Society for Human Resource Management, and with the Federal Courts as a vocalist at naturalization ceremonies.

Shelly Moran

SHELLEY MORAN

Shelley is an English Language Arts teacher for Blue Valley North High School. She has a degree in English and Secondary Education from Virginia Wesleyan College. In addition to being a teacher, she is a mom, a wife, an avid reader, an arts enthusiast, a GSA sponsor, and a deacon for her church. She was introduced to The Barn by former students and friends. Her daughter loves participating in the Barn Kids summer camp.

Ile Haggins

ILE HAGGINS

Ile has been actively involved in Kansas City's arts community for more than 30 years, since relocating from Columbus, Ohio. She was the founding board president for the Kansas City's Boy's Choir. Ile has stage managed and directed for numerous theatres in town; as well as co-authored and produced several musical productions for her church, St. James U.M.C. Most recently she directed the highly acclaimed "Look What the Fire Did" for the Fringe Fest 2019, which originated as one of The Barn's 6 x 10 plays. Ile holds a BA in theatre from Otterbein University and an MSW from KU and is on faculty in the UMKC School of Social Work.

Trevor French

TREVOR FRENCH

Trevor has been in the banking and credit card industry for almost 30 years. He is currently with Bend by FNBO. He was born in Kansas City and was raised on a farm in Edgerton Missouri. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from UMKC in 2006. He has been actively involved in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion not only at work but within the community. He is also active in theater as a performer and has served on two previous boards including The Kansas City Diversity Coalition, and Blue Valley Industries.

Darren Sextro

DARREN SEXTRO

Darren Sextro has directed nearly 50 professional, academic, and community theatre productions over the past two decades. His work at The Barn Players has included direction of August: Osage County, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Prelude to a Kiss, and Wonder of the World. At Kansas City Actors Theatre, where he serves on the Artistic Committee, the Board of Directors, and is a previous Board President, he has directed Little Women, Spider's Web, A Doll's House (also adaptation), Skylight, My Old Lady, Crimes of the Heart, and Old Times, as well as eight radio theatre episodes. Other directing work has included A Doll's House Part 2, The Humans, Informed Consent, The Way We Get By, and Buyer & Cellar for the Unicorn Theatre; The Laramie Project for Avila University; Lungs, (Against) Type, and Desire: An Evening of Plays Based on Six Stories by Tennessee Williams for UMKC's Graduate Theatre Program; The House of Yes for The Fishtank; Kindertransport and To Kill a Mockingbird for the White Theatre; Bus Stop for KCKCC; and Time Flies, Wonder of the World, God of Carnage, and ART for The Wright Opera House (Ouray, CO). His decades of theatre work have also included producing, production management, development, and acting. He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for UMKC's Friends of the Conservatory.

Daniel Vazquez

DANIEL VAZQUEZ

Daniel Vazquez (they/them) is a Latinx Director, Intimacy Director, and Stage Manager based in Kansas City. A recent graduate from Emporia State University, Daniel is incredibly excited to join The Barn board after having worked with The Barn since they were in high school. Outside of The Barn, Daniel has worked with The White Theatre at The J, Unicorn Theatre, and Shawnee Mission Theatre in the Park. Website: dv.danielvazquez.art

Daniel Vazquez

DENICE TRAWICKI

Denice currently serves as choir director at Santa Fe Trail Middle School in Olathe, is director of The Barn's summer youth production, and is a Teacher Artist on staff at Johnson County Parks and Recreation. She also enjoys being onstage, music directing, and playing in pits in the Johnson County theater community. She makes her home in Olathe with her husband, two children, and two cats.

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