Doctor Larry A Brechner - Doctor of Fine Arts in Theatre Studies

Larry A Brechner, MA, DFA
MTC Producer/Director
Munster Auditorium Director 

Larry A Brechner, "LAB", continues his twelfth season at Munster as both the Munster Auditorium Director and as the Producer/Director of the Munster Theatre Company. 

As Auditorium Director, he established the student based Auditorium Staff, which works on all the productions and concerts in the auditorium, including commercial rentals including the very successful Northwest Indiana Concert Association Concert Series that brings national and international artists to the stage. The auditorium current schedule has about 70 events per season of which at least 15 to 20 are client events.  As Theatre Company (MTC) Producer/Director, Larry produces two full length plays and two full length musicals per season.  MTC unites musical and play productions in to a single entity plus seeks to involve students from all areas of visual, music and performing arts.  

In the past seasons he produced and directed many very successful Musica productions : Grease, Carousel, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown Guys and Dolls Godspell, Mame, Once Upon A Mattress, The Music Man, Pippin, Brigadoon, Working, The Sound of Music, Snoopy!!!, South Pacific, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Cinderella, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, and Oklahoma!   

With over 30 years of professional and educational theatrical experience, he has worked as the Theatre Administrator at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, plus as the Production Manager/Resident Lighting Designer for The Center's resident professional Equity theater since 1992. Prior to that he was the Auditorium Director for 13 years at Highland's Monbeck Auditorium, founding the Auditorium Staff, plus the Highland Theatre Company as its Producer/Director.

 Larry has worked on hundreds of productions as lighting designer with a variety of theater companies, receiving The Times Reggie Best Lighting Award twice and Best Director-Musical Nominee, plus the 1997 NW Indiana Excellence in Theatre Foundation Best Lighting Award. Larry holds a Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) degree in Theatre Studies. He received both his Bachelor and Master's degrees from Purdue University Calumet in Telecommunications and Theatre Production and Management. Purdue honored him in 1997 with the prestigious Distinguished Corporate/Community Service Award.  This September, Purdue University Calumet will also honor him with the Alumni Leadership Award recognizing outstanding alumni from various fields of study.

Larry is a voting member for the Grammy Awards since 1980, and serves on the Board of Directors for Lakeshore Public TV / Radio (WYIN-TV Channel 56 / The Lakeshore 89.1 FM), where he has been often seen as a on-air pledge host, Leadership Northwest Indiana, Purdue Calumet Experiential Learning Advisory Board, and previously on LakeNET and Salute, a veterans recognition group.  In 1999, he received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership at the annual national conference. 

Larry is married to Carol Lynn (who serves as Assistant Theatre Company Director and Producer/Director of Wilbur Wright Theatre Company) and is proud dad to Lauren, Jamie, and Christopher (plus grandpa to Carlie, Brooke, Savannah Lynn, and Chase). In his spare time Larry is a recognized photographic artist with several gallery exhibits to his credit, a licensed commercial pilot, and Extra Class amateur radio operator (WB9FQS).
 

Anne joined the MHS staff as the new auditorium secretary/box office  manager in 2005.  She has traveled extensively worldwide as a Trade Show Coordinator for American Exhibition Services.  Anne was born in Ireland, where most of her family still resides usually visiting at least once a year. She immigrated to the states in 1981 and resides in Munster with her husband and her two daughters.  Anne especially enjoys working with the Auditorium Staff, Theatre Company, and other MHS students watching them mature from freshman into seniors.

2009-2010
Student Auditorium Staff

Executives

Erin Montgomery
Technical Director

Erin served last season as Sound Director, becoming a Technical Assistant during the second semester of the previous season. She is also active in band.

Directors/Managers

Jacob Cherogan
Lighting Director

Jacob served as a Technical Assistant and was promoted in the later part of second semester to Lighting Director.  He is active in band

Kaitlyn Melder
Stage Manager

Kaitlyn served all last season as a Stage Assistant

Jessica Van Wieren
Stage Manager

Jessica served all last season as a Stage Assistant and stage manager on several of the MTC productions.  In September she worked as Assistant Director for the Novice show, The Beatles Slept Here.  Melissa is also active in band.

Emilie served last season as an Assistant House Manager.

Anastasia served last season as an Assistant House Manager.

Assistants

Stephanie Grabarczyk
Technical Asst

Nick Kiesling
Technical Asst

Lorissa Pietruszka
Asst House Manager

Josh Bobeck
Stage Asst

Emily Scholtz
 Technical Asst

 Asst House Manager

Full Crew

                         Laura Aguilar, Aaron Caldwell, Emily Carlson, Xochitl Chapa, Haley Conger, Eric Etter, Andrew Frye, Hannah Fuhs, Hunter Muckel,  Ryan Pohrte, Bennie Vassallo, Jonathan Wachala

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