Production staff who are employed are done so through the SMCLO and act as mentors and faculty to the Santa Monica High School Theatre Arts Department. Led by artistic director Dr. Frank X. Ford, the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera was formed in 1989 to begin a campaign to restore Barnum Hall. An ambitious bunch of SAMOHI grads assembled to form a new theatre company that became an extension to the theatre arts program at Santa Monica High School. Alumni Jay Worth and Josh Levine along with Dr. Ford were the founding members who began the tradition of alumni taking to the Barnum Hall stage in spectacular summer musicals, which would eventually lead to the raising of $3.5 million from the City of Santa Monica and many other generous donors, voters of the city of Santa Monica and hard work of many.

The artistic team of the SMCLO scouts out extremely hard-working and talented individuals in their field and recruit them to work alongside eager students, whom are interested in developing their potential future careers in the theatre industry.

DR. FRANK X. FORD (vu producer/director and smclo artistic director)
Dr. Ford is the founder and Artistic Director of the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera and director for our newly created company of actors, the Viking Underground. Frank has headed Theatre and Film at Santa Monica High School for the past 19 years after having been at USC for 17 years - during which he developed and taught courses in Drama, Cinema, Opera, and Comparative Literature. Dr. Ford holds PhD's in Drama and Cinema from USC and was one of the primary architects of the prestigious Masters in Professional Writing Program. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is Frank's (best guess) 129th production directed.

BRETT FISHER ('95) (vu producer/smclo producing director)
Brett is the producing and marketing director for the new Santa Monica Civic Light Opera. Brett is also an experienced music director, conductor, and orchestrator. Brett began his association with Dr. Ford and the Santa Monica High School Theatre Program in 1995, as music director, orchestrator, and band leader for Revenge of The Forbidden Planet. Brett continues his work as music director and conductor for both the high school and SMCLO musical productions. When Brett isn't on the podium, he is working in the SMCLO offices on his three-year producing apprenticeship which has brought about much of the re-envisioning and growth that the SMCLO has experienced over the past few years. Outside of his work in Santa Monica, Brett was hired last year by Walt Disney Theatricals to be a music consultant for their most recent Broadway musical hit, Aida. Brett also works for the multi-Ovation-Award-winning Colony Theatre Company in Burbank, and was music supervisor for this summer's production of Snoopy!!! at the Falcon Theatre. This October, Brett will be the assistant musical director and conductor for Grand Hotel at The Colony Theatre, directed by Peter Schneider.

JAYME MECHUR ('99) (vu producer/smclo marketing director)
Jayme is the director of public and community relations for the new Santa Monica Civic Light Opera and producer for the Viking Underground. A recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara where she studied public policy and stage managed shows including The Crucible, BASH, and the one-act play A Very Jewish Christmas. Jayme is thrilled to return home to Santa Monica for her sixth production with the Civic Light Opera and for the premiere of the Viking Underground. This fall Jayme looks forward to stage managing the amazing original play Pipe Dreams.

MOLLY COOKSON (vu producer/co-founder)
At age 9, Molly performed The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. That thrill whet her appetite for performance, and since then she has established quite a life on stage, stretching from opera to musical theater to contemporary drama. An LMU graduate with a degree in theater, Molly can currently be seen as the fairest maiden in the land in Disney's Snow White: An Enchanting New Musical. Extensive L.A. stage work includes starring roles in Jerry Finnegan's Sister at the Coronet Theater and the West Coast premiere of Portia Coughlin. Molly has also been a guest artist with the STAR Program, where she taught musical theater to children in Kindergarten through fifth grade. She is executive producer of Fast Shoes Productions, a feature film company she founded with Ryan Hurst. Molly draws particular inspiration from her grandmother, Beatrice Straight, recipient of an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Network, 1976) and a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress (The Crucible, 1953).

RYAN D. HURST ('94) (vu producer/co-founder, mcmurphy)
A talented actor with marked skills behind the camera, Ryan D. Hurst is best known for his breakout performance opposite Denzel Washington in Disney's mega-hit Remember the Titans, in which he also directed the film's 16mm footage. Ryan's extensive theater credits include receiving a Best Performance in a Comedy award from Backstage West for the Canon Theater's production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo. His remarkable versatility allowed him to stage and star in his own adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac for the Santa Monica Civic Light Opera. Ryan's affinity for theater inspired him to start the Viking Underground with Molly Cookson. The two also founded Fast Shoes Productions, an independent feature film production company dedicated to the development of young writers and stories of the triumph of the individual. Ryan is especially pleased to be working with his long-time mentor and friend, Dr. Frank X. Ford. On screen, Ryan recently starred with Tom Hanks in the Coen Brothers' remake of The Ladykillers. Addition high profile work includes Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan and Taken, We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, Rules of Engagement with Samuel L. Jackson and Patch Adams with Robin Williams.

SIMON HANNA ('04) (smclo director of development)
Simon's involvement with the theatre department began his freshman year, working on house crew for Grease. Having sold all those Grease CD's at intermission, Simon knew he could combine his two passions: business and acting. Simon was the stage manager for Romeo & Juliet, and acted in Romeo & Juliet, Funny Girl, The Wizard of Oz, Kiss Me, Kate and Goodbye Charlie. Currently he is charged with the large task of marketing and raising donations from the various businesses for all of our productions.

PATTY ONAGAN (publicity)

KIM CRABTREE (production stage manager)
Kim has stage managed for varied companies in Los Angeles including the Mark Taper Forum, Deaf West, Celebration Theatre, Buena Vista Productions Special Events, Colony Theatre and the Long Beach Opera. She has assisted for the Geffen Playhouse and worked as AD on a production of Romeo & Juliet taped live for PBS. She served as PSM for Blue Man Group Chicago and has toured nationally with the Chicano satirists Culture Clash. Much love to her folks and to Bear.

RAY DIAZ ('03) (assistant stage manager)
This is Ray's second SMCLO production, after staring in last summer's You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown as Linus. Ray is a technical theatre student at San Francisco State University and recently completed work there as a master electrician on a production of Assasins.

JO DAVIS (costume designer)
For many years Jo Davis has worked alongside Dr. Ford on countless theatre productions as his costume designer. Jo has been collecting all sorts of period, vintage and rare clothing used in the various types of productions performed by the high school and SMCLO casts.

MIKE GOODE (production/set designer/production artist)

SEAN PHILLIPS (sound designer)

CHUCK SCHUMAN (lighting designer)

BRIAN KIM ('99) (set supervisor)

CAMERON GORDON (set crew/production)