Ann-Carol Pence

Co-Founder/Producing Artistic Director

Ann-Carol Pence arranged the music for Aurora’s first Christmas Canteen in 1996 and was hired full-time in September of 1998 as Resident Musical Director. An education major at James Madison University, she used her background to develop Learning Library (or L2). As a musician, she created Aurora’s Musicals by Moonlight, and Aurora’s New Musical Initiative. She has performed as pianist and music director both nationally (Goodspeed Opera House, Pasadena Playhouse, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Kennedy Center) and locally (The Alliance, Theatrical Outfit, The Horizon, Georgia Ensemble Theatre,). As a proud citizen of Gwinnett, Ann-Carol is most proud of Aurora Theatre winning the first ever Pinnacle Award for Large Non-Profit, and the first ever Moxie Award (for woman-led businesses) for Aurora Theatre. These distinctions go well with her 5 Suzi Awards for Outstanding Music Direction. She was a participant in the 2016 Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute and member of the “Best Class Ever!”

Katie Pelkey

Managing Director

Katie Pelkey is celebrating twelve seasons with Aurora! In 2013, Katie transitioned to the role of Company Manager, having previously served as Resident Stage Manager. She also created the highly-successful Stage Management and Costume Apprentice Company program that operates simultaneously with Aurora’s Acting Apprentice Company program. For five seasons, she worked as Aurora’s Educational Resources Associate developing educational curriculum for teachers to use in conjunction with Aurora’s TYA Learning Library offerings. And for over a decade, Katie served as Production Stage Manager for New Plays for Young Audiences, a prestigious TYA summer staged reading series based at New York University. She received her BA in Educational Theatre from New York University with a minor in Dramatic Literature. Many thanks to Michael, Maxwell, and Alexander for their love and support! 

John Geersten

Complex General Manager

Prior to joining the Aurora Theatre team, John managed Carnival Cruise Lines’ state-of-the-art rehearsal spaces where he led the successful post-pandemic reopening of the 45K square foot facility. As General Manager of Arizona Theatre Company he focused the organization on fiscal responsibility and financial rebuilding. At Pioneer Theatre Company he served as the Company Manager and Management Associate tending to the day-to-day operations of the institution, facilities supervision as well as the care of guest artists. He is also an AEA Stage Manager with productions under his belt ranging from SPT to LORT Houses. Before his work in live theatre, John spent many years with the MTV Networks as an associate producer on live events and awards shows.

Al Stilo

Director of Sales and Programming

During Al Stilo’s 17 years, Aurora Theatre has been a leader that has helped the organization achieve tremendous growth highlighted by the opening of the $35 million expansion of the Lawrenceville Arts Center in fall of 2021. In his time, Aurora Theatre has received numerous accolades and awards including the 2009 Pinnacle Award for Large Non-Profit and the 2016 Governor’s Award for the Arts & Humanities. Al served three years on the executive committee of Atlanta Performs, two on the board of directors for Georgia Arts Network, your advocate for the arts in Georgia, and two on the steering committee for the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Audience Building Roundtable.  Al has received multiple professional distinctions for marketing from the Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau. Al has been a professional actor for 30 years. Onstage at Aurora he has appeared in Newsies,  Les Misérables, Chicago, and several others. All my love to my wife Holly and son Dominic. 

Jon Carr

Director of Marketing

Jon Carr is excited to be a part of the Aurora family and step into his new role as Interim Director of Marketing. A proud graduate of Georgia State University, he has worked in the Georgia theatre community for 20+ years. He has served as Dad’s Garage Marketing Director and Artistic Director. He has written and performed in several plays here in Georgia, including Wrath of Con and Black Nerd, and won the Suzi Bass Gene-Gabriel Moore award for Playwriting. Most recently, he was the Executive Producer for The Second City.

Katie Chambers

Director of Production/Resident Stage Manager

Katie Erin Chambers is excited to be starting her 8th season with Aurora Theatre and stepping into a new role as Director of Production. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia, a member of Actor’s Equity, and a proud alumna of Aurora’s 2013-14 Apprentice Company. She has previously stage managed in Atlanta for Horizon Theatre Company, Theatrical Outfit, Synchronicity Theatre and Habima Theatre. She has also served as coordinator for the New South Young Playwrights’ Festival, production manager for the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival, and coordinator for the Atlanta Unified Auditions.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the US. 

Jasmine Renee Ellis

Director of Education

Originally from Jackson, Mississippi Jasmine Renee’ Ellis serves as the Director of Education. Outside of education, She is an actor, singer, director, and writer throughout the Atlanta Metro Area. Some of her acting credits include: Shakespeare Tavern (MacBeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest). Actor’s Express (Lizzie), Horizon Theatre Company (Roe), Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company (Marie and Rosetta- where she earned a Suzi Bass Award Nomination), and Southwest Art Center (Mother of God), You can see her in Aurora Theatre’s 28th Season Closing Show Sister Act starring as Deloris Van Cartier. Jasmine also will be directing the Summer Camp Musical Finding Nemo Jr. this June.

Jacky Segui

Director of Community Impact

Juan Carlos Unzueta

Graphic Designer

Juan Carlos Unzueta spent the last decade in Jacksonville, FL in as Education Director at Theatre Jacksonville. While working in NE Florida, he created innovative programming for his young actors as well as partnered with local and national organizations to provide arts-integrated learning opportunities to students in Duval County. Additionally, he handled the design of all marketing collateral and general marketing for the theatre’s education programming. In addition to his work in education, he has spent the last decade performing and directing. Notable credits include: Into the Woods (The Baker), The Light in the Piazza (Fabrizio), In the Heights (Piragua Guy), Pippin(Pippin), Little Shop of Horrors (Seymour), Tick, Tick, BOOM! (Jonathan), guest artist roles with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and First Coast Opera, and most recently as Charles Bingley in Theatrical Outfit’s Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. 

Daniel Pope

Production Manager

Daniel Pope is proud to be joining the great team at Aurora Theatre as Production Manager. Daniel has been a sound designer and engineer in the Atlanta area for the past seven years. He’s had the pleasure of designing sound for the Aurora Theatre on many occasions on shows such as: Into the Woods, Christmas Canteen, Sweep, and most recently The Bridges of Madison County. Additionally, he’s worked on countless other productions in the Atlanta theatre community including: Evita and A Streetcar Named Desire as Sound Designer and Production Manager at Serenbe Playhouse. Daniel received a Bachelors in Marketing with a specialization in sales and a minor in Music from The University of West Georgia in 2010.

Ashley Hogan

Technical Director

ASHLEY HOGAN (she/her-Technical Director) is excited to be a part of Aurora’s family. She worked summers while completing her degree from Georgia State University in ’18. She was an over hire before joining the staff full time. She has “climbed the ladder” to Technical Director and enjoys working with her team planning and building the wonderful sets we see with each Aurora show.

Maxwell H. Breaux

Marketing Associate

Maxwell H. Breaux is honored to join the Aurora team as a Marketing Associate. Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Maxwell is excited to help create theatre in Georgia. Maxwell received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Acting from The University of Oklahoma in 2021.

Daisie Marie

Director of Patron Services

Tyler Barrett

Facility Maintenance Supervisor

Tyler Barrett is happy to return to Aurora Theatre as the Facility Maintenance Supervisor.  Previously working as the Assistant Technical Director in 2019, he is excited to bring his experience into this new role. 

Jennifer Owens

Director of Group Sales and Database Management

Jennifer Owens is proud to be embarking on her 8th season at Aurora Theatre! After receiving her BFA in Acting from Brenau University in 2014, she set her sights on Aurora where she successfully became a part of the family in 2014. With a one-year-old in tow, she began as a part time Box Office Associate and Front of House Coordinator, later adding on a Teaching Artist credit in 2016, Box Office Manager and Marketing team member in June of 2017 to finally accepting her Director position in January 2020. She couldn’t be happier to play a role in the success of Aurora Theatre and its surrounding community. She believes that each and every community member that walks through our doors should be given a world class experience.

Greg Hunter

Company Manager

Issac Burrier

Head of Lighting

Issac Burrier is excited to have joined Aurora Theatre as their Head of Lighting. Isaac has worked on numerous shows with Aurora including Christmas Canteen, Mary Poppins (2022), Swindlers, and several others as the Master Electrician. Before working with Aurora, Isaac worked in Nashville, TN as a lighting and scenic designer as well as a lighting tech in Raleigh, NC. Some of his professional credits include: Ordinary Days (Georgia Gwinnett College), Giant Squid (Woven Theatre Company), Lungs (Woven Theatre Company), The Whale (Verge Theater Company), Beneatha’s Place (Verge Theater Company) and several dance recitals with Rejoice School of Ballet. Isaac is also a graduate of Belmont University with a BFA in Production Design in Theatre.

Carlos Adorno

Event Technical Manager

Maria Vizcarra

Patron Services Manager