The Board of Directors of the Stage Managers’ Association Foundation (SMAF) is pleased to announce that at their January 2024 meeting, J. Jason Daunter of Anaheim, CA, and Judy Martel of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were elected to the Board. Daunter and Martel will join the 10 current board members of this New York State-based charitable organization. Its mission is to promote the craft and the art of those working in stage management. This is being achieved by providing grants to individuals and to programs, for education and training that enhance and develop stage management skills, and to assist in the establishment of scholarships for early career education.
Jason Daunter is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association with over 20 years of professional management experience. Broadway: To Kill a Mockingbird starring Jeff Daniels, Meteor Shower starring Amy Schumer, A Doll’s House, Part 2 starring Laurie Metcalf, Cyrano De Bergerac starring Kevin Kline, Shuffle Along, Glory Days, and Wicked. National Tours include: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, A Christmas Carol and Wicked. Internationally Jason served as the Production Supervisor on Lonny Price’s World Tour of West Side Story. Regional credits include: The Geffen Playhouse (Production Supervisor), The Muny, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, Stages St. Louis, The Kennedy Center and Chita Rivera: Nowadays at Carnegie Hall. On the national level of Educational Theatre Jason is the recipient of The Educational Theatre Association’s President & Founders Awards. Jason’s philanthropic work includes creating/producing benefits for The Educational Theatre Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and the American Theatre Wing. He serves on the Board for California Thespians. Jason is currently the Executive Producer for Brite Ideas, Complete Technical Solutions in California overseeing large scale events worldwide.
Judy Martel has been a stage manager for around 50 years, a member of Actors’ Equity for more than 40 years, and a member of the Stage Managers’ Association for nearly 40 years. She has 200+ shows to her credit in Illinois, New York, Connecticut, and, since 1985, in Milwaukee, WI, where she was the Production Stage Manager at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre for 34 seasons. She also worked with many of the other theaters in the state. She studied theater, math, and linguistics at Cornell University, and ended up with a B.A. in theater. She also received an MFA in stage management from the Yale School of Drama. She is an avid theatergoer, seeking out productions wherever she goes. Judy joined the SMA in 1983, and has been an active member since then. In 2020, she was honored at the National Meeting with a Lifetime Professional Membership to the SMA. Judy has served on several Equity committees, including the Stage Managers committee, and she was a delegate to the first two national conventions. She is currently the leader of the AEA Milwaukee/Madison Community. Judy is also a freelance editor. She has two daughters and a grandson.
Stage Managers’ Association members, as well as non-members, may present proposals for the Foundation to fund projects and public events that are designed to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the skills of stage managers and their crucial role in the arts and entertainment industries.
To find out more, or to make a tax-deductible contribution, please head to: StageManagersFoundation.com/DONATE
Further information from the Stage Managers’ Association Foundation: www.stagemanagersfoundation.com or E-mail: info@stagemanagersfoundation.com
