Amy Spadafore - Managing Director

Amy was born and raised in Saginaw County. She holds a BS in Arts Management from Western Michigan University, is a stage manager by trade, a director by choice, and an actor by force. Amy was an active Pit & Balcony volunteer prior to taking the helm in 2016 and is a member of the Michigan Arts & Culture Council’s 2019 class of Rising Leaders. Amy is thoroughly engaged with the arts community and enjoys advocating for arts & culture initiatives on local, state, and regional levels, collaborating with economic developers, and creatively working toward a more vibrant, inviting, and inclusive community.

Amy is a member of the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and the Saginaw Downtown Development Authority board. At the state level she is a board member for the Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan as well as a Governor-appointed member of the Michigan Arts & Culture Council. Most recently, Amy was elected to the board of directors for Arts Midwest, the Regional Arts Organization that serves nine Midwestern states.

Amy believes in the power of art to inspire, create, connect, heal, and celebrate and is continuously seeking opportunities to creatively solve problems through collaboration and artful innovation. When she is not using art to change the world, Amy loves sports, cooking, painting, and any reason to be outside with her husband, Dylan, their son, DJ, and her loyal sidekick, Orville the Theatre Pug – whom everyone knows is the real boss around here.

Linsey Morrell - Director of Customer Experience

Linsey is a lifelong resident of Saginaw. In 1998, Linsey was cast in Cinderella at Pit and Balcony when she was 8 years old. From there, Linsey’s love for the arts continued to grow, eventually leading her to become deeply involved in community theater both on stage and behind the scenes. Upon graduating from Northwood University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Linsey was the Operating Manager of Dawn of New Day Coffee House and Cafe for over 10 years before finding her way back to Pit. Growing up within the walls of Pit and Balcony has given her the opportunity to create lifelong friends, passions, and value in her life. Her deep-rooted connections to Saginaw, her theater background, and business experience all contribute to her unique approach to customer service. Linsey is passionate about fostering meaningful connections with customers, making sure each experience is personalized and memorable.

Outside of the theatre, Linsey enjoys watching the Detroit Lions, kayaking in the summer with her pup, Odie, browsing the local library, gardening and golfing with her partner, Michael, and bopping around town with her mom.

Joshua Abram Lloyd - Director of Community Engagement

JOSHUA is a native of Bay City MI, and is thrilled to be apart of the Pit & Balcony family as Director of Community Engagement. Josh has participated in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for a number of years, was featured in a tribute to up and coming artists at the 2018 Tony Awards, and is frequently involved with the Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association coaching students with a passion for theatre. With a B.A. in theatre from Saginaw Valley State University, Joshua continues to perform on and off stage within the tri-city area, as well as direct. Joshua continues his creative efforts outside of the theatre as a content creator, puppeteer, and creative director for BrainBreak Academy.

Hope Brown – Board President

Hope Brown has been involved with Pit & Balcony Theatre for almost ten years. She started on stage, part of an ensemble, fulfilled her first lead role, Charlotte in Charlottes Web, and even debuted as a director with James and The Giant Peach. Since then, she’s gone on to direct musicals, continue to perform on stage, and now sits as the President on the Board of Directors.

Hope believes theatre, music and art are a universal language and is one of the most beautiful ways for people from different walks of life to connect. Hope has been involved in the performing arts since the age of 4 and encourages everyone to expose themselves to the thrill of live theatre. Saginaw and the surrounding cities are lush with talented performers, stage managers and stagehands, sound and light technicians, set builders, charge artists, musicians, costume designers and artists of differing varieties. All of these different components are necessary for putting on a production. Without the dedication and passion for the arts from the community, we wouldn’t have the unique and diverse theatre we have today. Hope is proud to represent a theatre working toward representing its community; one of talent, creativity, diversity and inclusion. After all, art can and should represent everyone.

Matt Kehoe – Vice President

Matt Kehoe has been involved with Pit & Balcony since 2016 and has been involved in numerous productions as an actor and props master. He has a BS in History from Eastern Michigan University and has been working for Morley Companies since coming to Saginaw from the Flint area in 2015.

In his spare time, Matt enjoys skiing, golf, travel, and spending time with his family.

Connor Wieland – Treasurer

Conner is excited to be on the board at Pit & Balcony. He graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with his BA in Theatre. He has been a volunteer at Pit & Balcony for several years, most recently as Fight Choreographer for SWEAT. Conner is excited to be a part of this wonderful organization and watch it continue to grow and prosper. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, playing soccer and sitting under the warm sun.

L'Oreal Hartwell – Secretary

L’Oreal Hartwell is an author and an entrepreneurial free spirit who was born in Detroit. She attained a Master of Science in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University, Orlando, and has ever since been active in the world of entrepreneurs, where she has helped many of them to build their digital presence with a variety of innovations. She has also created an insurance company with her husband, The Hartwell Mutual Group, and has helped countless families financially prepare for the future through life insurance, financial planning, annuities and other financial services.

L'Oreal is also a writer, something she has done for many years. In the past she has produced several blogs and written articles that have been featured on peer-reviewed sites. She has helped other authors to self-publish their books and also provides editing services, book cover design services and website development.

Her own book,The Gold Mind: Think & Grow Happy, Healthy & Wealthy,is designed to help readers realize their potential by exploring their limitless possibilities, instead of embracing self-imposed limitations, using simple, time-tested principles to unlock the power of the mind.

Today, L’Oreal lives in the small town of Freeland, Michigan, with her husband and their 5 children. When she isn’t working she enjoys plenty of family time and the fun side of life, playing card and board games, watching movies and riding roller coasters when she feels like having an adrenaline rush.

Steve Hensley – Board Member / Past President

Steve is a lifelong resident of Saginaw and a two-time graduate of Saginaw Valley State University where he holds an MA in Public Administration and a BA in Communication with minors in Business and English. Professionally, Steve is the Community and Economic Development Director for Saginaw Future, Inc., where his primary areas of responsibility include working with the Downtown Development Authority, (DDA) as well as SFI’s Business Retention and Expansion Corporate Watch Program.

In addition, Steve currently sits on the board of directors for MyMichigan Medical Center, Saginaw Foundation, Saginaw Economic Development Corporation, Riverfront Development Commission, Rescue Ministries of Mid-Michigan, and the SVSU Alumni Association. His past involvements include serving as a volunteer and fundraiser for United Way of Saginaw County, Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra, American Cancer Society, and is a past board member for Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan. In his personal time, Steve and his wife Ashley are avid hockey fans and they enjoy attending Saginaw Spirit hockey games regularly, visiting new places, experiencing a variety of foods, and traveling north to the Traverse City area.

Trashan Donald – Board Member

Trashan is a passionate community theatre advocate and lover of the arts, with a strong enthusiasm for supporting local cultural initiatives. A resident of Saginaw, MI, Trashan has been a volunteer at Pit & Balcony since 2018 and is a former employee of two years. As a board member, she continues to foster the growth of community theatre in the area. Outside of her theatre involvement, Trashan is a proud mother of two children and shares a loving partnership. Currently, Trashan is pursing a nursing degree at Delta College, balancing academic goals with her devotion to family, theatre, and the arts.

Kailen Piper – Board Member

Kailen Piper is from Western New York and moved to Saginaw, Michigan in 2018. She has a bachelor's degree from St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York where she also played NCAA Division III field hockey. Kailen then went to law school at Michigan State University College of Law. After graduation, Kailen moved to Saginaw where she lives with her husband, Mitch and their dog, Vera. Kailen is an attorney at O'Neill, Wallace & Doyle, P.C. where she practices general civil litigation. Kailen enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, exercising and golfing.

Mary Spadafore – Board Member

Mary is a retired teacher of the Deaf, has been married to her husband Joe for 45 years, is the mother of 2 grown children, and a grandmother of 3. Mary volunteers as Pit & Balcony's unofficial gardener, an occasional actor, and performer of various odd jobs around the theatre. Outside of her work with Pit & Balcony, Mary serves as treasurer with her chapter of the philanthropic organization of Psi Iota Xi Sorority, volunteers with the after school program at First Ward Community Center in Saginaw, and is a life member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association.