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Frannie Shepherd-Bates
Executive Artistic Director
Frannie holds a B.F.A. in Theatre (Acting) at Wayne State University and is actively directing and acting in theatres in the area. She believes in art as a way of life, as a tool with which to heal society, and as the most satisfying work she has yet found. When she is not working on making the world a better place through theatre, Frannie enjoys the company of her amazing husband and two mischievous cats.
Lisa Maxine Melinn
Educational Director
Lisa has been blessed to work in theatre for over 18 years. She holds a degree in drama from the Professional Training School at Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts. Lisa is the Program Director for Water Works Theatre Company’s KidsAct! Camp, an alumnus of The Second City/Detroit Touring and Mainstage companies, and has directed productions for Who Wants Cake? and Motor City Improv. Favorite roles include Tina in Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, Helen in Night of the Living Dead: the Musical, and Dora in Equus
Barbie Amann Weisserman
Board Chair
Barbie Amann Weisserman received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from Wayne State University. Currently she teaches Fundamentals of Costuming, Hair and Make up for Theatre, and Acting at Oakland Community College. She sits on the Board of three theatre companies, SRO Productions in Southfield, Michigan, Magenta Giraffe Theatre in Detroit where she is the Board Chair and Two Muses, a new theatre company that she recently co founded, in West Bloomfield. Barbie has costumed many plays in and around the Detroit area for more than 20 years as well as acting and modeling.
Lauren Montgomery
Board Secretary
Lauren Montgomery is from Grosse Pointe Park, and currently lives in Dearborn. She is a graduate of Wayne State University's theatre program. Before coming to Magenta Giraffe, she apprenticed and understudied at The Purple Rose Theatre Company. As well as being a board member, she also stage manages and costume designs for Magenta Giraffe, and is currently doing costume design for The Michigan Shakespeare Festival's production of "Much Ado About Nothing".
LoriGoe Nowak
Board Treasurer
LoriGoe Nowak holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from Wayne State University and also completed a certificate program at the Moscow Art Theatre School, Russia. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree from Wayne State University. She is experienced in organizational capacity building including board, program and leadership development. Some of her professional accomplishments include,
- Provided organizational development support to board of a local nonprofit organization, resulting in a capacity building grant from New Detroit: The Coalition.
- Consulted board of directors of local nonprofit organization; established core values and solidified mission and vision statements.
- Secured financial advising consultant, board development consultant and strategic planning consultant for local nonprofit organization.
- Developed comprehensive organizational assessment of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
LoriGoe is committed to self-development and has participated in such workshops as, "Logic Model Workshop: Evaluation Tools," "Asset Mapping and Community Needs Assessment," "Nonprofit Finance – Oversight and Management," "Popular Education and Social Change," and "Building Committees that Work." Further, she has over seven years experience in academic administration. LoriGoe is currently the Development Associate for the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, where she cultivates and manages corporate and foundation donations and grants.
Kirsten Knisely
From too young an age, Kirsten knew she had contracted what many of us call "the theatre bug", finding just about any opportunity, or should we say excuse, to perform. After high school, she took a slight departure from her theatre calling to study English Literature at the University of Michigan where she was happily exposed to Shakespeare, Sappho and countless other masters of language. Today, finding a delicate balance between her early dance career, theatre training and collegiate studies, Kirsten works as a professional actor, choreographer and singer, as well as an amateur poet and writer. She currently serves as a proud member of the Board of Directors for Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company, in addition to performing as a member of the Greenfield Singers at Greenfield Village/The Henry Ford and teaching music and dance at Northville's Marquis Theatre for children.
Katie Casebolt
Born in Detroit and raised in St. Clair Shores, Katie Casebolt's no stranger to the city and its positive energies. She is an original member of Detroit's Access Arts, a group committed to showcasing local artists, of any age group, to the local art scene in hopes of broadening horizons, both individually and as a community. Not only an artist, but a scholar, Katie spent years defining her skills as a researcher and a writer at a collegiate level. In her time in the Bonstelle Theatre Company at Wayne State, she studied Applied Theatre, which allowed her the opportunity to work within the Boll Family YMCA to begin a theatre enrichment program for younger students. Also In her time at Wayne, Katie helped start the Stammtisch fundraising campaign, which allowed the German Culture Club, Stammtisch, to take trips to German festivals during the year, and also helped with school festivities to introduce the campus to German society and culture.
Katie a hardworking team member at all times and has faith in the creativity of the many to keep the heart of Detroit still beating.