About Us

Grosse Pointe Theatre – Celebrating 76 Years…and going strong!

About US

Celebrating 76 Years…and going strong!

Grosse Pointe Theatre has been providing wonderful theater for Southeast Michigan customers since 1948 and we continue to delight audiences with our blend of musicals, dramas, and comedies. Our volunteer members are passionate about all aspects of theater from set design and construction, lighting, sound and costuming to singing, dancing and acting. To see a historical list of our season performances, click here.

In addition to our main stage and “black-box” productions, our Youth on Stage program offers an opportunity for young people to learn skills for performing arts- skills that translate into valuable life skills. Local high-school students also have a chance to benefit from Grosse Pointe Theatre’s annual scholarship program.

Mission Statement
We connect, create, and inspire communities through theatre.

Vision Statement
Grosse Pointe Theatre will be recognized as a national leader in community theatre, consistently demonstrating artistic, educational, and operational excellence.

The values that guide us

  • Respect and Integrity
  • Stewardship
  • Community
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Collaboration

Grosse Pointe Theatre hosted the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce for a special evening with a sneak peek performance from the cast of Shrek.

Thank you to the Chamber for allowing us to host this wonderful group!

Board of Directors

Grosse Pointe Theatre is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Our current Board is listed below.
Executive Director

Executive Director

Linda Zublick

Linda Zublick joined Grosse Pointe Theatre in January 2018 as its Executive Director. Linda has years of experience in the media, most recently as Marketing Coordinator for C&G Newspapers, and she holds a B.A. in Journalism from Michigan State University. She has served for 10 years on the Board of Directors for a Metro Detroit community theatre, including four years as president, and has worked in all aspects of the organization. The position at Grosse Pointe Theatre allows her to utilize her marketing, communications, cultural arts and nonprofit experience and work with GPT to increase donations and profits and help reach new audiences with its quality theatrical productions.

President

President

Danielle Caralis

Danielle Caralis, has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre since 2002. She has appeared in over 17 shows, most frequently as a lead actor/singer/dancer. Backstage she has been an Assistant Director, Stage Manager & Producer. She has been an active member of the Grosse Pointe Theatre Board of Directors since 2010 filling roles as Secretary, Social Chair, Vice President and Member at Large.
Danielle is currently an Assistant Vice President, Relationship Manager for PNC Bank, NA. Danielle earned her Bachelor of Arts (Economics and Business) at Kalamazoo College, did a year of study in Greece on Greek Culture & History and completed her Masters in Business Administration (Strategic Management) at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University. She is also a member of The Detroit Economic Club Young Leaders Program and PNC Grow Up Great Detroit Market Team.

Vice President

Vice President

Nick Marinello

Nick Marinello has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre since 2014. He has performed in many shows additionally he has worked backstage on several productions for GPT and other community theatre organizations. He has served as the Education Committee Chair, the Season Advisory Chair as well as the Coordinator of the Youth Technical Theatre program.

Nick is a secondary school teacher for Chippewa Valley Schools. He teaches English and Social Studies. In addition to teaching Nick has been the Director of Theater for Chippewa Valley High School since 2014 and has worked on numerous musical and straight shows in addition to advising the drama club. Before working for Chippewa Valley Schools Nick worked for university housing at Oakland University, The Illinois Institute of Technology, and Manchester University.

Treasurer

Treasurer

Marie Boyle Reinman

Marie Boyle Reinman, has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre since 1981 and loves the people so much, she even married one!! She met her husband Tim when he was playing “Young Joe” in Damn Yankees. She is now proud mum to Connor and Mary, both pursuing careers in the arts. She has been on stage in many shows over the years, but has also directed, music & vocal directed, and costumed countless shows since joining. She is happiest, though, when singing. She had the pleasure of performing in a couple of touring productions and has had the honor of performing at Orchestra Hall with the DSO.
Professionally, Marie has been a Registered Nurse for many years and has worked in a variety of clinical and administrative roles. She is currently a Director of Nursing for Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe. She graduated from Nursing School in London, Ontario, and received her BSN in the US from Chamberlain College. She has been a past board member for Services for Older Citizens, and is an active member of St. Paul on the Lake.

Secretary

Secretary

Olyvia O’Donnell

When Olyvia O’Donnell auditioned for Shrek in the 2018-2019 season, she never thought that Grosse Pointe Theatre would become her second home. Olyvia began her involvement onstage but quickly dove in to assist behind the scenes as well. During the 2021-2022 season, Olyvia was honored to receive Grosse Pointe Theatre’s Above & Beyond Award, for her participation as Apprentice Director and Social Media Chair for Sound of Music. This led to her directorial debut in the 2022-2023 Season, Clue On Stage. She was elected to the position of Secretary in 2023 and serves on many committees with GPT as well as started a New Leadership program to emphasize the voice given to new members of the group and push others toward a path of leadership.

Olyvia currently works in the Office of Sponsored Programs at Michigan State University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (Theatre Arts and English) at Alma College where she graduated magna cum laude as well as studied abroad for a semester in London, England focused on English Theatre.

Board Director

Board Director

Don Bischoff

Don Bischoff has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre for 19 years and has directed and performed in numerous shows over the years. Don has worked with youth and directed shows in several other areas high schools as well as directing with other community theater organizations. A baseball coach for 12 years, Don has organized dozens of outreach programs for Grosse Pointe Theatre and other community organizations. He wrote and directed the “Golden Age” fundraiser.
Don is a business owner and owns Whimsical Expressions Paint Contracting Company, and is the previous general manager of several car dealerships and owner of two restaurants.
Board Director

Board Director

Kevin E. Butler, CIMA®, CPWA®, CPFA®, CRPC℠

Kevin Butler joined UBS Wealth Management in 2021 after spending 16 years at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management where he served as a Senior Vice President and Resident Director. His move to UBS allows he and his team to solely focus on helping clients achieve their financial goals and provide sound advice to their families.
Kevin received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from The University of Michigan and continues his passion for education with various credentials. Kevin is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor®, Certified Investment Management Analyst®, Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® and holds the primary role of serving as PMP Portfolio Manager for clients. He is currently working on his Chartered Retirement Planning Specialist® and Certified Exit Planner® designations for continued dedication in serving clients.

Kevin and his wife Stephanie live in Grosse Pointe and have two wonderful children, Madison and Brooks. Kevin enjoys spending time outdoors with his family, playing golf and bowling. He is an active member at the Detroit Athletic Club. He and his wife are actively involved in the Grosse Pointe communities and Kevin serves as a board member for The Grosse Pointe Theatre.

Board Director

Board Director

Kevin Fitzhenry

Kevin Fitzhenry has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre since 2009. His exceptional skills in digital and social media have added a new dimension to the organization which has attracted many younger members to the group. Since joining the group, he has had major responsibilities for sixteen of our main stage productions, including positions as Director, Stage Manager, Set Designer, Sound Designer, Producer and Actor/Singer/Dancer. He has also been very active in our member workshop program. He has also participated in theatrical productions with several other local theater groups.
Professionally, Kevin is Director of Digital Marketing at De La Salle Collegiate High School. Prior employment included various positions at Warrior Sports, Inc., The Detroit Red Wings and Rammler Golf Club. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Oakland University.

Board Director

Board Director

Dale Pegg

Dale Pegg started his long career with Grosse Pointe Theatre in 1968. Prior to this Board assignment, he was President of the group for five terms, served as Technical Chair and chaired the Long Range Management Committee. He prefers backstage and administrative activities, acting as Lighting Designer, Producer and Sound Designer and technical support and serves as the group’s photographer. Dale has been honored with the Grosse Pointe Theatre “Worker of the Year” award three times.
Dale recently retired from a long career as an in-the-field news videographer, ending his working activities with Detroit’s Local Fox 2 News. During his career he was awarded with three Emmy’s, the Detroit Press Club Award, the Michigan Associated Press Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award. He is a member of the Grosse Pointe Men’s Garden Club.
Board Director

Board Director

Patricia Ellis

Patricia Ellis is a long-time member of Grosse Pointe Theatre. Patricia is a retired Director of Media Relations for the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, spearheading all media partnerships, editorial meetings, press conferences and external communications for the organization. She also served as Public Information Officer and serves on the Emergency Preparedness committee, as well as nearly every major event/project committee. In addition she has served as Volunteer Media Chair for 10 years for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, as well as helped promote Komen Detroit’s other year-round projects. Patricia has volunteered extensively with The United Way in Detroit and helped promote and organize numerous events. She helped launch the Salvation Army Bed and Bread Club and served on the Metro Detroit Youth Day committee, securing the Salvation Army’s involvement. She also served on the committee with a major responsibility for the annual Pink Out the Park event, a collaboration with Karmanos and the Detroit Tigers.

At Large Board Director

At Large Board Director

Sara Shook

At 8 years old, Sara was in her first show at Grosse Pointe Theatre and grew up within the Youth On Stage program. She became a member in 2012 and has participated in multiple productions, both on and off stage, as well as proudly serving on the Season Advisory, Membership, and 75th Anniversary committees. Sara was the first elected At Large Board Director. She believes in encouraging members to volunteer in departments and on committees that are new to them, fostering healthy relationships with our surrounding communities, and boosting season ticket sales and membership is the key to our future successes. Her current position is Senior Account Executive at McCann Worldgroup for GM Fleet, as well as past experiences on numerous account teams for clients such as: the GM Vehicle Appreciation Programs, Fairlife, Hungry Howies, JBL, and Owens Corning.

At Large Board Director

At Large Board Director

Joanna Delpaz

Joanna first joined Grosse Pointe Theatre in 2010. After taking time away for college and career, her love of theater brought her back again in 2018 as a regular volunteer on and off the stage for GPT and Purdon Studio productions. She is currently a risk management analyst at Ally Financial and a member of the Detroit Economic Club’s Young Leaders Program. Joanna earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics at Alma College in 2016.

Director of Strategic Planning

Director of Strategic Planning

Timothy Higgins

Timothy Higgins has over forty years of theatre involvement, having been either on stage or on the production staff of over fifty productions. An experienced director, choreographer and actor, Tim is a proud member of Grosse Pointe Theatre, Stagecrafters Theatre, and The Naples Players. Tim has also been affiliated with Michigan Opera Theatre, Windsor Light Opera Association and St. Dunstan’s Theater Guild of Cranbrook. Inspired by their mission to empower young people through the performing arts, Tim served on the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit Board of Directors for over ten years, involved with development, strategic planning, and community outreach. Now retired from Comerica Bank as a Senior Vice President in Information Technology, Tim is proud of his forty-three years of service with Comerica. Tim is an enthusiastic alumnus of the University of Michigan, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Language Arts and Education.
Technical Director

Technical Director

Eric Leszczynski

Eric Leszczynski has been a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre since 1995. Prior to his 10 year role as Technical Chair, Eric held Board positions as President, Vice President and chair for Set Design & Construction. Preferring offstage activities, he has provided Lighting Design for over 35 shows.
Professionally, Eric has held engineering positions for General Motors and, most recently, for Yazaki North America as a Senior Technical Specialist – Wire Development. He is the Chair of the US Technology Advisory Committee for the ISO Wire Committee and has been Chair of the ISO Wire Committee (WorldWide Wire Committee) and co-Chair of the SAE Wire and Cable Committee (US Wire Committee). Eric earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Director of Development

Director of Development

Theresa Selvaggio

Theresa Selvaggio recently completed three years as President of Grosse Pointe Theatre. She has a long history on the group’s Board of Directors and was chair of the Long Range Planning Committee. Theresa joined the group in 1976 and has been a valuable member since, charming audiences in many on-stage roles, participating as Makeup Chair for several shows and helping backstage and administratively whenever needed.
Professionally, Theresa has been employed by Estee Lauder since 1978 and is currently a Regional Vice President. She has a long list of leadership credits, including Board positions with The Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Holley Ear Institute & Wayne County Council for the Arts; Chair positions for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation – Chicago fundraising, Gleaner’s Community Food Banks Women’s Power Breakfast, Fontbonne Auxiliary for St. John’s Hospital, Van Elslander Cancer Center – corporate fundraising; and many other leadership positions. She was a keynote speaker at a Fashion Group International Career Day and was named “1995 Style Maker of the Year”. Theresa attended Wayne State University and executive programs at Vassar College, Aspen Institute and the Leonard A. Lauder Executive Symposium.
Production Director

Production Director

Eddie Tujaka

Eddie Tujaka has been a GPT member since 2011, and has appeared in numerous Grosse Pointe Theatre productions in that time. Eddie has also been involved on the technical side, winning the Clarence award for Set Dressing, and serving as Tech Director for several shows. He is a past recipient of the “Hubbard Worker of the Year Award,” and is often found building sets in the scene shop.
In professional life, Eddie is a Police Officer/Firefighter for the City of Harper Woods, former police officer for the City of Detroit, and his community affiliations include the Fraternal Order of Police. Eddie is a Grosse Pointe Safety Town instructor and volunteers as Santa Claus at schools and children’s organizations.

2023/24 Meeting Calendar

Our Board and Membership meeting dates are listed below.
Dates and Times are subject to change.

Board Meetings

Board meetings begin at 7 p.m.
Monday, July 17, 2023
Monday, August 14, 2023
Monday, September 11, 2023
Monday, October 9, 2023
Monday, November 13, 2023
\Monday, December 18, 2023
Monday, January 15, 2024
Monday, February 12, 2024
Monday, March 11, 2024
Monday, April 8, 2024
Monday, May 13, 2024
Monday, June 10, 2024

General Membership Meetings

Member meetings 7 p.m. social 7:30 p.m. meeting begins
Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Dinner Dance: June 22, 2024

Media

Find additional information on Grosse Pointe Theatre’s shows, press releases, photos, videos and important governance documentation in the galleries below