People
Meet the Foundation Team
Kate Bussert
Executive Director:
Terry Bernstein
John Dias
Sheilah Rae
Board of Directors:
Dave Harris (2019 Ollie Award Winner), Kit Yan & Melissa Li (2019 Vivace Award Winners) and Tina Howe (One of two 2019 Tooth of Time Award Winners) pose for a picture at the 2019 Idea Awards for Theatre. Photo by Valerie Caviness Photography for The Bret Adams & Paul Reisch Foundation.
The Bret Adams & Paul Reisch Foundation was established with a legacy gift from the agent Bret Adams and his partner Paul Reisch.
Now, our Boards of Advisers are made up of industry professionals from all walks of life for three different awards that fund the development of idea-driven theatre.
Ollie
New Play Award
Board of Advisors (2026)
Jesse Alick
Beth Blickers
Melissa Hardy
Deadria Harrington
Sam Morreale
Aya Ogawa
Tooth of Time
Distinguished Career Award
Board of Advisors (2026)
Henry Godinez
Barbara Hogenson
Ellen Maddow
Emily Morse
James Nicola
Sarah Ruhl
Laurie Woolery
Vivace
Musical Theatre Award
Board of Advisors (2026)
Troy Anthony
Joe Barros
Piper Hill
Erin Markey
Kristin Marting
Jess McLeod
Each year’s Boards of Advisors are anonymous until the end of that year’s cycle and publication of that year’s group of winners.
Special thanks to all our current & former Advisors (* denotes former awardees):
Elissa Adams | Jay Adana* | Jesse Alick | Garrett Anderson | Troy Anthony* | Agyeiwaa Asante* | Joe Barros | André Bishop | Beth Blickers | Sammi Cannold | Anika Chapin | Christopher Chen* | Kirsten Childs* | Lydia Diamond | John Dias | Mindi Dickstein | Paige Evans | Aislinn Frantz-Nava | Dan Fishback* | Keith Glover | Henry Godinez | Robyn Goodman | Gabe Greene | Melissa Hardy | Deadria Harrington | Dave Harris* | Beth Henley* | Ed Herendeen | Patrick Herold | Piper Hill* | Brandy Hoang Collier* | Barbara Hogenson | Sara Holdren | Tina Howe | Naomi Iizuka | Mara Isaacs | Ciera Iveson | Jesse Jae Hoon* | Daniel Alexander Jones* | Sara Holdren | Haruna Lee* | Melissa Li* | Mia Katigbak | Adrienne Kennedy | Eric Keen-Louie | Michael Kerker | John-Michael Lyles* | Annie MacRae | Ellen Maddow* | Deb Margolin* | Erin Markey* | Amy Rose Marsh | Kristin Marting | Lysna Marzani | Grace McLean* | Jess McLeod | David Mendizábal | Daria Miyeko Marinelli* | Naysan Mojgani | Cherríe Moraga* | Sam Morreale | Emily Morse | Brisa Muñoz | Kent Nicholson | James Nicola | Zeniba Now | Antje Oegel | Aya Ogawa | Tanya Palmer | Amrita Ramanan | Otis Ramsey-Zoe | Sarah Rasmussen | Ankita Raturi* | Bill Rauch | Jack Reuler | Sarah Ruhl | Tim Sanford | Rachel Sheinkin | Natasha Sinha | Neigel Smith | Octavio Solis | Mei Ann Teo | Luis Valdez* | Cheryl L. West | Alexis Williams | Elizabeth Williams | Neen Williams-Teramachi | Charlayne Woodard | Laurie Woolery | Kit Yan*