Staff
Deb Norton (Artistic Director) is a playwright, actress, and teacher. After attending the masters program at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, she joined its acting company to play roles in 1918, Babylon Gardens, Twelfth Night, and more. Following a six-year stint in NYC, she moved back to the west coast to author and star in her first full-length play, The Whole Banana, first in Ojai and then in Los Angeles, where she garnered rave reviews and a movie option. Since then, Deb has had the pleasure of appearing on the Theater 150 stage in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, The Romance, Dog Park and Fuddy Meers. Her short plays, Helping, King of Everything, The Romance, Dancer in Cowboy Country and Humble Pie, have received readings and productions at Theater 150 and she is developing her feature-length screenplay, A Foggy Fairy Tale, into a stage musical. Deb has helped many student playwrights achieve their dreams of writing short plays, and has assisted many professional playwrights in the development of their scripts.
Chris Nottoli (Producing Artistic Director) trained, and then worked as an actor in San Diego, University of Washinton, New York and Los Angeles. He has appeared in many plays, several films, and some television. His weirdest roles include a floating chicken head in a Seattle Fringe Fest production of Angry Bones, a space vegetable in the film Phantom Town, and King Lear as a 20-year-old college student. The intersection of varied occupational paths with his theatrical career has resulted in management positions in restaurants, small businesses and corporations. Since moving to Southern California in 1996, Chris’ association with The Echo Theater Company in L.A., the Ojai Playwrights Conference and Theater 150 has deepened his theatrical education. He has been an actor, director, painter, board member, managing director and most recently, producer on the last seven mainstage shows at Theater 150.
Andy Gilman (General Manager) is a seasoned writer and designer, with professional experience in the areas of education, communication, leadership, and organizational development. His education includes a B.F.A. in Art from California Institute of the Arts, an M.A. in Liberal Arts (Philosophy) from St. John’s College, and is pursuing a Doctorate Degree in Education, focusing on the role of arts education in overall student achievement. Andy is Vice President and Managing Director of The Agora Foundation, and is a founding member and current Board President of Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education. He is also a locally performing musician and exhibiting artist.
Niki Blumberg (Associate Artistic Director) is a songwriter and performer. She recently graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a B.A. in Theater and a B.A. in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. While at Emerson, she wrote, directed, and produced her first full-length musical, The Thorny Kings. She also collaborated on and performed in an original musical entitled, Martin Luther: The Rock Opera. She is currently working on her second full-length musical, Love's Labour's LOST which will be produced at Theater 150 in the summer of 2010.