Who's Who

Rick Sordelet (Artistic Director) Rick has made his career as a fight director, playwright, director, actor, and teacher.  He attended Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts graduating in 1985 with an MFA.  Rick has worked in over 30 shows on Broadway including, Titanic, Urinetown, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, and Aida.  He’s worked on over 1200 productions of various Shakespeare plays, and his play Buried Treasure was named the best play of the season at the George Street.  He currently teaches at the Yale School of Drama.

Keith Strunk (Managing Director) Keith has made his career as an actor, teacher and writer.  He received an MFA in 1985 from Rutgers University and has taught at Ursinus College, the Walnut Street Theatre, Kean University, Stockton College, and in River Union Stage’s Outreach Program in local schools.  He has also written and produced several NYU student films, worked as an actor in commercials and corporate film, and has written numerous scripts both corporate and creative, garnering a Communicator Crystal Award in 1999 for script writing.  Keith is the author of PRALLSVILLE MILLS AND STOCKTON from Arcadia Publishing.

Laura Swanson (Producing Director) has been a professional actress, director, producer and teacher for more than 20 years. As an actress, credits include off-Broadway, regional theatre and touring shows in the U.S. and Germany.  As an original member of The Waterfront Ensemble, she co-created and produced the Hudson County Young Playwright’s Festival.  Laura received her MFA in Acting from Rutgers University and has taught Acting, Movement for Actors, and Playwriting for Rutgers University, Kean University, Stockton College, Action Theatre Conservatory and Playwright’s Theatre of New Jersey.

Alison Gilheany (Associate Producer) Alison studied theater at both Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Performing Arts and earned a BA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia where she studied performance, writing, directing, and management of theater.  Her RUS experience includes stage management, assistant directing, directing, producing, and performing.  Alison has appeared in commercials for Yuengling Beer and the Sands Casino in Bethlehem, and as a featured extra in several episodes of the TV show Forensic Files.  Her early acting credits include dinner theater and Community Theater in Bucks County, PA.

RUS BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

William “Tex” Culton, Carol Curtis, Jonathan Maberry, Deanna Mindler, Michael O’Donnell, Joseph Renzetti, Deborah Shenberger, Rick Sordelet, Keith Strunk, Laura Swanson, Kim Taylor