Staff Bios
Christine Gradl Seitz, Executive and Artistic Director
Jeff Brown, Production Manager
Kate Horvath, Education Director
Dean Tschider, Technical Director
Mary Van Wye, Box Office Manager
Elyse Snider, Play Ground Manager
Christine Gradl Seitz, Executive and Artistic Director
Christine Gradl Seitz joined the Duluth Playhouse in 2000. As the Executive and Artistic Director, she provides leadership and vision for the Playhouse and is responsible for the artistic integrity of productions and programming along with budgeting, fundraising, grant writing, marketing, and public relations.
Christine has an extensive background in nearly every aspect of theater as a professional actress, dancer, singer, director, choreographer, teacher, and arts leader. Christine first attended Kent State-Stark campus, as a recipient of a theater scholarship. She moved to New York City at the early age of 19 and was immediately cast in her first principal role on Broadway in Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, followed by Marilyn: An American Fable, and Gay Divorce, opening the Kaufman off-Broadway theater on 42nd Street. As a professional performer, she was a member of Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, and AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Association). Christine has had leading roles at many prominent regional theaters across the country, including Denver Center for the Arts, Cleveland Playhouse, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Studio Arena, Walnut Street Theatre, Alliance Theatre: some of her favorite roles have included Peter in Peter Pan, Josie in George M! (starring opposite Ken Berry), Maisie in The Boy Friend, Jill in Butterflies are Free, and Barb in Romance/Romance. Christine also has a long history with A Chorus Line, having performed with the Broadway-International, European, and World Tours and having worked with many of the great original company members. She has performed guest spots for All My Children and Days of Our Lives and has made several commercials and radio jingles.
After 15 years as a professional actress, Christine pursued a career in directing and choreographing. She has directed/choreographed more than 30 productions for professional regional, dinner, stock, and community theaters across the nation. She has served as an Artist in Residence for four state arts boards, creating and teaching theater programs and teacher in-services for K-12 schools. Christine started the children’s theater program for the Black Hills Community Theatre in Rapid City, South Dakota, shortly before taking her current position at the Duluth Playhouse.
Christine resides in Duluth with her husband and native Duluthian, Bob, and her cat, Millie. Her life outside theater is quite full with five stepdaughters and four grandchildren.
Jeff Brown, Production Manager
Jeff Brown joined the Duluth Playhouse as its Production Manager in April 2007. Jeff attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, where he received a degree in technical theater and later worked for four years as the school’s technical director and scenic/lighting designer. Jeff has also spent time working in the Twin Cities at Eastview High School, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Mystery Café, and the Minnesota Fringe Theatre Festival, in a variety of capacities including technical direction, design, and management.
For the four years prior to joining the Playhouse staff, Jeff and his wife, Lindsay, lived in Phoenix, Arizona, where Jeff enjoyed year-round motorcycling weather and worked for Arizona State University and the regional community college district as a performing arts center coordinator, technical director, and designer. Jeff also designed lights and scenery for several productions at the Arizona Jewish Theatre Company, one of Phoenix’s four Equity theaters. For his lighting design for The Odd Couple at AJTC, he was nominated for an AriZoni Award. Jeff also served as first vice chair on the board for the Desert State Region of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and was the National Promotions Coordinator for the annual USITT conference and stage expo which was held in Phoenix in 2007.
Jeff is excited to be back in Minnesota to be near family and friends, and he and Lindsay are looking forward to raising their daughter, Jocelyn, here.
Kate Horvath, Education Director
A native of Superior, Kate Horvath has performed on many Northland stages. She is excited to join The Duluth Playhouse as Education Director and looks forward to working with creative kids and creative artists. Kate earned her BFA in Theatre from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2001 and spent five years working as an actor and singer in New York City. She is very happy to be back in the Northland but occasionally misses Magnolia cupcakes and riding the subway. Some of her favorite roles include Little Red in Into the Woods (UMD), Nina in The Seagull (Another Theatre Company, NYC), Julia in The Rivals (The Pearl Theatre Company, NYC), and Horatio in Hamlet (The Zipper, NYC). While in New York, Kate studied voice with Liz Caplan Vocal Studios, among other professionals who fueled her desire to learn more about her craft. She is inspired by those who share a passion for learning, creative collaboration, and service! Kate also enjoys spending time with her wonderfully fun husband, Joe, playing Scrabble, and studying Pilates.
Dean Tschider, Technical Director Dean attended Minnesota State University Moorhead from 1991 to 1996. After graduation he moved to the Twin Cities and started working at VEE Corporation as a carpenter. VEE Corporation is most known for their Sesame Street Live performances. After 3 years at VEE Corporation he was promoted to Lead Craftsperson at the company, where he worked for seven years. He then moved on to the Minnesota Children’s Museum as manager of production and exhibits. After a year and a half at the Children’s Museum, he rejoined VEE Corporation for two more years. Dean started as the technical director at the Playhouse in May of 2009.
Mary Van Wye, Box Office Manager
Mary Van Wye is a Duluth native, a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica with a degree in Art Education and a minor in Biology. Since graduation, Mary served as a VISTA Volunteer, taught school, and raised two great children. She has been a member of the Duluth Playhouse staff since 2003 as an administrative assistant, volunteer coordinator, and box office personnel. Mary is honored to play a small part in Duluth Playhouse's long history.
Elyse Snider, Play Ground Manager
Elyse is a graduate with departmental honors from Barat College in Lake
Forest, IL with a B.A. in acting and direction and a minor study in dance.
In 1995, she was one of 30 students in the U.S. to be accepted to La
Jolla Playhouse Conservatoire program at the University of California San
Diego, where she worked as an apprentice. After graduation from Barat, Elyse
worked as an intern for Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago in the education
outreach program. Elyse then moved to Madison, WI, where she danced, taught,
and choreographed for Kanopy Dance Company and School of Contemporary Dance.
In Madison, Elyse also taught the Movement in Your World educational
outreach program at Madison Ballet, where she also stared as the Crocodile
in their world premier ballet Peter Pan.
She moved to Duluth in June of 2008 with her husband, and they bought a
beautiful fixer-upper within walking distance to Hartley Nature Center, where
their
"baby" dog loves the walks. Elyse started teaching for the Minnesota
Ballet and found herself wanting to do more -- she was welcomed into the
Duluth Playhouse with open arms. Since starting at the Playhouse, she has
taken
on
various roles, including choreography, directing, assistant directing and
managing the Play Ground.