Board of Directors
Stone Soup’s Board of Directors forms the rich broth at the base of our soup. The Board provides artistic and financial direction to the company, including providing input on show selection, scheduling, fund-raising, and organizational philosophy.
Melissa S. Craib Dombrowski
Melissa is a theatre director, educator, arts administrator, and stage manager based in Durham, NC. She received her BA (Hons) Degree in Drama and Theatre Studies from Middlesex University (London, UK). Melissa’s work has been recognized in regional awards including Best Director, Best Adapted Script, and Best Choreographer. Her directing credits include Pirates of Penzance, Something Rotten!, Patience, Urinetown, Godspell, Romeo and Juliet, Oleanna, and All in the Timing. She currently serves as the Artistic Director for the Durham Savoyards and as the Director of Operations for Chapel Hill School of Musical Arts (CHSMA). Melissa is proud to be a member of the SDC, MTEA, and NCTAE.
Dr. Joanna Sisk-Purvis
Joanna has musically directed for youth and community theaters in Los Angeles and North Carolina, for shows including Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, Sound of Music, Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, Annie, Cats, Seussical Jr., and more. In addition to her work with Stone Soup, she is currently the music director of the Durham Savoyards. She has performed as flutist with orchestras and chamber ensembles, and for theatrical productions in Los Angeles, Chicago, and the Triangle. A champion of living composers, Joanna ran a new music ensemble in Los Angeles and commissioned and performed music from several now well-known composers, including Andrew Norman, Vincent Ho, and Bear McCreary. Joanna holds performance degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill, Northwestern, and the University of Southern California. She has taught music at Carolina Friends School since 2008.
Lori Wiser
I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.
— Oscar Wilde
Lori, an eternal theater kid, is excited to join the board of Stone Soup Theatre Co. A business owner, animal lover, cyclist, and avid reader, she hopes to use her experience to get the word out about the vital work Stone Soup Theatre Co. does as a community-serving theater.
She had more than 20 years of experience in Marketing, working on global brands such as McDonald’s, Verizon, and Volkswagen before launching her own firm, Wiser Insights Group.
Patrick Dombrowski
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Jos Purvis
Musician, sound designer/engineer, and technologist Jos Purvis has spent much of his career at the intersection of the arts and technology. He received his undergraduate degree with an AJ Fletcher scholarship in vocal performance from UNC-Chapel Hill, followed by a Master’s in Computer Information Systems from Boston University and courses in recording engineering and sound studies from UCLA. Throughout, he has appeared on-stage with groups such as Opera Pasadena, Lyric Opera of Los Angeles, Palisades Symphony, and the Durham Savoyards, in addition to Stone Soup; his work as a sound designer and technician has supported shows with Stone Soup, the Sierra Madre Playhouse, the Carrboro Arts Center, and Center Theater Company. He is a member of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), as well as ISACA and ISC2 in information security.
Brooke Rogerson
Brooke was born and raised in North Carolina and currently works for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. She grew up in Chapel Hill participating in school musicals, choral groups, and playing violin for the Duke Youth Symphony. Brooke graduated with a BS from Appalachian State University. Although her violin is dusty, Brooke remains active in the community by volunteering and becoming involved with the various performances and sports teams that her children participate in throughout the Triangle.
Simplified Summary
It takes a village to make Stone Soup! The work of making our shows needs donors, volunteers, and community members like you. Our board of directors helps make sure our shows go on and we stay true to our philosophy. Melissa Craib Dombrowski, Joanna Sisk-Purvis, Lori Wiser, and other board members help keep us on track.