The members of the creative board meet regularly to make decisions about
the company’s artistic direction. Our current board consists of the following
members:
Don Cesario, Artistic Director
Ron Llenado, Managing Director
Dan Abts, Associate Director
Stephen Abts, Technical Coordinator
Don Cesario, Artistic Director
A Northern California native, Don is a graduate from the Theater Arts program
at California State University at Long Beach as well as being a founding member
of the award winning Elephant Theater Company based in Hollywood, CA.
Don has enjoyed working in all facets of live theater including Directing,
Acting, Producing and Designing. In 1998, along with Director David Fofi, he
found a home for the Elephant Theater Company when they created the Lillian
Theater. With the success of the Lillian under his Artistic Direction he went
on to create and develop three additional, successful theaters as well as being
the Managing Director for the Art/Works Theater and Studio in Hollywood.
With his position as Artistic Managing Director for the Elephant Theater
Company, Don has been responsible for the development and world premieres of
more than 30 productions having garnered awards including Ovation, Los Angeles
Drama Critics, GLAAD and NAACP to name a few.
“I look forward to new challenges and continue to love the process overall
and bringing new works to the stage.”
Ron Llenado, Managing Director
Ron Llenado is an experienced performing artist, actor, musician, director,
producer, businessman and educator who has been involved with the performing
arts in the Contra Costa area since he moved to Walnut Creek in 1992. He is
the owner and director of curriculum at Under The Sun Studios in Concord. Additionally,
he is the managing director of Playground Theatre Company and Annex Theatre
works, as well as the producer and Artistic Director of Rumor Has It Improv.
Locally, he developed the education acting and music programs at SOLAD Dance
Center in Walnut Creek and the guitar program at The Creek Youth Center. Prior
to that, he taught at Countrywood Music in Walnut Creek for over 7 years and
musical directed for several local productions and fundraisers.
Ron started playing piano at the age of 5 and became very interested in theater
and choir while attending De La Salle High School. He has studied guitar with
Steven Holland, Samuel Baritel, Lenny Gill, Mark Abrahamian, and Rick Cittar.
He has studied flute and saxophone with Max Pricco and drums with Gerry Kennett.
He has studied piano with Janet Murray of Walnut Creek, Minda D. Azarcon of
Vallejo, Michael Smolens of Berkeley, and Heather Kerrihard of Berkeley. He
has studied voice with Minda D. Azarcon of Vallejo, William Garcia Ganz and
Michael Smolens in Berkeley, and Victoria Rapanan of Pleasant Hill.
From humble beginnings singing in the Concert Choir and doing theatrical
productions at De La Salle High School in Concord, Ron continued to the University
of California, Berkeley, where he studied Music and Molecular Biology. While
there, he founded 2 a cappella singing groups, directed 3 concerts, and performed
in several shows, including several musicals, straight plays, and choral concerts.
He has done stage, lighting, and sound tech for hundreds of performances in
the Bay Area, including lighting and sound design for several performance by
Moving Arts Dance. He has led several local top 40 bands and musical directed
several teen theater productions and benefit concerts. He has performed in several
productions with Diablo Light Opera Company, including the East Bay Premiere
of Miss Saigon in 2005. Ron also runs a mobile DJ company, serving as both emcee
and DJ. Recently, he performed in Company Alumni Theater’s inaugural production
of “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)” both acting and playing
the piano.
Ron has resided in Walnut Creek for 17 years and looks forward every day
to performing, creating, and educating and so is very excited to be a part of
Annex TheatreWorks.
Dan Abts, Associate Director
“I am very excited and focused artistically on the merging of new technologies
and what we can do to inspire and entertain an audience. We want to tell stories
and put on plays that many would not consider traditional theater. And to do
this with the subtle use of new technologies that enhances the audience experience.
The future of theater, film, and the web are intersecting at Annex Theatre Works.”
Daniel Abts is a freelance videographer, and editor; mainly focusing on documentation
work (Depositions, Real Estate, and other Misc. Recorded Presentations). He
has over ten years of experience in video production in all aspects of the production
cycle. He has been credited on over 30 short films, 3 documentaries, and a handful
of television episodes. He graduated from De La Salle High School in 2000 and
San Francisco State University in 2004 with a BA in Cinema, and a minor in Business
Administration.
While still attending San Francisco State University, he was hired by Central
Contra Costa Sanitary District to research, write, shoot, edit, and encode training
videos. While there he produced videos and accompanied testing materials, distributed
through the districts’ intranet, training operators on the operation and process
required for wastewater sanitation.
After graduating from SFSU he moved to Los Angeles where he worked at a video
editor for a media research and monitoring company. Where he was ranked in the
top 5 of most productive editors in the country.
He was as a founding member of Project Pilot, a Los Angeles based group of
improv actors, comedy writers, and technical crew dedicated to the creation
of short comic videos to be streamed on the Internet for the urban market. Daniel
lent is camera, editing, and writing skills to the start-up as well as producing
47 individual videos accruing over 60,000 hits on the web.
In 2009 his first feature length screenplay came in 4th place in the Scriptapalooza
Screenplay Competition beating out over 4000 other screenplays for that position.
In January 2010, the curtain went up on a play he produced for a newly formed
alumni association, Company Alumni Theatre. All three performances were a huge
success and sold out. He is currently helping them with the finer points of
creating and registering a non-profit organization.
Stephen Abts, Technical Coordinator
Stephen Abts is a recent college graduate from Southern Oregon University
trained as a stage manager and as a sound designer. During his attendance at
Southern Oregon University, Stephen participated in over 20 separate productions
in various positions including: Carpenter, Stage Hand, Sound Designer and Stage
Manger.
In the SOU theatre department he Stage Managed two productions (Hunting Cockroaches
in 2008 and Icarus 2009). He was the Sound Designer for two other productions
(Many Moons and Ring Around the Moon in 2008). Also in 2008 Stephen was given
a departmental award and commendation for his noteworthy achievement in theatre.
He was an Assistant Stage Manager for the Camelot Theatre Company’s production
of Lend Me a Tenor in Medford, Oregon. Most recently, Stephen was the stage
manager and sound designer for the newly formed Company Alumni Theatre group’s
production of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged).
Stephen graduated in 2009 with a Bachelors in Theatre Arts and is now a theater
technician for the Village Theater in Danville, California.
Creative Board
The members of the creative board meet regularly to make decisions about
the company’s artistic direction. Our current board consists of the following
members:
Don Cesario, Artistic Director
Ron Llenado, Managing Director
Dan Abts, Associate Director
Stephen Abts, Technical Coordinator
Don Cesario, Artistic Director
A Northern California native, Don is a graduate from the Theater Arts program
at California State University at Long Beach as well as being a founding member
of the award winning Elephant Theater Company based in Hollywood, CA.
Don has enjoyed working in all facets of live theater including Directing,
Acting, Producing and Designing. In 1998, along with Director David Fofi, he
found a home for the Elephant Theater Company when they created the Lillian
Theater. With the success of the Lillian under his Artistic Direction he went
on to create and develop three additional, successful theaters as well as being
the Managing Director for the Art/Works Theater and Studio in Hollywood.
With his position as Artistic Managing Director for the Elephant Theater
Company, Don has been responsible for the development and world premieres of
more than 30 productions having garnered awards including Ovation, Los Angeles
Drama Critics, GLAAD and NAACP to name a few.
“I look forward to new challenges and continue to love the process overall
and bringing new works to the stage.”
Ron Llenado, Managing Director
Ron Llenado is an experienced performing artist, actor, musician, director,
producer, businessman and educator who has been involved with the performing
arts in the Contra Costa area since he moved to Walnut Creek in 1992. He is
the owner and director of curriculum at Under The Sun Studios in Concord. Additionally,
he is the managing director of Playground Theatre Company and Annex Theatre
works, as well as the producer and Artistic Director of Rumor Has It Improv.
Locally, he developed the education acting and music programs at SOLAD Dance
Center in Walnut Creek and the guitar program at The Creek Youth Center. Prior
to that, he taught at Countrywood Music in Walnut Creek for over 7 years and
musical directed for several local productions and fundraisers.
Ron started playing piano at the age of 5 and became very interested in theater
and choir while attending De La Salle High School. He has studied guitar with
Steven Holland, Samuel Baritel, Lenny Gill, Mark Abrahamian, and Rick Cittar.
He has studied flute and saxophone with Max Pricco and drums with Gerry Kennett.
He has studied piano with Janet Murray of Walnut Creek, Minda D. Azarcon of
Vallejo, Michael Smolens of Berkeley, and Heather Kerrihard of Berkeley. He
has studied voice with Minda D. Azarcon of Vallejo, William Garcia Ganz and
Michael Smolens in Berkeley, and Victoria Rapanan of Pleasant Hill.
From humble beginnings singing in the Concert Choir and doing theatrical
productions at De La Salle High School in Concord, Ron continued to the University
of California, Berkeley, where he studied Music and Molecular Biology. While
there, he founded 2 a cappella singing groups, directed 3 concerts, and performed
in several shows, including several musicals, straight plays, and choral concerts.
He has done stage, lighting, and sound tech for hundreds of performances in
the Bay Area, including lighting and sound design for several performance by
Moving Arts Dance. He has led several local top 40 bands and musical directed
several teen theater productions and benefit concerts. He has performed in several
productions with Diablo Light Opera Company, including the East Bay Premiere
of Miss Saigon in 2005. Ron also runs a mobile DJ company, serving as both emcee
and DJ. Recently, he performed in Company Alumni Theater’s inaugural production
of “The Bible: The Complete Word of God (Abridged)” both acting and playing
the piano.
Ron has resided in Walnut Creek for 17 years and looks forward every day
to performing, creating, and educating and so is very excited to be a part of
Annex TheatreWorks.
Dan Abts, Associate Director
“I am very excited and focused artistically on the merging of new technologies
and what we can do to inspire and entertain an audience. We want to tell stories
and put on plays that many would not consider traditional theater. And to do
this with the subtle use of new technologies that enhances the audience experience.
The future of theater, film, and the web are intersecting at Annex Theatre Works.”
Daniel Abts is a freelance videographer, and editor; mainly focusing on documentation
work (Depositions, Real Estate, and other Misc. Recorded Presentations). He
has over ten years of experience in video production in all aspects of the production
cycle. He has been credited on over 30 short films, 3 documentaries, and a handful
of television episodes. He graduated from De La Salle High School in 2000 and
San Francisco State University in 2004 with a BA in Cinema, and a minor in Business
Administration.
While still attending San Francisco State University, he was hired by Central
Contra Costa Sanitary District to research, write, shoot, edit, and encode training
videos. While there he produced videos and accompanied testing materials, distributed
through the districts’ intranet, training operators on the operation and process
required for wastewater sanitation.
After graduating from SFSU he moved to Los Angeles where he worked at a video
editor for a media research and monitoring company. Where he was ranked in the
top 5 of most productive editors in the country.
He was as a founding member of Project Pilot, a Los Angeles based group of
improv actors, comedy writers, and technical crew dedicated to the creation
of short comic videos to be streamed on the Internet for the urban market. Daniel
lent is camera, editing, and writing skills to the start-up as well as producing
47 individual videos accruing over 60,000 hits on the web.
In 2009 his first feature length screenplay came in 4th place in the Scriptapalooza
Screenplay Competition beating out over 4000 other screenplays for that position.
In January 2010, the curtain went up on a play he produced for a newly formed
alumni association, Company Alumni Theatre. All three performances were a huge
success and sold out. He is currently helping them with the finer points of
creating and registering a non-profit organization.
Stephen Abts, Technical Coordinator
Stephen Abts is a recent college graduate from Southern Oregon University
trained as a stage manager and as a sound designer. During his attendance at
Southern Oregon University, Stephen participated in over 20 separate productions
in various positions including: Carpenter, Stage Hand, Sound Designer and Stage
Manger.
In the SOU theatre department he Stage Managed two productions (Hunting Cockroaches
in 2008 and Icarus 2009). He was the Sound Designer for two other productions
(Many Moons and Ring Around the Moon in 2008). Also in 2008 Stephen was given
a departmental award and commendation for his noteworthy achievement in theatre.
He was an Assistant Stage Manager for the Camelot Theatre Company’s production
of Lend Me a Tenor in Medford, Oregon. Most recently, Stephen was the stage
manager and sound designer for the newly formed Company Alumni Theatre group’s
production of The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged).
Stephen graduated in 2009 with a Bachelors in Theatre Arts and is now a theater
technician for the Village Theater in Danville, California.