our people
matthew kellen burgos artistic director, founder
sam r ross
executive director, founder
As an award-winning director and playwright, Matthew holds an MFA in Directing from the School of Theatre at Florida State University and specializes in physical acting and directing techniques based on Grotowski, Viewpoints, and other movement-based rehearsal languages. He has directed over 50 regional/collegiate productions.
As an award-winning educator, Matthew has taught acting, directing, playwriting, history, survey courses, movement and voice at a variety of institutions including Florida State University, Temple University, Pomona College, Azusa Pacific University, Riverside City College, and currently resides as the chair of the theatre department at Mt. San Antonio College. He is also the former director of the Tarradiddle Travelers, a children's theatre organization which creates new work and performs for at-risk schools in the East Los Angeles area.
As an actor, Matthew has appeared in Unearthed (world premiere), 12th Night, Big Love, MacBeth, The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Arcadia, Our Town, The Country Wife, Dracula, Still Life with Iris, A Christmas Carol, The House of Blue Leaves, Off the Map, Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?, Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors, Hair, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Kirin McCrory is a playwright, dramaturg, and literary manager. She received a MFA in Playwriting at UC Riverside and graduated summa cum laude from Emerson College with a BA in Theatre and English, with particular emphases in playwriting and fight choreography, and Shakespeare and violence, respectively. Her plays and devised works have received awards and productions in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, central Virginia, New Orleans, and Edinburgh. Her textual work with performance collective The American Laboratory has appeared in galleries in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. She served as literary associate for Endstation Theatre’s Playwrights’ Initiative for three years and is currently the literary manager for VanguardRep,
A member of both Actors' Equity Association and Screen Actor's Guild, Sam has over forty years of experience in theatre and film, having performed in over 100 plays and a dozen films throughout his career.
As artistic director, Sam has been integral in the foundation of multiple successful companies including Down Right Theatre in Atlanta, GA, Kudzu Productions and Vanguard Repertory Company - both in Los Angeles, CA. As an actor, director, lighting designer, and artistic director, Sam has won dozens of awards for his work on such productions as After the Autumn, M. Butterfly, Breaking the Code, Juliet &her Romeo, 12th Night, Dracula, among many others.
elisa blandford
producing director, founder
With extensive experience as a producer, festival coordinator, arts administrator, production manager, educational programmer, and stage manager, Elisa's passion for the performing arts is evident in her extremely diverse skill set. After graduating from the School of Theatre at Florida State University. Elisa has worked in various capacities with multiple arts organizations in Los Angeles including her current position of Managing Producer for Native Voices at the Autry, as well as Skirball Cultural Center, La Cañada Flintridge Shakespeare Festival, The MET Theatre, and Pappas and Dancers dance company.
elizabeth ross
educational consultant, founder
Elizabeth graduated summa cum laude from Mercer University with a M.A.T in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English and has taught British, American and World Literature for 26 years. She is one of the Founders of VanguardRep and the Windmill Arts Center. She has worked as a stylist for Neiman Marcus events for 5 years and has recently designed costumes for ImmerseATL.