Staff Info Sheet

Megan Bommarito serves as the Communications Specialist. Her responsibilities include:

• Managing the department website and all social media channels.
• Develop and implement communications strategies, including creating and managing budgets for advertising and marketing and building/strengthening relationships with audiences.
• Provide artistic direction on season materials, photography and marketing imagery.
• Manage all department production and non-production collateral: advertising, marketing, publicity, web, social media, photography/videography, and playbills.
• Managing team members on communications and ticketing teams. 

Office: 1.144E

Phone: 512-232-5328

E-Mail: megan.bommarito@austin.utexas.edu

Dana McLaughlin Jr. serves as the Audience Services Coordinator. His responsibilities include: 

• Developing and implementing ticketing strategies and ticket packages for season and other departmental events. 
• Serving as the manager for Front of House and Box Office teams. As part of this responsibility, he also oversees appointment of student ushers and coordinates staffing for performance events. Also develops and implements policies and operations for Front of House reporting in collaboration with academic production staff. 
• Collaborates with Assistant Operations Manager on scheduling systems, procedures and protocols in the studios and the Lab Theatre for Studio Series productions. Includes supporting technical needs of studio projects and hiring, training and scheduling supervising student workers in technical production. 
• Lead and develop community engagement efforts by building and deepening relationships between the department and local communities including both on and off campus partners. Assists in coordinating student matinee performances for subscription series events and manages staffing for day-of operations for matinee performances. 
• Creates and manages sales and patron reports, working closely with the department finance office in ensuring funds, transactions and receipts are processed appropriately. 

Phone: 512-232-5340

E-mail: dana.mclaughlin@austin.utexas.edu 

Cassie Gholston serves as the Operations and Communications Manager for the Department and her duties include:

• This position is a senior manager who provides executive leadership to the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance. Key functions include overseeing administrative operations and external/internal communications; supervision and mentorship of core administrative staff and communication staff; strategic planning and project management of departmental programs and initiatives; human resources and faculty advancement. 

Office: 1.144D

Phone: 512-232-5301

E-Mail: gholston@austin.utexas.edu

• Administers and coordinates the Graduate Programs in Dance, UT Live Design, Theater for Youth and Communities, Performance as Public Practice, and Directing and Playwriting.
• Assists graduate students with registration, graduation, and general questions
• Maintains graduate student records, files, and databases as well as tracks and compiles data related to graduate enrollment and programs.
• Tracks TA/AI assignments and is responsible for issuing appointment letters.
• Assists the Graduate Advisor with Grad ExComm meetings, deadlines, and fellowships
• Serves as a liaison with the Graduate School and the College of Fine Arts.

E-Mail: andrea.grapko@austin.utexas.edu

David Thomases serves as the Assistant Operations Manager for the Department and his duties include:

• Building security & access management, issuing and tracking keys, oversight of reservations in the Winship and Lab Theatre building outside of the class schedule, building management of Winship and the Lab Theatre.

Office: 1.142A

Phone: 512-232-5313

E-Mail: david.thomases@austin.utexas.edu

Tori Marshall serves as the Assistant to the Department chair and the ABT Summer Intensive Coordinator. Her responsibilities include:

• Management of the Chair's calendar, travel, and other Chair-related administrative tasks
• Management of office supply inventory, Ricoh Copiers and printing needs, Records Inventory and Management, as well as administrative back-up to the main office front desk.
• As the ABT Intensive Coordinator, she oversees the operations of ABT Summer Intensive at UT-Austin
• Serves as a liaison and manages agreements with ABT and various other university units.
• Creates and manages the ABT/UT Budget
• Recruits, hires, and manages the summer program staff.

Office: WIN 1.144

Phone: 512-232-2668

E-Mail: victoria.marshall@austin.utexas.edu

Kevin Newcomb assists the Department of Theatre and Dance by managing the Technology Classrooms.

• Installs and Repairs A/V equipment in Winship.
• Assists Faculty with using Technology Classrooms, including keys.

Office: 2.114

Phone: 512-232-5305

E-Mail: newcomb@austin.utexas.edu

Sydney Pattillo serves as the Marketing Specialist. Her duties include:

• Routing and creating mainstage performance program content
• Assist the Communications Coordinator in generating, managing, and tracking all web and social media channels as well as generating content for the Departmental blog.
• Managing complimentary tickets for all mainstage department productions
• Manage physical and digital production archives.
• Assist in coordinating and scheduling video shoots, photoshoots and any other needed marketing appointments.

Office: 1.144

Phone: 512-232-5324

E-Mail: sydney.pattillo@austin.utexas.edu

Erik Felthauser serves as the Finance Manager for the Department.

• Finance Office Management
• Supervise Senior Administrative Associate and Guest Artist Liaison
• Serve as a financial consultant to the Department Chair and Faculty Associate Chairs.
• Oversee financial reporting and analysis
• Annual operating budget planning, preparation, and maintenance.
• Make financial projections, analyze expenditure trends, and suggest improvements.

Office: 1.154A

Phone: 512-232-5317

E-Mail: elf5@mail.utexas.edu

Natasha Small serves as the Undergraduate Admissions Coordinator for the Department.

• Manages Undergraduate Admissions processes for both Freshman and Internal & External transfer students.
• Coordinate the Departmental Recruitment events - scheduling auditions, processing portfolios, scheduling interviews, reviewing applications with faculty, arranging faculty travel for recruitment purposes.
• Coordinate Departmental Scholarships for freshmen applicants and for current students.

Office: 1.130

Phone: 512-232-2741

E-Mail: tadadmissions@utexas.edu

• Creating and Managing the course schedule and all related duties.
• Serves as the SACS contact for the Department

Office: 1.144B

Phone: 512-475-6565

E-Mail: clarissasmith@austin.utexas.edu

Michelle Belisle serves as the Senior Administrative Associate and Purchasing Officer for the Department.

• Serves as back-up to the Financial Manager
• Answer general accounting inquiries and clarify procedures, assist the Finance Manager with monthly closeout.
• Create and track various financial documents: vendor and guest payments, travel reimbursement, student reimbursement, and IDT corrections.
• Maintain finance documents in accordance with UT Guidelines: files, server-scanned documents, fiscal year clean-up.
• Serve with Technology Liaison as Department EID contact and DPUSER
• Assist Department Inventory Contact by providing documentation for tagging T&D items and assist in researching inventory items on an as-needed basis.

Office: 1.154

Phone: 512-232-7978

E-Mail: mbelisle@austin.utexas.edu

Liliana Zapatero serves as the Guest Artist/Visitor Liaison. Her duties include:

• Guest Artist Liaison - paying visiting guest artist stipends, coordinating and issuing San Jacinto Parking Vouchers, FDP parking passes.
• Make travel arrangements and initiate reimbursement for out-of-town visitors.
• Set up current faculty, staff, and students in Workday to receive stipends for short-term professional work.
• Hire, pre-hire, onboard, and/or terminate long sessions and summer Non-Academic hourly appointments
• Serves as a DPSUSER administrator.

Office: 1.144E

Phone: 232-9402

E-Mail: liliana.zapatero@austin.utexas.edu

Mark-Anthony Zuniga serves as the Senior Academic Advisor for Theatre & Dance.  

• Advises undergraduate T&D majors on degree requirements, academic policies and university resources.
• Coordinate mandatory registration advising for T&D department twice yearly.
• Plan & co-facilitate COFA's New Student Orientation program during Spring and Summer semesters.
• Assist non-majors on Theatre and Dance course options during non-peak times.
• Process departmental adds/drops during first 12 class days each semester.

Office: 1.118

Phone: 512-232-5308

E-Mail: mazuniga@austin.utexas.edu