Skip to main content

Board of Directors

Ron Gallegos

President

Ron is excited to join the MTS Board of Directors. Ron has been very active in the theatre community since returning to Albuquerque in 2012, performing in shows not only at MTS, but others as well. Ron graduated from Point Park University in Pittsburgh with a BFA and brings extensive performance experience in the theatre and performed in many venues across the US. Ron knows the operations of what it takes to make a professional theatre production company thrive and Ron believes MTS is on a clear path to continue to have high professional standards. Ron's goal is to help MTS continue to reach an even higher standard than it ever has.

Ron Gallegos 

President

[email protected]

Ashli Saenz

Vice President

Ashli Saenz has been an active member in Albuquerque classical arts for nearly two decades as both a professional opera singer and music enthusiast. Growing up in NM and attending UNM has given her the opportunity to meet many of the incredibly talented musicians around town. It is her passion to ensure she is doing all she can to make MTS the most inclusive and equitable theater in New Mexico.

Ashli Saenz

Vice President

[email protected]

Adrianne Elkins

Secretary

Adrianne Elkins is a local school principal, teacher, mom, and theatre volunteer. She holds a Master's degree in Education and an Ed.S in Educational Leadership from the University of New Mexico, where she also began doctoral work in 2017 before opening an APS Magnet School. Adrianne now serves as principal and teacher of an award winning local K-8 program. Adrianne has performed in many local productions with MTS and other local theatres. Favorite roles include Belle (Beauty and the Beast, MTS), Blanche (Bonnie and Clyde, MTS), Sandra Bloom (Big Fish, MTS), Gingy (Shrek the Musical, ALT) and Marty Maraschino (Grease, ALT); however, her favorite role will always be any which enables her to work on behalf of others, and she is excited to serve Musical Theatre Southwest and our extended community family.

Adrianne Elkins 

Secretary

[email protected]

John Stephen

Treasurer

John Stephen is a local actor, singer and community servant. John is a native Buqueno, and began his relationship with MTS, in ACLOA’s 1977 production of Oliver, as
liver. John has been performing on and off for more than four decades. Some of John’s artistic highlights include a guest appearance on Grizzly Adams and singing with Barry Manilow and the rock band Foreigner. John is also a member of the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus and serves as Music Director at Metropolitan Community church. John is a graduate of the University of New Mexico and has spent the last 10 years of a 30-year career at Cedars-Sinai Medical Canter, in Los Angeles California as manager for government programs and collections, before retiring and returning to New Mexico in 2010.

John Stephen

Treasurer

[email protected]

Luana Berger

Director

Luana is an opera singing gymnastics judge with a degree in Astrophysics.

When she isn't laughing at Star Trek memes or talking about how much she LOVES Iron Maiden (and boy! Does she love Iron Maiden!), Luana sings a lot. She is a contract singer for the Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus, soloist for the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Albuquerque, and a guest singer with the Tucson based Irish band, The Out of Kilters. She has performed with Opera West, Revolutions International Theater Festival, the Early Byrd Consort of Viols, the Albuquerque Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera Southwest, Musical Theater Southwest, and the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. In the summer of 2023 she will perform the role of Niklaus in Les Contes d'Hoffmann with the International Lyric Academy.

When she's not singing herself, she's helping other people sing as a voice teacher and music director. She has music directed such shows as Les Miserables with Cibola High School, Don't Pretend Your Normal Dinner Theater with Rumble Productions, and a Christmas concert with an adorable homeschool choir in Rio Rancho. During the pandemic lockdown, she was Operations Director for World's Harmony, an international musical collaboration, for which she also directed and film edited their music video. She was also stage manager for Opera West's production of Madama Butterfly in Santa Fe in 2021.

Luana used to be a competitive gymnast and even though her creaky body can't do those fancy things any more, she teaches other people how to do those fancy things and then judges them for it. She's been a competitive gymnastics coach since she was 14 and is a nationally accredited women's gymnastics judge with USA Gymnastics and NCAA. She also holds a BS in Astrophysics from New Mexico Tech because....why not...and worked for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and VLA before she decided to focus on her performing arts career.

Luana Berger

Director

[email protected]

Jordon Embree

Director

Jordon Embree studied at The Southwest University of Visual Arts, majoring in interior architecture and design with a minor in advertising and marketing. He gained years of experience in residential design as the head In-House Designer at a local custom home builder. He also gained further knowledge of graphic design and production as the production manager at a large format print shop. He has loved theatre since childhood and has found many creative outlets through volunteering with MTS over the years. Now, his focus is on improving and streamlining the processes we use in our theatre.

Jordon Embree

Director

[email protected]

Jenni Hipolito

Director

Jenni Hipólito

Director

[email protected]

Andy Boehnlein

Director

Andy
Boehnlein

Director

[email protected]

Raul Saenz

Director

Raul was born in El Paso, Tx but has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico since 2010. He graduated from Cathedral High School in El Paso, TX and attended New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM where he majored with a bachelor’s in Business Administration in 2013. He is nearing completion of his Master’s in Business Administration from Western Governors University and wants to help Musical Theater Southwest expand and further their success. Currently, Raul is a program manager for the government bringing experience and professionalism. His admiration and dedication to music comes from having sung in high school in the All-Men’s Choir as a bass and his wife, Ashli Saenz, who is a professional opera singer. He is excited to be a part of MTS as the Amigos Committee Chair.

Raul Saenz

Director

[email protected]

Our Staff

Maigan Traci Wallace

Theatre Manager

Maigan Traci Wallace is excited to be working with MTS. She has been passionate about theater for over 3 decades, earned a degree in production management from the University of Louisville, was production manager for Asheville Lyric Opera, and brings considerable experience with her to the theater. Some of her production credits include: Diary of Anne Frank, Sweeny Todd, West Side Story, Meet me in St Louis, Hello Dolly, The Sound of Music, James & the Giant Peach, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Quilters, The Laramie Project, and Shrek. She is also active in theater education, has taught stage manager courses at high schools, and has been active in many children's theater programs.

Maigan Traci Wallace

Theatre Manager

[email protected]

Tevin Brown

Production Coordinator

Tevin is from Vero Beach, Florida and moved to Albuquerque in April of 2021. While he is incredibly young he is no stranger to the performing world, paving his way for almost a decade now since 2015. In that time, he has worn a lot of hats both on stage as well as behind the scenes. When he moved to Albuquerque he took a break from theatre and began working in film. While he says film was an incredible journey there’s no place that quite matches the energy of live theater. He looks forward to this new opportunity with MTS and getting back to his roots!

Tevin Brown

Production Coordinator

[email protected]

Justin Salada

Technical Director

Justin was born in Erie, Pennsylvania and lived most of his life in the Greater Allegheny National Forest Area. He graduated from Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School in Brockway, PA and attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. He then taught Music and performing arts for eight years at his home school district. Justin furthered his education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania receiving an MA in Music Education and his Principal's certificate. He directed the Theater program at Brockway Area Jr/Sr High School, and was involved in the community at the Reitz and Warren Theaters as a director and member of the board. Justin moved to Albuquerque in 2021 to become an Assistant Principal at School of Dreams Academy in Los Lunas. Since coming to Albuquerque, Justin has joined the Albuquerque Theater Guild, serving as its President in 2022, and is currently the Technical Director for the New Mexico Shakespeare Festival and Musical Theatre Southwest.

Justin Salada

Technical Director

[email protected]