Who We Are

Creative Works of Lancaster is a non-profit organization providing nomadic theatrical encounters in and around the city of Lancaster, PA.

How We Started

(The Short Version)

Founded through grassroots organizing in 2008 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2010, our nontraditional theater company has produced over 80 events in partnership with more than 45 different venues. We’ve organized performances in breweries, restaurants, public parks, barns, churches, hotels, and even a McDonald’s.

Now Board-ing...

Creative Works Board of Directors

It takes a special kind of crazy to join our ranks. Find out more about the people who make the sausage that is Creative Works…

Lydia Brubaker

Lydia has been directing and performing locally since 2005 (if you don’t count her early years in Lancaster directing her siblings, putting on neighborhood puppet shows, acting in school plays, and participating in Odyssey of the Mind). She particularly loves working on new plays and is the facilitator of the Lancaster Dramatists’ Platform. In addition to projects with CW and the Platform, Lydia has directed and acted in productions with Ephrata Performing Arts Center, Theater of the Seventh Sister, and Reading Theater Project, among others. Outside of her theater life, Lydia works in Legal Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College and enjoys baking pies, making cocktails, and hiking and backpacking with her husband, Steve, and her large pup, Calvin.

Joanna Underhill

Joanna has been active in the Lancaster performing arts scene since 1996 as a stage manager, director, actor, props master, designer, box office assistant, sock puppet artisan, and teaching artist. She’s been involved with Creative Works since 2010 and enjoys continuing to use all those skills and develop new ones that come with being a part of a nomadic theater company. Other things that might be of interest are she has a BA in Theatre Arts from Penn State University, an MA in Creative Drama from Northwestern University, and an MEd in School Counseling from Millersville University. She works at the Writers House at Franklin and Marshall College, loves a good mocha, really loves a good book, and really, really loves her cat (who is mostly, but not always, good.)

Alexander P Bannon

Auspiciously born on his own birthday, Alex has had the privilege to be a part of the
Lancaster theater scene from a young age. Alex has been frequently seen at
Ephrata Performing Arts Center where he produced the EPAC On The Edge series &
Xeroxed many things as their Office Manager (2013 – 2016)
Among others, he’s worked with Lancaster Dramatists’ Platform, PRIMA, & TSS
Notable, he lists his current profession as raggamuffin.
Determined to help create experiences in Lancaster, Alex joined our board in 2016
Escalating to Board Chair in 2019. He currently
Resides in Lancaster City with his cat, Tobi.

Steve Garner

Steve retired this year after a 34 year career in NYC as a IATSE stagehand and moving light programmer. He is happily living full time in Lancaster. Steven’s work highlights in NYC include serving as the House Electrician at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, where he oversaw world premieres of The Destiny of Me; Lips Together,Teeth Apart; The Baby Dance; and Advice From a Caterpillar , among others. He was the production electrician for Pan Asian Rep, where a highlight was the world premiere of Shogun Macbeth. He was the production electrician for Martha Graham’s dance company and very happily toured Europe with her. He supervised the lighting for many seasons of the NYC Fashion Week As a moving light programmer, Steven has many credits. Among the highlights were 16 seasons on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, The 9/11 Towers of Light, The Late Show with David Letterman. The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,and Dick Clark’s Rocking New Years Eve. Broadway credits include Awake and Sing, Julius Caesar, The Grinch, Thurgood, and The Book of Mormon. Currently his work can be seen at Tellus360 and Phantom Power and he is looking forward to many seasons with Creative Works.

Candace Roper

Candace joined the Creative Works board in 2022 as the board secretary. She does not have a background in theater, but a love of theater, and is a longtime fan of CW. Candace worked at Franklin & Marshall College and before that at Mapquest in Lancaster. She is originally from NYC and spent her 20s in France as an interpreter, researcher and production assistant for National Geographic. She is thrilled to work with the talented and ever hilarious Creative Works team.

Frith Rooney

Frith Rooney is an educator, activist, and playwright. They grew up in the Susquehanna River valley and love making theatre here. When they’re not doing that, Frith can usually be found binging documentaries or voyaging through the boundless seas of time.

Sena Taşkapilioğlu

Sena is a Turkish theatre artist who started her artistic journey in Ankara at TOBAV drama club (Tiyatro Opera Bale Vakfi) in high school, after which she studied acting at Bilkent University and did many performances and workshops on impro theatre in several countries, including Turkey, Holland, Germany, Austria, France, and the United States. She also studied clowning with Francis Albiero and physical theatre with Giovanni Fusetti. Sena worked with many different companies in Istanbul as an actor and collaborative writer, and she’s one of the founding artists of the very first clown company in Istanbul, Palyaço Modern. She was also one of the founders of FITIKO, a school offering physical theatre training for professionals. She taught improvisation and clowning at Okan University and Craft Acting Studio, and she worked with Clowns Without Borders and performed at the refugee camps on the border between Turkey and Syria. She relocated to Lancaster in 2019, where she works with the People’s Shakespeare Project and Three Sheets Theatre Company as an actor, director, writer and teacher. Sena is very happy and excited to be a board member for Creative Works of Lancaster.