Helen Means...
always wanted to be an actress. Now, 30 years later, she is not only a talented nationally-known actress, but a director. Means has directed over 100 shows, won the Producer’s Shellie Award, and several others for Onstage productions that she directed. In 2003 she was the recipient of Broadway Plaza and Contra Costa Newspapers Women of Achievement Awards for The Arts. In that same year she was honored for her work by the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County.

The legendary Onstage Theatre, now starting its 31st year, was started by Helen Means in 1978 in Walnut Creek, and moved to the School House when the police department vacated the building four years later. Means, and her husband and family, remodeled the building to form the auditorium: installed risers, seats, expanded the stage, and discovered beautiful fir tongue-and-groove woodwork that they re-installed piece by piece in the auditorium.

But Means did not accomplish this alone. The Company also relies on folks like John Allred, actor, director, and a general contractor, who was key to the original renovation form Police Station to Theatre; Randall Nott, actor, director, playwright, started out with Onstage 30 years ago in the first full-length play that Helen Means directed. This season, Nott’s latest original work will be presented, 2D:4D; Laura Means Berchdorf, actress, director, playwright is the daughter of Helen Means and will mark the opening of her fifth play, Above the Violet. Other key Onstage company members are: actress and set builder Babette Bilger Combs and her husband, Loren Combs, actor, director; Kathryn G. McCarty, actress, director, playwright, producer and founder of The Galatean Players Ensemble; Bill Toaspern, actor and director; Sharon Redman, actress and director of seven shows for OnStage; and Mark Barry, actor, to name a few.

OnStage players: front: Mark Barry, Helen Means, back Bill Toaspern, Sharon Redman

Onstage serves as a true community-based organization with an ongoing commitment to new works and new talent. That commitment continues today as the upcoming 31st Season contains not one but two original plays by local playwrights.

Behind the scenes Technical Director John Lytle provides lighting and sound technical support to Onstage. In 2005, he rebuilt the lighting system, installed computerized controls, and paid for it too.

“The residents and businesses has been key to our continued success,” said Means, “Pleasant Hill has reached out and let us know how valued the Arts are to this city,” she said.

Doña Foreman... Artistic Director, Producer, Choreographer.
Foreman grew up in Community theatre, performing her first role when she was just five years old. And she has a vision! – and that is, one day, to have a sponsored, theatre company. Her focus would be, as it is now, on teens across Contra Costa County.

Foreman first joined the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District S.T.A.G.E. (Several Teens Acting Goofy Everywhere) Troupe, in 1998. Under her direction, the program, originally specifically for drama classes, has grown to an audition-based, high-quality theatre, known for its outstanding talent and high quality in costuming, staging, and direction. Presenting two productions each year, many are sold out with standing room only. Foreman works tirelessly for the arts bringing life to the theatre with her special energy and enthusiasm. The teens, aging out, leave deeply enriched with self confidence, poise, and a deep and abiding appreciation of the arts.

The “Behind the Scenes Parents’ Association” is always there to help. This group, organized by Foreman, handles fundraising; helps with production; plans cast parties;

produces programs for the shows (including layout, printing, and selling ads); manages the green room; works as ushers, hair dressers, and costume designers. Their mission statement is, “to support teen theatre in the community.”

Foreman’s husband, Andy provides technical support with lighting, sound, and music. Working with teens, he builds and paints sets, and during performances, he dedicates most of his evenings and weekends to S.T.A.G.E. Troupe.

The Foremans’ son and daughter, Stephen and Rachel, grew up singing and dancing with S.T.A.G.E. Troupe and continue their active roles in the world of theater.

Mark Rolandelli ...
2008 Pleasant Hill Baseball Association President, wanted a sports center at Pleasant Oaks Park and proposed the idea when he joined the PHBA Board of Directors three years ago. And he made it happen!! Bringing together parents of the 1200-member Pleasant Hill Baseball Association, Rolendelli led the effort to build the 2,500-square-foot facility that houses a snack shack, meeting room, two maintenance rooms, and men’s and women’s restrooms. A long-time Pleasant Hill resident, Rolandelli played in the league himself in the 1970s. Now, as the father of six, he has worked as coach for more than 17 years.

As owner of Rolandelli Construction Company, he worked at the site every night for a year.

He couldn’t have done it without the help of long-time associates in the trades including Matt Reeder, of R.E. Serrano - concrete block; Castle Construction - trusses; Mark Fraschieri of Compare Heating, Concord - all of the heating and cooling for the building; Don Freese, Freese Plastering; and Ed Deluca, Berkeley Concrete Pumping, to name a few.

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in March, 2008, with an audience of approximately 5,000 on hand for PHBA’s 50th anniversary and Opening Day. In the parade before the ceremony, all 1200 uniformed players marched down the route leading with their sponsors’ banners. Former Oakland A’s & SF Giants’ star Vida Blue signed autographs and said it was “an awesome sight” to see 5,000 people there.