Second Stage Theater Reveals New Board Members

Second Stage Theater’s Board of Trustees, has revealed that over the last year, nine new Trustees were appointed to the Second Stage Theater Board.
 
Second Stage Theater’s Board additions include Lauren W. Bright, Chief Legal Officer, The Gates Foundation; Alyse Graham, former prosecutor, professor, and K-12 educator; Mari Nakachi, lawyer, producer and Board Member of the US Olympic and Paralympic Foundation; Adrian Perry, Partner, Covington and Burling LLP; Sarah Pontius, Co-CEO & COO, Artisan Alliance; Brynn Putnam, Founder & former CEO, Mirror;  Pesha Rudnick, Founding Artistic Director, Local Theater Company, Boulder Colorado; Motoko Sakurai, CEO of Catbird NYC; and Christopher Skinner,  Chief Revenue Officer, Front Row.
 
“As we chart the future of Second Stage under the leadership of Artistic Director Evan Cabnet and incoming Executive Director Adam Siegel, we are pleased to welcome these exceptional individuals to our Board,” shared Ms. Lindsay and Mr. Brockman. “They offer a range of experiences and perspectives that will help lead us forward as we enter this exciting next chapter."
 
Evan Cabnet, Second Stage Theater’s Artistic Director, adds, “It has been a joy getting to know these new additions to our ranks and the entire Board of Second Stage. I am honored to work with such a talented, dedicated and generous group of people, and I look forward to partnering with them as we continue Second Stage’s legacy of producing living American Playwrights and championing new artistic voices.”
 
ABOUT Second Stage Theater RECENT BOARD OF TRUSTEE APPOINTMENTS
 

LAUREN W. BRIGHT

Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Lauren W. Bright leads the foundation’s legal team and is responsible for all legal matters and
activities pertaining to the foundation and its affiliate organizations. Prior to joining the foundation, 
Lauren worked at the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, where she served nonprofit clients on a variety of legal issues, including governance, tax exemption, mergers, and legislative and regulatory issues. Lauren received a J.D. from Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College, where she currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
 

ALYSE GRAHAM

Alyse Graham is a former U.S. prosecutor, law professor, and K-12 educator.  A life-long theater lover, Alyse graduated from Yale University as a dual major in History and Theater Studies before attending Stanford Law School, and she avidly attends plays in both DC and New York.  Alyse is a community volunteer focused on strong schools, healthy families, and democratic societies, currently serving on the Boards of Washington Latin Public Charter School and St. Albans School and working with various political organizations to support democratic principles and the rule of law.  
 

Mari Nakachi

Co-founder, Lakeville Productions
Mari Nakachi is the co-founder of Lakeville Productions, a production company dedicated to bridging cultural and linguistic divides through film and theatre. Lakeville Productions develops and produces stories that engage audiences across the U.S. and Asia. Its founders have collectively earned 10 Emmys, 5 Oscars, a Tony award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award. With over two decades of experience, Mari has produced acclaimed stage productions including a Pulitzer Prize winning play and various visual media in New York and Japan. A former corporate attorney, she also provided pro bono legal services through Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Mari is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She currently serves on the Harvard College Fund Executive Committee and the boards of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and Brightway Education Foundation.
 

ADRIAN PERRY

Partner, Co-Chair, Entertainment & Media Group, Covington and Burling LLP
Adrian Perry is a widely recognized lawyer in the entertainment, sports, and technology industries, with repeat recognitions and rankings in Chambers and Partners, Variety, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. Adrian focuses on transactional and advisory matters involving technology, intellectual property, and data, handling a wide range of commercial arrangements, licensing matters, and content rights acquisitions/sales. He frequently advises on procurement, development and provision of AI-powered products, and AI model and training content licenses. Adrian also brings significant entertainment industry perspective from his non-legal work. As a musician, he has played with, or opened shows for, Aerosmith, Cage the Elephant, Jane's Addiction, Modest Mouse, Slash, and Stone Temple Pilots, and has licensed his music for film and TV. He also worked for Saturday Night Live for two seasons and was a talent scout for Epic and Columbia Records, before becoming an attorney.
 

SARAH PONTIUS

Co-CEO and COO, Artisan Alliance
Sarah Pontius co-founded Artisan Alliance in 2020.  She has been in the real estate industry since 2004 completing complex transactions across leasing, development, acquisitions, dispositions, and corporate M&A worldwide. Prior to co-founding Artisan, Sarah was Global Head of Partnerships at WeWork where she worked closely with the company’s founder on strategic initiatives. Sarah started her career at Brookfield working in their New York and London offices for 10 years before joining CBRE as Senior Vice President in Advisory Services. Sarah has a bachelor’s degree from Union College where she is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and chairs the Facilities & Environment Committee. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Make a Wish Foundation of Metro New York and an active Wish granter.
 

BRYNN PUTNAM

Founder and former CEO, Mirror
Brynn Putnam is a former professional ballet dancer and the founder and former CEO of Mirror. Mirror is a health and fitness company that builds digital mirrors to stream people workouts in their home. The company was started by Brynn in 2016 and was acquired by the athletic apparel company Lululemon in 2020. Brynn is a graduate of Harvard University with a degree in Russian Literature and a former ballerina with New York City Ballet.  Brynn serves on the board of New York City Ballet and The Leadership Council at Robin Hood.
 

PESHA RUDNICK

Founding Artistic Director, Local Theater Company
Pesha Rudnick is the founding artistic director of Local Theater Company in Boulder Colorado, where she pursues the company’s mission to discover and develop new American plays. While Artistic Director at Local Theater Company, Pesha directed sixteen world-premieres and curated Local Lab New Play Festival for twelve years. In 2022, Pesha transitioned to the board of directors at Local and joined the theatre & dance faculty at University of California, Santa Barbara. Pesha holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree from New York University.
 

MO SAKURAI

CEO Catbird NYC
Mo Sakurai is the CEO of Catbird NYC, a jewelry company with locations across the country.  Prior to her role at Catbird, Mo worked for Lous Vuitton, David Yurman and other fashion brands.  She is a graduate of Princeton and received her MBA at Harvard.  Catbird is part of the female founder's series and is recognized by the CFDA.  Mo also serves on the board of Prep for Prep.
 

CHRISTOPHER SKINNER

Chief Revenue Officer, Front Row
Christopher Skinner is a visionary leader and accomplished creative with a diverse and impactful career spanning over two decades in New York City. His expertise was sought by leading global brands under LVMH and Manzanita Capital, where he played a pivotal role in elevating brand narratives and driving consumer engagement. As Chief Revenue Officer of Front Row, he is responsible for revenue growth and ensuring an elevated client experience, fostering creative innovation, and providing leadership mentorship across the organization. Beyond his corporate achievements, Christopher remains deeply connected to his theatrical roots. He founded Sons of the Lifeguard, a theatrical production firm, and is an active investor in Folk Productions and other prominent theater institutions.               
 

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