Starlight Community Theatre
dedicated to providing live theatre to entertain and enrich our community
Starlight Community Theatre
dedicated to providing live theatre to entertain and enrich our community
Chief Financial Officer
Pat takes care of "Starlight Business". Pat is the Treasurer for Starlight, she produces plays, and takes great pride in having founded Starlight back in the Spring of '05. Her idea of beginning a Non-profit Community Youth Theater has become a reality!
A mother of four, Pat puts her time and energy into the "Arts". She "Lives for Starlight." She fundraises for Fine Arts programs in the schools and helps out wherever possible. She loves to volunteer!
Pat's education background consists of teaching Drama, Speech and Debate and English. She currently substitute teaches for DVUSD. Pat is also a licensed Real Estate agent and has been since 1983. She works for Daisy Mountain Real Estate.
Technical Director
Paul has been working in the theatre for most of his life. He has been on the stage in shows, like Starlight's version of Fiddler On the Roof & Music Man, and worked behind the scenes in every facet of production. These days he enjoys being the technical director for Starlight and relishes the opportunities to design and perform in Starlight productions as well.
A graduate from ASU's School of Theatre and Film Paul is currently earning his Masters degree in Secondary Education from ASU. The ultimate goal is to teach theatre, that is what I really want to do!
Paul is happily married to his best friend Mindy and lives to make her happy. The quote that best describes Paul's take on theatre is one from a thespian conference t-shirt from more then ten years ago, Theatre is Life, Film is Art, Television is Furniture.
Executive Director
Mark Oesterle is the co-founder of Starlight Community Theater in Anthem Arizona. His background includes producing, directing, and staring in musicals, dramas and comedies!
His passion lies in working with Youth Theater and seeing the stars of tomorrow be born on stage. He and Pat Bennett dreamed up the idea of Starlight on a bus ride in Washington D.C. with the 8th grade class from Gavlian Peak. Seeing a huge need for local theater in the community, Mark along with Pat launched Starlight's first production of Into the Woods, a fitting play and message for their new fledging theater.
Helping students become a character on stage is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. Watching students grow into actors and express themselves creatively is the greatest reward for all of the hours put into a production.
Mark is also the Assistant Principal at Gavilan Peak in Anthem Arizona and is finishing his doctorate in education this spring.
Artistic Director
Barbara has been a theatre educator and director for the past 37 years. She has taught drama at both the high school and the community college level.
Barbara currently serves as a board member of Starlight Community Theater and on the AZ State Thespian Board, where she acted as its director for four years. She has been involved in directing and stage-managing for the Glendale Little Theater, the Deer Valley Community Players, and the Skyhawk Players in the past, and has directed over 100 full length plays and musicals in her career including The Fantasticks, Godspell, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, Fiddler on the Roof, Into the Woods, Once Upon a Mattress, Mame, Arsenic and Old Lace, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taffetas.
Her production of The Taffetas was invited to perform at the International Thespian Conference in the mid 90's. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including America West and the Suns Educator of the Year, the Educational Theatre Association's Region One Innovative Teacher of the Year, and the Arizona Theatre AssociationŐs Outstanding Theatre Educator to name just a few.
Barbara has also been a contributor to the Deer Valley Unified School District's Fine Arts Curriculum as well as the State of AZ Fine Arts Curriculum, and has been a speaker and panel member on Theater in Our Schools and the National Fine Arts Standards at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University West, and at the Arizona Law and Superintendents' Conference.
She enjoys directing and said that working with the actors and techies on this production of Music Man was one of the best times she has had as a director. I am honored and proud to have been a part of Music Man and this talented cast and crew.