THE TEAM
Lisa Sedares (she/her)
President
Lisa Sedares is delighted to come on board as Conundrum’s President and Music Director. Lisa is a classically-trained pianist who began at an early age and eventually became involved in musical theater, choral directing, and composing. Some of the recent shows that she has been a part of are Putting It Together (music director), Beauty and the Beast (vocal director), Urinetown (pianist), Oklahoma! (pianist), and Into the Woods (pianist).
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Originally from Arizona, Lisa moved to Maryland for school and spent 9 years on the east coast building a career in aerospace engineering while pursuing a double master’s in piano performance and space systems engineering. She recently relocated to Los Angeles for a change of scenery, a new job at NASA, and more professional musical opportunities. On the side, Lisa is currently working on a new musical that is at the intersection of her two passions: Rocket Science and Musical Theater.
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Jackie Brenneman (she/her)
Vice President
Jackie has been involved with theatre for most of her life as a performer, director, producer, and lyricist. Theatre has given Jackie confidence and killer memorization skills, has taken her across the globe, and most importantly, it has introduced her to life long friends. Jackie’s performing has taken her to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York University, and right here to Los Angeles. Jackie is passionate about bringing high-quality and innovative theater to Los Angeles.
Jackie moved to Los Angeles for law school. However, Jackie continues to perform throughout the Los Angeles area both on stage and screen. Some favorite roles include, Winifred (Once Upon a Mattress), Roxie Hart (Chicago), Charity Valentine (Sweet Charity), The Witch (Into the Woods), Marian Paroo (The Music Man), and Maria von Trapp (The Sound of Music). Jackie has been involved in all of Conundrum's productions and her most recent role with Conundrum was Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.
Jackie has a day job she loves as the General Counsel & Director of Industry Relations at the National Association of Theatre Owners and has two adorable kiddos. For more, visit jackiebrenneman.com.
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Bryan Snodgrass (he/him)
Treasurer/Fundraising Chair
Bryan is from Colorado Springs, CO. He started acting when he was in Kindergarten, playing the Prince in a school production of Cinderella. The stage has been his passion ever since, and he is thrilled to be part of Conundrum.
Bryan received his BA in Theatre Directing from the University of Northern Colorado. He currently works as the School Age Director for the Burbank Community YMCA.
Bryan has been a part of numerous productions, both on and off stage. He recently portrayed Max Detweiler in The Sound of Music. Some other acting credits include You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown), Fuddy Meers (Kenny), and Grand Hotel. He has also directed A Company of Wayward Saints, Bringing It All Back Home, Love Letters, and The Sound Of Music.
When he has free time, Bryan likes to play the piano, read, and watch Disney animated movies.
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Nikki Yates (she/her)
Secretary
Nikki is a PhD candidate studying educational psychology at the University of Southern California. Her parents like to say she could sing before she could talk, which makes sense, given her love of performing. When she's not working on a research project or tearing up a karaoke bar (pre-COVID, of course), she enjoys playing with her dog, running while listening to podcasts, and baking overly complicated pastries.
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Jess Jani (she/her)
Marketing Chair
Jess Jani has been surrounded by performers her whole life, which only solidified her passion for the theatre. Her journey with Conundrum began as an actor, gracing the stage in roles such as Medium Alison in "Fun Home" and Cinderella in "Into The Woods." Most recently, she made her directorial debut with Conundrum’s production of Little Shop of Horrors. Beyond her theatrical pursuits, Jess works at AV Squad, a company specializing in crafting movie trailers, demonstrating her commitment to storytelling in various forms.
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As a member of the Conundrum Theatre Company's board, Jess Jani's vision is to foster an inclusive, accessible, and thriving theater community on the West Coast. Her gratitude towards Conundrum for rekindling her passion for the stage knows no bounds, and she looks forward to the endless opportunities they provide for everyone in the community to explore their artistic boundaries.
Mike Bowers (he/him)
Production Chair
Mike Bowers is an actor, writer, director and producer living in Los Angeles. He has a BA in Theatre from Florida State University and has honed his extensive production training at many theatre companies, including Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and ACT Theatre. In Los Angeles, he has continued to work on creating innovative and inclusive theatrical productions that turn traditional ideas on their heads. He is excited to continue this work with Conundrum Theatre Company.
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Jordan Kaiser (she/her)
Publicity & Events Chair
Jordan Kaiser's love of the performing arts began at an early age. She began working in theatre as an Assistant Director at her local community theatre during her teenage years. She later attended Chapman University, where she was both the president and publicity chair of their musical theatre student organization, performing in and producing musicals and cabaret shows on campus.
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In her time on the board of Conundrum, she has directed our sold out run of RENT, produced our production of Little Shop of Horrors and our A Weekend of One Acts festival, assistant directed our run of Cabaret, and held various roles in our productions of Seussical, Into the Woods, and The Wild Party.
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Pursuing her other passion for film, Jordan currently works as a film publicist at Sony Pictures Entertainment. She loves that Conundrum provides a creative outlet for artists who work full-time in other industries.
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