Staff
Laura Ekstrand, Producing Artistic Director, is an actor, director, teacher, playwright and is also a freelance acting coach. Early in her career she was a film casting associate for Hopkins/Smith/Barden and managing director for the Innisfree Festival of New Plays. As a playwright, her works have been produced in New York and New Jersey theatres. Ms. Ekstrand’s acting career includes stage, film and television. She has appeared in "Hack", "Sex & the City", "High Art", "I Shot Andy Warhol," "Law & Order," and "Late Night with Conan O’Brien." She has a B.A. in Theatre Studies from Yale University and an M.F.A. in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College. She is member of the Actors’ Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA and the Dramatists Guild.
Sarah Cuneo, Outreach and Community Engagement Manager, is an actress, playwright, director, and aerialist. As an actor, she has performed in numerous plays, musicals, films, commercials, and interactive art exhibits. Particularly passionate about new works, Sarah collaborated with Tectonic Theater Project on developmental workshops of The Album and has acted in new play festivals throughout the country, including Cleveland Play House and Premiere Stages. Her writing has been featured in the NYC Fringe, the Chelsea Film Festival, and the Chain Film Festival. As a director, her work has been seen at United Solo and the Chain Theater. Sarah is also a founding member of Taproot Creatives, a collective dedicated to uplifting the voices of underrepresented genders. www.sarahcuneo.com
Amy Polan Clarke, Finance Manager, comes to Vivid as a veteran of the live entertainment industry, having worked in administrative positions in both the theatrical and concert worlds. She toured with shows for several years and then settled into a position as Business Manager for a NY General Manager, overseeing the financial aspects for shows off Broadway and on tour, including many with multi-million-dollar-budgets and sometimes all at the same time! She works with Quickbooks to pay our bills and do payroll and creates financial reports to keep us up to date. She loves creating spreadsheets.
Yolanda Fundora, Graphic Design and Communications, is a digital fine artist, illustrator, textile, book and graphic designer. She has her own design and licensing studio based in Summit, NJ. Her artwork, books and fabrics can be seen locally by visiting her studio or visiting her online gallery www.towardadigitalaesthetic.com. One of the pleasures of her work life is helping artistic organizations and individuals develop website and marketing collaterals to aid them in their endeavors.
Melanie Wilson, Marketing Director, was the President of Speak Up Summit 2007 – 2017; Leader Summit/New Providence/Berkeley Heights B.I.G. (Believe, Inspire, Grow) chapter 2012 – present; past PTO President Washington School; produced Booster Association book Summit Hilltopper, 2008 – 2013; works closely with Summit High School drama department, Speech & Debate Team, and SPARC.
Daria M. Sullivan, Managing Associate/Virtual Assistant, is an actor, writer, director, teaching artist, and virtual assistant. She is also a member of the Burn It Down (BiD) film collective in NYC and Vivid Stage’s ensemble. Daria received her BA in theatre arts and communication from the University of Pittsburgh and now resides in Montclair, NJ (her hometown!)
Logan LaMorte, Box Office Manager is a theatre professional who is a veteran and a graduate of Drew University. He is the Individual Giving Associate at the Paper Mill Playhouse, and a playwright.
Dave Maulbeck, Multimedia Consultant, is an actor in the Vivid Stage ensemble and is also a graphic artist and writer. He specializes in comedic acting, guerrilla film production, storytelling and home-brewed animation.