2010 N Sepulveda Blvd, Suite A, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, US
Puttin' On Productions Youth Theater 310.546.5544
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Julia has enjoyed co-creating with so many wonderful artists on creative projects during her professional career as a dancer and actress but her true passion has and will always be teaching children the craft she loves. She created Puttin’ On Productions, POPs, in 2007 and seven years later opened The Academy of Dramatic Arts, or TADA Stages. She has directed, choreographed, and/or produced over fifty youth productions.
Julia is a proud mom of Jonah and Jett and grateful she has her husband Mark to share the joys of creating this sacred space for children to learn and grow.
Mark Mirkovich - Co-Founder, Director of Development
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Mark spent more than 20 years in executive management for multi-billion dollar organizations. After leaving his most recent position of Director of Sales at Oracle in 2015 , Mark returned to POPs to work full time for the company he helped found with his wife Julia. Mark has a passion for helping others create change and growth and continues to use his talents to help POPs have a greater impact on our community.
Ashley Henley Chase - Producer, Dir. of Tech Artisans
Julia Mirkovich - Founder, Executive & Artistic Director
Ashley Henley Chase - Producer, Dir. of Tech Artisans
Ashley is proud to be the POPs Producer and Director of Tech Artisans. A child of humble beginnings, Ashley grew up doing shows at school and in community theater. After receiving her BA in Drama, Honors in Stage Management – Ashley freelanced as a stage manager; working with such companies as Dallas Theater Center and The Geffen Playhouse. Eventually Ashley landed at POPs where she found her home. Ashley recognizes the empowering and healing properties of theater and the family and community it creates. It is a dream come true to pass that gift along to the future generation of theater-makers both on AND offstage!
Kimberly Weber - Resident Stage Manager
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Ashley Henley Chase - Producer, Dir. of Tech Artisans
Kimberly Weber is thrilled to be back at POPs as the Resident Stage Manager! She is a Chapman University alum of 2011 with a BA in Theatre Technology and has taught stage management there for the past four years. Her greatest passion is to help support the future performers and technicians in the industry. Working in the Los Angeles area as a professional stage manager for the past ten years, she has been able to work with the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Antaeus Theatre Company, Actors Co-Op Theatre Company, Getty Villa, Lobero Theatre and many more.
Susan Liebson - Business Manager
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Susan has returned to be Business Manager for Puttin' on Productions. She was previously Business Manager from 2013 - 2017. Susan has a BA, JD and MBA from the University of Southern California. She spent her legal career at ARCO and then BP until she retired as Associate General Counsel – Worldwide Refining and Marketing in 2010. She has been a POPs family member since its first production of The Wiz in 2007, and her children participated in every show until they graduated high school. She believes POPs is valuable to the children who participate because they learn teamwork, leadership, collaboration and self-esteem.
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Hazel Seaman - Rising Stars Director/Chor., Website Mgr.
Choreographer and dance educator, Hazel graduated from with a BA in dance from San Jose State University in 2001. Founder/Director of Kairos Dance Company (est. 2006). Her work has been performed throughout California, as well as Ogden, Denver, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Having directed/ choreographed with POPs since 2007, regional choreography credits include the LA Critic's Choice, "A Chorus Line" (2016), "Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire" (National Tour, 2017), Ovation Award Best Musical Winner "Lizzie, the Musical" (2019), and LA Time's Critic's Choice "Fun Home" (2020). Graphic and Web Design: Hazel initiated her training with Blazing Trails Media in 2007 and serves as a freelance designer in the South Bay.
Megan Davis - Mini POPs Director/Choreographer
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Born and raised here in Manhattan Beach, Megan has travelled across Los Angeles performing in musicals as well as directing numerous shows including: The Little Mermaid, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie, Aladdin, Moana, How to Eat Like A Child and many more. Megan learned her love of theatre through POPs when she was twelve in POPs' very first production, The Wiz. From then on POPs has always had her heart. After attending the BFA Musical Theatre program at Indiana University and earning her degree at Loyola Marymount University, she could not be more excited to be back home at POPs passing her love for musical theatre onto the next generation. Megan is extremely passionate about children and fostering that safe space where they can grow not only on stage but off. When she isn't immersed in the magic of theatre, Megan is a cosmetologist and loves using her creativity to change the lives and hair of others!
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Steven is an award-winning Musical Director, and has worked in almost every theatre in the Los Angeles area as well as many across the nation.
Some of his favorite shows have included Godspell, The Rocky Horror Show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Secret Garden, Jekyll and Hyde (Ovation nomination), Candide, Forever Plaid, 1776, Singing in the Rain, to name a few.
He has had the honor of being the guest conductor with the Dallas Symphony and the Denver Symphony, and has played piano around the world for such notables as: John Raitt, Sutton Foster, Shirley Jones, Sandy Duncan, Maureen McGovern, Idina Menzel, Jack Jones, Ken Page, Carol Channing, Susan Watson, Lorna Luft, Christine Ebersole, and Adam Pasquel.
Steven is also a very sought-after recording producer and orchestrator, and in his spare time he is the Director of Music for the Valencia United Methodist Church.
Erline Dorcy - Mini POPs Musical Director
Steven Applegate - Rising Stars Musical Director
Sara Bozin - Mini POPs Assist. Director/Choreographer
Erline is very happy to be part of the POPs family! She is a Los Angeles based actress and singer/songwriter who is a native of Chicago with Haitian roots. She started singing at the age of 5 in the school choir and her love for musicals lead her straight to a life on the stage! Erline received her BA in Theater performance from Columbia College Chicago. After graduating she continued to perform on stages in NYC, Indiana, Chicago and Florida as well as performing internationally in Paris, Japan and London. Some of her favorite roles include, Rafiki in “The Lion King", Ti Moune in “Once on this Island” and Chiffon in “Little Shop of Horrors”. Teaching children Musical Theater is another passion of Erline’s. She has been very privileged to have taught childrenaround the globe over the years. Currently when she’s not living her best life with the kids at POPs, she’s teaching dance to other amazing kids at several schools around the Los Angeles area. To her, theater helps children build character and deal with everyday emotions freely without judgement! The stage is an opportunity to live and play in an unknown world, making dreams and fantasies real...AND ITS FUN! As the great Willy Wonka said, “We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams!”
Sara Bozin - Mini POPs Assist. Director/Choreographer
Sara Bozin - Mini POPs Assist. Director/Choreographer
Sara Bozin - Mini POPs Assist. Director/Choreographer
Sara is thrilled to be a part of the POPs family once again! As a South Bay native, she grew up performing with many local theater groups, including POPs. She is an alum of the Cal State University Fullerton theater program, and has performed in a wide variety of shows throughout the Southern California area. When she’s not performing, she also enjoys practicing other aspects of theater, such as: playwriting, designing costumes, and wig styling. She is thrilled to be a part of a team that creates such a supportive environment for this upcoming generation of young artists!