CINCINNATI, Ohio — The League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its Board of Directors. Representing higher education, professional performance, arts advocacy, and theatre journalism, these individuals will help advance LCT’s mission to strengthen and promote Greater Cincinnati’s professional theatre community while supporting the educational and semi-professional organizations that help develop the region’s artistic talent.
“We’re excited to welcome such an accomplished group of leaders to the League’s Board of Directors,” said LCT President Liz Eichler. “Greater Cincinnati’s theatre community is entering an exciting new chapter, and these board members bring the experience, perspective, and passion to help move it forward. Together, we’ll continue championing professional theatre while expanding the collaborative services our community has been asking for—from educational programming and networking opportunities to unified auditions and other initiatives that strengthen connections across our theatre ecosystem.”
Dr. Ann Elizabeth Armstrong
Dr. Ann Elizabeth Armstrong is Associate Professor of Theatre at Miami University, where she teaches dramatic literature, theatre history, theatre for social change, and community-based theatre. She holds both an M.F.A. in directing and a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
An accomplished scholar and practitioner, Armstrong has led public humanities projects exploring the history of Freedom Summer through grants from the Ohio Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is co-editor of the forthcoming Devising Theatre for Social Change: Creative Tools for Critical Times (Bloomsbury Methuen) and advises Miami University’s student-led Walking Theatre Project, which focuses on social justice through performance.
Marsha Bennett
Marsha Bennett has enjoyed a professional acting career spanning decades in theatre, film, and television. Her stage credits include Amazing Grace (Off-Broadway), The Food Chain, Over the River and Through the Woods, The Wood Demon at the Mark Taper Forum with the Antaeus Company, and Woman in Mind alongside Helen Mirren in Los Angeles.
Now living in her home state of Ohio, Bennett looks forward to becoming more deeply involved in Greater Cincinnati’s thriving theatre community.
Terry Neumann
A longtime advocate for Cincinnati theatre, Terry Neumann brings both professional experience and a personal passion for the performing arts. As the mother of a local professional actor, she understands firsthand the rewards and challenges of a life in theatre.
Neumann previously served as Box Office Manager at The School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) and even made a brief onstage appearance in the 2021 world premiere of SHOCK, The Spine Tingling Tale of Miss Spidra at Know Theatre. Following a career in the sciences, she is honored to support the artists and organizations that make Greater Cincinnati’s theatre community flourish.
Kirk Sheppard Returns to the Board
LCT also welcomes back Kirk Sheppard, who returns to the Board after more than a decade. A playwright, theatre journalist, novelist, photographer, and licensed professional clinical counselor, Sheppard is the creator of the blog Off Book Cincinnati, where he explores theatre through personal essays rather than traditional criticism.
A member of the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association, Sheppard has published multiple plays and books, including Rope Burn. Before beginning his theatre career, he spent two decades in professional wrestling—an experience that continues to inform his perspective on performance and storytelling.
The League also recognizes the election of local playwright and author Liz Coley to its Board of Directors. Sadly, Coley passed away unexpectedly on June 25, 2026. LCT is grateful for her willingness to serve and extends its deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and the many artists whose lives she touched.
Background
Founded in 1999 by leaders from Cincinnati’s professional theatre community, including Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, and The Cincinnati Enquirer, the League of Cincinnati Theatres exists to encourage collaboration, communication, and advocacy among theatre organizations and artists throughout the region.
Today, LCT represents 26 member companies, along with individual artists and theatre professionals, working together to celebrate and strengthen Greater Cincinnati’s vibrant professional theatre community.
For more information, visit www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.
