Skip Ploss, Director
Skip has been active in community theater for more than 30 years in lower Fairfield County. His work has spanned the Wilton Playshop, Westport Community Theater, Musicals at Richter, and Town Players of New Canaan, where he has served as an actor, director, set designer, crew member, board member, and even president of The Wilton Playshop. Over the years, he has directed, written, designed, and appeared in more than 50 productions across Fairfield County. Among his favorite directing credits are: Arsenic and Old Lace, How to Succeed…, 1776, The Foreigner, The Nerd, Wenceslas Square, and numerous musicals staged during his 17 years with Wilton Children’s Theater. Outside the theater, Skip has spent the past 21 years as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Wilton’s Miller-Driscoll School, where he co-founded MDTV - the school’s K-2 video production studio. Skip is also the author and illustrator of seven books for young readers, available on Amazon and, locally, at Wild Child.
Barbara Speare, Music Director
Barbara is thrilled to return to WCT and delighted to work with Skip & Debra. She is most grateful for the fabulous interns, parents, crew, and especially, the wonderful producers, Melissa, Casie, & Laura. Many thanks to the WCT board for this opportunity. Originally hailing from the west, Barbara earned her BFA at Stephens College, MM from the University of Southern California, and has performed extensively from coast to coast. Upon moving to Wilton, Barbara directed the annual musical at Our Lady of Fatima Regional School for 15 years, and has been the music director for over 25 productions locally including at The Wilton Playshop. She is grateful to her husband, Jon, for his support.
Debra MacDonald, Choreographer
Debra MacDonald is an accomplished musical theater choreographer whose past work on shows like West Side Story, The Addams Family, and Oklahoma have been seen on stages in CT, MA, and NY. As an educator, Debra’s teaching philosophy blends professional performance technique with inclusive, foundational training. She currently teaches music and movement at the Greens Farms Nursery School and holds two degrees in early childhood education. Debra previously served as Lower School Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator for the Ballet School of Stamford and taught ballet for 15 years at the CT Dance School. Committed to making dance accessible, Debra co-founded Dance 4 All Abilities, a program for students with varying needs, building on her professional training at institutions like American Ballet Academy and adaptive training at Boston Ballet. Debra is thrilled to be joining the team at Wilton Children’s Theater. Break a leg to Guys & Dolls Jr. cast and crew!
Mike Murin, Set Designer
Mike has been a part of Wilton Children’s Theater since 2020, with all three of his children participating in the program. Over the years he has played a key role in building many sets, including Shrek The Musical Jr., Madagascar, Elf The Musical Jr., Newsies, The Music Man Jr., and Matilda Jr., A sailmaker by trade, Mike brings a craftsman’s precision and a creative eye to every project. Though he has no formal theatrical training, his dedication and design sense have made him an invaluable member of the WCT team. When not painting or building on stage, Mike can be found racing sailboats, where he has earned multiple national championship titles.
Jim Durkin, In Phase Audio, Sound Designer / Implementation
Jim Durkin is the proud owner of In Phase Audio. The 2025-2026th season marks the 37th season for In Phase Audio with WCT. In Phase Audio (IPA) provides on-location sound systems for diverse applications, including all types of music, theater, public speaking, festivals, and sporting events. Although the firm covers a wide geographic area, IPA spends much of its time in Wilton operating sound systems at Middlebrook and Wilton High School graduations and other school events, and WCT Summerstage. Jim, Cotter, Lou, John and the entire crew at IPA look forward to another great performance with WCT.
Craig Gehr, LX Lighting, LLC, Lighting Designer / Implementation
Craig has been working as a lighting designer for concerts, dance, theater, and political events for over 20 years. He has been working with WCT for over 20 years and is looking forward to another successful performance with the group. Craig is the proud owner of LX Lighting, LLC.
