WPCNR TABLE 50. By John F. Bailey. November 9, 2004, UPDATED November 10, 2004, 11:00 A.M. E.S.T.: Monday evening's First Anniversary Gala introduced a new player in the WPPAC cast: Ms. Joeen Ciannella, has been appointed Development Director for the White Plains Performing Arts Center and the Helen Hayes Theatre Company in Nyack. 

Ms. Ciannella brings the experience of Executive Director of the Hermitage Museum Mansion in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, which she left in September of this year. She is also familiar with the disciplines of theatre financing, having been a member of the Board of Trustees for the Helen Hayes Theatre Company, in Nyack. Ms. Ciannella replaces Melissa Klein as Development Director at the White Plains Performing Arts Center who departed WPPAC this summer. For the last eighteen years, Mis Ciannella worked for the Republican Congresswoman Marge Roukema of New Jersey as Coordinator of Community Affairs, until Ms. Roukema's retirement this year. Ms. Ciannella is also  listed as a member of the Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce.

Joeen Ciannella, Development Director with Tony Stimac, Producing Director at WPPAC Gala last night. Ms. Ciannella says she will be come a familiar figure around White Plains rounding up community input, support and feelings in her efforts to tailor WPPAC to White Plains needs.  Photo by WPCNR StageCam.

Ms. Ciannella said her assignment for White Plains  will be to “work with the community to give back to the community a lot of what they give to us,” and to find out from White Plains what they want in the community theatre. She is reaching out to community groups first. She may be contacted at 1-845-358-2847, Ext. 19.  Asked if she was going to take on a fund-raising role as well, and if the WPPAC was “salvageable,” she said her role is not thoroughly defined yet in that she has only been on board for three weeks.

It could not be determined how Ms. Ciannella’s role will understudy the role Jeffrey Rosenstock has distanced himself from, since Mr. Rosenstock has been associated with WPPAC on a pro bono basis, though he continues to be involved in grants acquisition and program booking. (See previous stories on Rosenstock’s pro bono role.)