Board of Directors

Carol Burba - President

Carol Burba has been a part of the MCP for a long time, dedicating countless hours to directing and behind the scenes work. In addition to directing many plays for the Manistee Civic Players, Burba estimates that she’s been in the cast for about 15 productions. Her nickname is "Christmas Carol", that is because she has directed the last 10 Christmas productions for the MCP. Notable ones being, A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol, Elf, and Matilda. She is a retired employee of Family Health Care, which is based in Baldwin and has facilities throughout central Michigan. She has supervised in-school clinics in Baldwin, White Cloud and Grant. Her favorite pastimes include kayaking and traveling.

Paula Laws - Vice President

Paula is a longtime lover of the arts in all forms. She has two adult children who are grown and have flown the nest, she also has an army of furry children. She is nearly a decade long member of the MCP board. She has acted, directed, and assisted backstage.

Thomas Richert - Treasurer

Thomas Richert has been an MCP Board member off and on since the 1990's. He has served as President during the Ramsdell Restoration and even was hired as the summer Managing Director in 1987. He acted on the Ramsdell stage in 1983 in, The Pirates of Penzance where he met his wife, Libby Chapman. (They have been married 41 years!) Tom has directed and performed for the Manistee Civic Players ever since. He recently retired from a 39-year teaching career. He was the Drama Director and award-winning Forensics team coach at Mason County Central, in Scottville.

Kathleen Smogoleski - Secretary

Kathleen has been part of the Manistee Civic Players since 2007. She has been involved with acting, stage managing, assisting directing, helping with costumes, and being a board member. In her "spare" time she works as a medical assistant, playing trivia, spending time with family and friends. She is enjoying her empty nest with her husband since her stepson went to CMU, Go Chips!

Kate Berridge - Trustee

Kate moved to Manistee from Metro Detroit in 2016. A lifelong pattern of the arts, Kate's first time on stage wasn't until 2022 in MCP's production of Oliver! She was in Leader of The Pack in 2023 and has enjoyed helping backstage for various MCP productions. Her experience with the Civic Players/Community Theatre has been the true definition of community: a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Carson Salingue - Trustee

Carson has been with the MCP for over 11 years out of his 18 years of living, the youngest to ever serve on the board of directors for the MCP. Carson is currently attending West Shore Community College. Afterwards he plans on transferring into Northern Michigan Univ. to start his studies in medicine. He hopes to become a Surgical Technician after he’s done with college. He has been acting for over 13 years, his first production was Annie at just 5 years old, and most recent role is Ed Perkins in It Was a Dark & Stormy Night. Whenever he isn’t on stage, or immersed in his studies, you can find him working at Chef Jared & Company or Manistee's Alpine Chocolat Haus!

Dr. Ben Hengy - Trustee

Dr. Ben Hengy has been a board member for the MCP for several years now and has been in involved and performed in numerous productions since 2003 including Matilda, The Adams Family Musical, Young Frankenstein the Musical, It's A Wonderful Life Musical and White Christmas to name a few. When not working as an Ears, Nose and Throat specialist he is involved in writing plays and has written Til Covid Do We Part, The Heartbreak Waiting Room and a murder mystery titled Murder in The Victorian Port City. Ben has directed A Bad Year for Tomatoes and codirected Steel Magnolias and Cemetery Club. His greatest joy is his three children Miranda, Meredith and Jonah Hengy.

Jackie Karnisz - Trustee

Jackie Karnisz has been a part of the MCP for many years. She started off acting, then directing, and then producing. There were other things thrown in there: make up, costuming, helping with set, stage managing, as well as custodial.
"Life's a stage, keep up the act."

Mike 'Mik' Mikula - Trustee

Mik has been a professional theatre artist for more than 25 years, throughout the United States, primarily in the Midwest. He is an Actors Equity Association member, a director, he has worked in education, repertory summer theatre, all aspects of technical theatre, touring management, fund raising, grant writing, film, television, voice over, print, industrials, and others.

Rebecca Barker - Trustee

Rebecca Barker has been an enthusiastic community theatre actor since 1991. She moved to Manistee in 2019, where her first production was Elf the Musical. She has been an MCP board member since 2021. A proud member of the Michigan Playwright's Project, one of her plays was chosen for LACA'S 10 Minute Play festival in spring 2025.