Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End

An Atlanta native, Lane has enjoyed the privilege of writing and producing content, being a voiceover artist, and performing onscreen and onstage for the past 30 years. Building her reputation as the go-to talent for local, regional, and national companies – Lane has been principal in over 350 TV commercials, corporate videos, and industrial films. Examples include: Delta Airlines, Rooms To Go, KitchenAid, Little Debbie, Chevrolet, Southwest Airlines, Ford, Cintas, Georgia Pacific, Southwest Airlines, Wawa, Home Depot, and Napa Auto Parts. She is an ear-prompter pro and specializes in teleprompter cold reading on camera. Lane has also been a recognizable voice on HGTV Network, as well as numerous TV and radio commercials.

Lane’s most recent onscreen theatrical credits include “Nashville,” “House of Cards,” “The Walking Dead,” “Complications,” “Powers,” Saints and Sinners,” Born Again Virgin,” “Hot Topics,” “Being Mary Jane,” and the movies Scary Movie 5, Dirty Grandpa, and Rampage.

Lane loves the challenge of live theatre, and she’s performed for Actor's Express, the Alliance Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Stage Door, Aurora Theatre, Synchronicity, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, and Theatrical Outfit (where she is an Artistic Associate),

Lane cut her teeth producing content for legendary heritage channel WSB Radio in Atlanta on “The Home Town Radio Show” with Gary McKee and Larry Munson, “The Neal Boortz Show,” and “The Clark Howard Show”. With young children in tow, Lane founded Lane Carlock Productions and executive-produced, wrote, directed, and coordinated production on the series “Get ClarkSmart” for Cablevision.

In 2011, Lane co-founded Nancy Creek Productions. Among other projects, she co-wrote the play Moxie - which was chosen as a recipient of the 2014 Reiser Atlanta Artist’s Lab grant through the Alliance Theatre. Moxie premiered in Theatrical Outfit’s 2016 season, and has won an Inverness Award for Playwriting, the 2016 Suzi Bass Gene-Gabriel Moore Award, and a 2016 Broadway World Award for Best Play in Atlanta.

Lane’ best work by far are her kids, Stephi and Grant, and bonus daughter, Rebecca! Lane has been married to her husband, Clark Howard, for over 2 decades – getting married at the same moments the Braves were busy winning the World Series!

ANTHONY RODRIGUEZ (he/him) a career non-profit leader, is proud to be the first Executive Director of the Hub404 Conservancy. HUB404 is an innovative 9-acre “cap park” that will soar above GA 400 and provide a direct connection to MARTA’s Buckhead rail station. HUB404 will create a dynamic, active, gathering place for the Metro-Atlanta region and transform the core of Buckhead. Prior to joining HUB404, Anthony was President and CEO of Aurora Theatre, a professional theatre he co-founded 26 years ago. He currently serves on various boards, both nationally and locally, including Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Alliance for Musical Theatre (Vice President), Theatre Communications Group, the Citizens Advisory Board for Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful, and the Advisory Board for Public Broadcasting Atlanta which includes the NPR station WABE and PBS station PBA30. Anthony is a past Chair of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, the first Latino and first Arts Leader to hold that position. He served as Vice Chair of Arts for the Chamber and Chair of Partnership Gwinnett and serves on the National Steering Committee for the Latinx Theatre Commons. Anthony is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute, Leadership Atlanta (#2classes) and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures’ Leadership Institute and Advocacy Institute. Anthony, born in New York, and raised in Atlanta, graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. He resides in Duluth with his partner in life, Ann-Carol Pence, and their dog Bella.

ANN-CAROL PENCE (Co-Founder/Producing Artistic Director) arranged the music for Aurora’s first Christmas Canteen in 1996 and was hired full-time in September of 1998 as Resident Musical Director. An education major at James Madison University, she used her background to develop Learning Library (or L2). As a musician, she created Aurora’s Musicals by Moonlight, and Aurora’s New Musical Initiative. She has performed as pianist and music director both nationally (Goodspeed Opera House, Pasadena Playhouse, The Cleveland Playhouse, The Kennedy Center) and locally (The Alliance, Theatrical Outfit, The Horizon, Georgia Ensemble Theatre,). As a proud citizen of Gwinnett, Ann-Carol is most proud of Aurora Theatre winning the first ever Pinnacle Award for Large Non-Profit, and the first ever Moxie Award (for woman-led businesses) for Aurora Theatre. These distinctions go well with her 5 Suzi Awards for Outstanding Music Direction. She was a participant in the 2016 Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute and member of the “Best Class Ever!”

JUSTIN ANDERSON (Associate Artistic Director) has served as Aurora Theatre's Associate Artistic Director since 2014. His directorial work has earned 13 Suzi Bass Award Nominations for Outstanding Direction (Winner for The Bridges of Madison County and Les Misérables at Aurora Theatre, in 2017 and 2013 respectively). He is also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia where he directs and teaches courses in acting and musical theatre. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Campbell University and an M.A. in Theatre Studies from Regent University, with additional course study at Rutgers. Song and Dance marks his last project as a full time staff member at Aurora Theatre, having expanded his storytelling skillset and ability into real estate earlier this year. You can find out more about how he and his partner, Michael Crute, are using real estate to help write the next best chapter of people’s lives at www.welcomehomeatlanta.com. 

MEGAN ROSE-HOUCHINS (Director, THE 12 DATES OF CHRISTMAS) is excited to be back at Aurora this Holiday season! Megan is a co-founder of The Weird Sisters Theatre Project and currently serves as the Weird Sisters’ Business Manager and Board Chairperson. She was last seen onstage as Adriana in The Comedy of Errors at the Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse. Other favorite roles include Casey in Anton in Show Business and Emilia in Desdemona: A Play about a Handkerchief.

DANIEL POPE (Production Manager) is proud to be joining the great team at Aurora Theatre as Production Manager. Daniel has been a sound designer and engineer in the Atlanta area for the past seven years. He’s had the pleasure of designing sound for the Aurora Theatre on many occasions on shows such as: Into the Woods, Christmas Canteen, Sweep, and most recently The Bridges of Madison County. Additionally, he’s worked on countless other productions in the Atlanta theatre community including: Evita and A Streetcar Named Desire as Sound Designer and Production Manager at Serenbe Playhouse. Daniel received a Bachelors in Marketing with a specialization in sales and a minor in Music from The University of West Georgia in 2010.

JON SANDMAIER (he/him) is excited to return to the Aurora, the place he called home for his first four years in the state of Georgia.  He originally hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he designed and built sets for a variety of venues and organizations around the area.  Over the past year he has been working in the television and film industry.  One of Jon's favorite projects was building the boat for Men With Money.

SARAH THOMSON (Scenic Painter) loves to paint and has been gracing the sets of Aurora Theatre for the last 11 seasons. A resident of Johns Creek, she brings her talents and her crew of Jack and Dylan to support her in her endeavors. Sarah designed and painted sets for many years while her daughter danced with Susan Chambers Theatre Dance. In a previous life, she was the scenic artist for Casa Mañana Theatre, Casa on the Square, Fort Worth Ballet, Dallas Shakespeare in the Park, Dallas Summer Musicals and Six Flags. She has worked with Southwest Studios and Stageworks where she served as scenic artist. Children of a Lesser God also featured Sarah’s original artwork. She is accompanied by her man of the North, Ian.