Our Officers

Brad Slavik – President

Brad is a graduate of Webster University with a BA in Music Education.

He is a retired Federal Employee of 38 years in the fields of photogrammetry, project management, and federal contracting. He is also an actor with over 50 years experiences in St. Louis theater working with several professional, semi-professional, and community theater companies. He is also a composer with music performed by various groups and theatrical productions. He also dabbles in directing and playwriting. In 2005, after the death of First Run’s founder Dr. Don Weiss, Brad became President of First Run, stepping down in 2015, and reassuming the position in 2025.

Shanaz Ahmed – Vice President

Philip Wright – Artistic Director

Philip Wright is an Actor, Director, Acting Coach, and Playwright.
Former Executive Director and Board Member for St. Louis, Missouri
regional theatre group, TRUE Community Theatre, bringing seasoned
writers and performers together with those who are just beginning
their theatre experience through the production of works based on
social justice issues.

A Board Member and Peer Mentor for Troops 2 Logistics, providing U.S. Military members support during their transition from military service into the civilian work force, Phil retired after ten years as Quality Assurance and Relocation Management Specialist focused on U.S. Military members and private sector Executives and their families involved with both domestic and international transfers providing life style acclimation and career search assistance to the employee, spouse/partner, and their family.

Jeanne Whitmire – Treasurer

Jeanne is a graduate of Fontbonne  University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  She is a retired mortgage professional having worked for local banks and a credit union. She ran her own mortgage company for over 10 years and has served on the boards of the Missouri Association of Mortgage Professionals and Allegiant Mortgage. Jeanne is an avid supporter and lover of theater and the arts.

Ann Egenriether – Secretary

Ann has been involved with the community theatre scene in St. Louis since 2009 having appeared with numerous St. Louis groups in a variety of fun and challenging roles, including Clayton Community Theatre, Family Musical Theatre, First Run Theatre, Marble Stage, Meramec Community College Theatre, St. Louis University and Theatre Guild of Webster Groves.  Ann trained professionally in Chicago in theatre and voice and has also performed in Chicago and Denver. 

Ann holds an M.A. in English Literature from St. Louis University and spent her professional career working in a variety of industries, including securities/brokerage, the medical field and the legal field in various positions. Her career in the legal field has spanned over 40 years with firms in both Denver and St. Louis where she performed as legal secretary, teaching assistant, office manager and legal assistant. 

Ann has a daughter, Kate, and a granddaughter, Lucy, and two pretty and pretty crazy dogs. 

Our Board Members

Lauren Smith Bearden

Lauren Smith Bearden is a costume and event designer based in St Louis, Missouri. Prior to moving to St. Louis, she completed her MFA in Theatre with an emphasis in costume design and technology at the University of Florida. She has been designing and making costumes for the Saint Louis theatre community and throughout the Midwest ever since. Bearden works for local colleges such as Missouri Baptist University, East Central College and Fontbonne University as a guest designer, director, and instructor. 

Devon Cahill

Jenn Ciavarella

Technical Director for FRT

Deb Dennert

Deb is happy to serve on the Board of First Run and would like to thank everyone who encouraged her to serve.  Though she’s been seen in several productions at First Run and will be performing in the future, working on the Board will be new and exciting for her.  Deb has performed in various theatrical productions in the St. Louis area for the past 30 years. She believes First Run is an excellent vehicle to help aspiring playwrights, performers, and directors get their shot at being seen and heard.

St. Louis has a wealth of talent, and we should encourage them to shine.

David Hawley

Tammy O’Donnell

Brad Slavik

Rita Winters

Rita Winters hails from Chicago and has been active in the St. Louis theater scene since 2015.  Besides plays, Rita also writes poetry, short stories, essays and creative nonfiction which has appeared in Mensa Magazine, McSweeney’s online and The Clothesline Review. A spiritual memoir, THE GREEN DESERT, was published by Crossroad/Carlisle, New York in 2004.

She is a former EVP Executive Creative Director for J. Walter Thompson advertising agency, has a B.A. in English from Elmhurst College and a Certificate of Creative Writing from Washington University, and also attended Goddard College’s MFA program. She currently acts as moderator for the St. Louis Writers’ Group, an offshoot of FRT.