Tony Braithwaite
Artistic Director
TONY BRAITHWAITE is a Philadelphia-area native, who returned to the East Coast after an acting stint in L.A. and he has led ACT II Playhouse as Artistic Director since 2012. Tony has worked as an actor, writer, director, or comic with every major theatre company in the region, including The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Arden Theatre Company, Delaware Theatre Company, 1812 Productions, Bucks County Center for thePerforming Arts, Maukingbird Theatre, and Montgomery Theater. Since 2003, he has appeared in, written or directed many of the Playhouse’s most successful productions, including Christmas in the Catskills, Boca, Say Goodnight Gracie, Electile Dysfunction, Didn’t Your Father Have This Talk With You?, Driving Miss Daisy, Forbidden Broadway, and multiple Neil Simon plays. Tony is a 13-time Barrymore Award nominee, a 4-time emcee of the ceremony, and a 3-time winner (2 wins for performances at Act II – The Big Bang and The Story of My Life). Since 1995 Tony has also been the Director of Dramatics at his beloved alma mater, St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (aka “the Prep”). tonybraithwaite.com
Pat Taddei
Director of Finance and Operations
PAT TADDEI joined Act II in 2015 as Business Manager and Development Associate. Pat’s role aligns with her love of theatre and live music, and follows an extensive career in Business Management in the fields of computerized inspection systems, powder metallurgy, and finance. In 2020, Pat was named Director of Finance and Operations at the Playhouse. A native of Montgomery County, she relocated from New Jersey back to her home state, and is delighted she can now walk to work.
Michael Jastroch
Director of External Relations
MICHAEL JASTROCH joined Act II in 2024. He is a comedic actor, writer, and acting teacher based in Philadelphia, PA. As the founder of ColdTowne Theater and the Austin Sketch Comedy Festival, he played a crucial role in the explosive growth of the Austin, Texas comedy scene from 2005 to 2020. As the theater’s Executive Director, Michael led fundraising initiatives and corporate outreach, producing leadership programs for numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Whole Foods, Dell Computers, Indeed, and many others. He has received numerous awards for his work, including “Best Comedy Group” in the Austin Chronicle Readers Poll and the B. Iden Payne Award for “Outstanding Improv Ensemble.” His projects have won Best of Fest at the Lone Star Sketch Festival and the Frontera Fringe Festival, and he has earned a Critic’s Pick in the Austin Chronicle Readers Poll. His podcast, Victrola!, was named one of Austin’s “Best Comedy Podcasts” and has been featured in Splitsider and the Huffington Post.
Nick Cardillo
Director of Marketing
NICK CARDILLO joined Act II in 2022. A Montgomery County native, he is a graduate of Susquehanna University holding degrees in Theatre and Journalism. While at the Playhouse, Nick has taken on Assistant Directing duties for Mistakes Were Made and Christmas in the Catskills and was the Dramaturg for Gaslight. He appeared on the Playhouse stage in It’s Only a Play and has performed locally at Montgomery Theater, Playcrafters of Skippack, Dutch Country Players, and Town & Country Players. Nick is an avid reader, a passionate film buff, and a published author.
Carolyn Dixon
Production and Company Manager
CAROLYN DIXON joined Act II Playhouse in 2022 after four years as Lead Production Manager for Without A Cue Productions (WAC), an interactive events and immersive theatre company based in Bucks County. Carolyn comes from a long history of producing niche, custom themed entertainment. Among her favorite productions, she produced, “Masque of the Red Death” which sent audiences on an Edgar Allan Poe themed scavenger hunt through the Collingswood Grand Ballroom during an epic masquerade ball. Notably, she has worked for Cape May Museum Arts & Culture (MAC) as a historical interpreter at the Emlen Physick Estate. Pairing MAC with WAC, Carolyn was able to create new historic entertainment for the Cape May community. Carolyn is also a performer and is usually involved in some sort of murder most foul with Without A Cue. A Montgomery County native, she lives with her husband, Michael, and their Australian Shephard, Sydney.
Pat Sabato
Resident Stage Manager
PAT SABATO joined Act II in 2013 and has been an Actor’s Equity Association (AEA) Stage Management professional since 1997 working on over 100 professional productions and over a dozen world premieres. Pat has stage managed with every major theatre company in the Philadelphia area, including 1812 Productions, Arden Theatre Company, Azuka Theatre, InterAct Theatre, Lantern Theatre, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, and the annual PlayPenn play development program. She is married to Edmund Sabato and they are the delighted parents of Christina, Kate, Jess, and Daniel, and grandparents to Zija.
Rose Marie Kettinger
Education Coordinator
ROSE MARIE KETTINGER joined Act II in 2019 and is a career educator having spent 22 years as Assistant Principal at St. Joseph’s Preparatory School in Philadelphia (aka “the Prep”), with additional classroom and administrative roles at Cardinal O’Hara, Lansdale Catholic and the Academy of Notre Dame. Rose has performed and assisted in school productions and been an avid supporter of students of all ages in the performing arts. She now resides in Worcester with her husband Rick, and is a proud Mimi to her granddaughters.
Chelsea Sharp
Audience Services Associate
CHELSEA SHARP joined Act II in 2023, and she spends the rest of her time working as an actress, musician, and dancer. A Montgomery County native, she has been seen performing at Dorney Park, Pines Dinner Theater, and Everybody’s Theatre Company. She is a graduate of Rowan University, with a degree in Theater and a minor in Dance.
Marrie Hadfield
Audience Services Associate
MARRIE HADFIELD joined Act II in 2024. She is originally from the greater Philadelphia area, danced for 30 years as a classical ballet artist. Her earliest performances were in the former Pennsylvania Ballet’s Nutcracker. She earned her Master in Fine Arts degree while dancing with the San Diego Ballet and the San Diego Opera. Marrie then joined Ballet West in Salt Lake City and acted as Principal Artist, Director of Ballet West’s Educational Programs, and a member of the Artistic Staff. With Ballet West, she toured throughout the country including performances at The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap Park, and Aspen, Colorado. During these same years, she was the Director of the Madeleine Festival of the Arts and Humanities, and in 1996 won the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in the state of Utah. After she retired from the stage, Marrie moved to Rhode Island and joined Festival Ballet Providence where she taught ballet to students of all ages. She also worked for the Providence Singers and the Abramyan String Quartet as their Managers. Since returning to her home state, Marrie has been a Medicare Specialist, a florist, and a creator of mala beads from gemstones. She is thrilled to be back – truly at home – in the theater with Act II Playhouse.
Michael Donovan
Stand-up Comedy Producer
MICHAEL DONOVAN joined Act II in 2012. A comedian since he was just 14, Mike inaugurated the Playhouse’s stand-up comedy shows in 2012, and has facilitated workshops and classes for Act II, including the popular Stand-up Comedy Workshop. He is a graduate of LaSalle University, with additional certifications from Villanova University and Temple University.
Ed Sabato
House Manager
EDMUND SABATO joined Act II in 2015 as a member of the Box Office and House Management team. His spent his corporate career in marketing communications and creative services before turning to the arts as Marketing Director for the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. Ed is a playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. His plays have been produced in Philadelphia, in Normal, Illinois, and in Wilmington, Delaware, and have been selected for Zoom readings in Tennessee and Philadelphia. Ed has also been a performer or understudy for area theaters. Ed is married to Pat Sabato, Act II’s Resident Stage Manager.