PPP Staff

Leslie Stupple

Leslie Stupple

Artistic Director/Musical Theater Educator

Leslie is a founding member of Pied Piper Players, Inc. With a strong belief that cultural arts are the lifeblood of a healthy, intelligent and enriched society, she has been teaching drama and life skills through drama for over 25 years. Before moving to San Francisco, Leslie worked 13+ years with emotionally and developmentally challenged children and teens.

“Theater is a wonderful teaching tool. We learn a great deal about life, others and ourselves through participation in a cooperative venture. There’s no better way to develop communication, appropriate expression and respect than coming together to work on a project with a common goal.”

She earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree at Suny New Paltz under the tutelage of Dr. Beverly Brumm.

Jad Bernardo

Jad Bernardo

Musical Director/Conductor

A transplant from NYC, Jad has performed with elite from both the Operatic and Broadway communities. He served on the faculty/staff at New York University and Adelphi University.

Favorite music directing engagements include Evita, Songs for a New World, Fugitive Songs, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables, Hair, Spring Awakening, The Fantasticks, Footloose, Ragtime, Five Guys Named Moe, featuring Grammy Winner Nathan Best, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Sweeny Todd, The Johnny, Extraordinary, and the off-Broadway hit, Pinkalicious!

Jad served as coach/pianist for Knoxville Opera Studio’s productions of Suor Angelica, Lucia de Lammermoor, and The Telephone, Anchorage Opera’s Suor Angelica/I Pagliacci and Eugene Oneign. He conducted the premire of Kristin Hevner’s electronica opera Wednesday Before Last at New York City’s Music Concert Series. Orpheus and Eurdice by Ricky Ian Gordon.

Virginia Musante

Virginia Musante

Theater Professional and Theater Educator Extraordinaire

Virginia has been directing children, teens, and adults throughout the Bay Area for over thirty years. For many years, she was best known as the Drama Teacher at Bowditch Middle School in Foster City, where she directed large school musicals annually. She is co-founder of the SNAP@DAC program for performing arts students with special needs and has directed many productions for the Hillbarn Theater’s Conservatory and Mainstage productions. She works for the Education Department at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont. Virginia is an avid improvisational actor and has spent many years doing improv in the San Francisco bay area.

Rick Reynolds

Rick Reynolds

Vocal and Music Director

 Rick’s philosophy: Everyone needs music in their life. Rick thrives on performing and teaching music to groups large and small.

His first show with PPP back in 2006, The Music Man, included his entire family—wife, daughters, mom-in-law. It launched an incredible relationship between RR and PPP. He helped make PPP the company it is today. Thank you, Rick!

PPP Board of Directors

Susan Melanson

Vice President

Graphic Designer

Lois Nix

Treasurer

CFO Executive

Melanie Pavate

Secretary

Executive

Melissa Koomey

Director

Corporate Executive

Alisa Menell

Director

Marketing Executive

Marcel Munroe

Director

HR Professional

Sam Scott

Director

Curator of Aviation Collections, SFO Museum

Leslie Stupple

Director

HR Manager

Past PPP Presidents

Dr. Lawrence Shore

President 2001–2003

David Merenbach

President 2003–2004

Saili Gosula

President 2004–2006

Vivian Polishuk

President 2006–2008 & 2011–2018

Steve Ruwe

President 2008–2009

David Issel

President 2009–2011

Jenese Sieben

President 2018–2023