Lauren Albonico earned her BA in Theatre from Washington University in St. Louis (her hometown) and MA in Theatre Education and Outreach from UNM.  She teaches drama part-time with CNM. She has coordinated UNM’s Theatre Classes for Young People program for almost 10 years. She acts and directs locally in Albuquerque, most especially with the Vortex Theatre. She has also worked in St. Louis and Chicago.  She and her husband enjoy raising their three rowdy boys here in the Land of Enchantment.

​

laurendusek@gmail.com

Skye Devore, co-owner of Tractor Brewing Company and Troubled Minds Distilling, has been active with Blackout for 5+ years. In addition to her work with Blackout, she teaches in the Brewing and Beverage Program at CNM, is the President of Nob Hill Main Street and the President of the New Mexico Distillers Guild. She has a BA in Criminology and an MBA in Marketing and Operations Management from UNM. She has been married to her husband Shawn for 14 years and they have six year old twin daughters.

Misty Schuck has 30+ years' experience in the private sector and in public accounting, including not-for-profit and governmental industry. Misty graduated from ENMU with a BBA in Accounting & Business Administration in 1992. She has been with Burt & Company CPAs for 8 years. Misty is a Certified Public Accountant in New Mexico and is a member of New Mexico Society of CPAs, American Institute of CPAs, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Association of Government Accountants – NM & Albuquerque Chapter (AGA), and Institute for Internal Controls. Misty is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant, Certified Government Financial Manager, Certified Fraud Examiner, and Certified Internal Control Auditor. Misty currently serves as a Director on the Board of NM Society of CPAs, Board Treasurer of Storehouse West and Blackout Theatre, Treasurer for NM Chapter of AGA, Past-President of the NM Chapter of AGA and a Financial Standards Reviewer/Grant Panelist for United Way of Central NM.

Penny Gilbert has been living in Albuquerque for 15 years after moving from Reno, NV to pursue her law degree. She has spent the last 11 years as a prosecutor at the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office.

Penny’s first love was theater, particularly musical theater. Her dreams were dashed at age 14 when she realized cats could carry a better tune, so she spent the rest of high school being involved in theater in any way she could. Her love for musicals endures. Penny currently lives in Albuquerque with her horse dog, Jensen. In her free time she loves skiing, hiking, golf, watching rugby and baseball, and of course—theater! She feels honored to be on the Blackout board and to serve her community in a way so different from her day job.

Sheldon Blackhorse has been acting in the Albuquerque area for the past six years, and is a member of The Classless Chaps and Two Worlds Theatre. 

But his true calling is to day dream about being a professional Xbox game player.  The only thing holding him back is that he does not own an Xbox or any other gaming console.

Renato “Renée” Estacio-Burdick is an entertainer (singer, actor, drag performer) and local entrepreneur who is Co-Owner and Artistic Director of Sidewinders Bar & Grill, as well as Executive and Artistic Director of the upcoming Black Cat Cultural Arts Center.  Renato has served as District Director for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, board director for the New Mexico Gay Men's chorus, peer reviewer for the Social Science Quarterly academic journal,  and Commissioner of Music for the State of New Mexico.

Jon Barr is a film and theatre director originally from suburban Philadelphia. He now lives in Portales, New Mexico, where he is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Theatre & Digital Filmmaking at Eastern New Mexico University. He enjoys cooking and is an amateur magician.

Richard Hess is a scenic designer and retired professor of Stagecraft at the University of New Mexico.