President

Stacy caught the theater bug as a child, spending summers in La Veta watching her impressive aunt Peggy (Arnold) direct melodramas for Fort Francisco Days. Captured by the art and madness of the craft, Stacy performed in several plays, musicals, and olios during her school-age years, while also performing in multiple school and community orchestras as a cellist. Stacy then studied Film Theory at San Francisco State University, and went on to spend the next decade working for various productions, filmmakers, and film companies including American Zoetrope, Lucasfilm Ltd., The Walt Disney Company, and Sony Pictures. As a screenwriter, Stacy has won several honors and awards in competition, and wrote and directed a horror film short that aired on the Sci-Fi channel as one of four Halloween shorts along with Tim Burton’s Vincent. Her career in film eventually lead to a second career in entertainment licensing, developing everything from T-shirts to toys and lunchboxes for Lucasfilm Ltd., SEGA of America, and The Pokémon Company, International. Last year, Stacy succumbed to the lure of the Spanish Peaks, and settled here permanently with her husband and three fur babies.

Shane Clouse first became involved in the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts shortly after he and wife Sher moved to La Veta in 1996 and has been on the theater’s Board of Directors for an impressive 21 years! While local audiences will recognize Shane from his many acting roles in FCPA productions over the years, many locals also admire his mastery of the theatre’s sound and light board where he worked his magic coordinating sound, lights and a slide show in 2013’s Respect: A Musical Journey of Women and again in 2015’s Sylvia. A natural comedian, Shane has entertained melodrama crowds as, e.g., “Wing Tip” in The Shame of Tombstone, and pirate “Orin Gold” in The Treasure of Shiver River. He has also entertained dinner theater-goers as the ‘pharmaceutically challenged’ “Tony Conflenti” in Whack Whack, the erstwhile rock star “Stung” in 2014’s The Last Noel and sycophantic conniver “Hasty Dasher” in Jestifiable Homicide. Shane also played the chronically hapless explosives enthusiast “Doug” in 2016’s The Old People Are Revolting, “Charlie” in the 2017 Senior Moments sketches The Code and Growing Old and hapless chef “Terry” in 2019’s Fawlty Towers. Most recently, Shane and wife Sher directed a Salute to Carol Burnett, where he also played a variety of roles. Last year he returned to the stage as the villainous veterinarian in the melodrama, The Vile Veterinarian. Shane also co-directors Melodramas at FCPA.

The FCPA’s favorite “mop lady” Rae Drury became involved with the theater in 2011 after moving “home” to La Veta that year. She has now served on the FCPA board of directors for a number of years. Among the many things Rae does for the theater, she has especially enjoyed being theater manager for the 2015 musical Quilters and the 2016 musical The Marvelous Wonderettes. She’s also loved her melodrama roles as the crusty “Pecos Fergunson” in 2017’s Treachery at Cartilage Creek and the pirate “Burlap Bonnie” in 2014’s The Treasurer of Shiver River, as well as olio roles in the 2011 and 2013 melodramas. Her murder mystery roles have been equally fun, playing the neurotic “Margo Chastain” in Paradise Is Murder and the trashy “Lana Desmond” in The Last Noel. Rae serves as the theater lobby manager, provides and serves refreshments during performances, decorates the lobby for events, welcomes guests and cleans the theater. In her spare time, she exhibits and sells copper enamel paintings from her home studio.

Ellen Wyland is a La Veta Local, moved here with her family at the age of 4 and has been in the area ever since. She has had several jobs in town over the years. Ellen spent 15 years hand dying Fabric for Ricky Tims, diabetes prevention lifestyle coach for the Spanish Peaks Women’s Clinic and now she is currently working for the La Veta Village & the Cuchara Yacht Club. Ellen loves spending her free time not only being a part of the Spanish Peaks Players for many years now, she also loves being artistic, or hanging out with friends & family. Past show credits include Death by Dessert, Sylvia, Happy Hollandaise, and Paradise is Murder, among many murder mystery theater dinners After many years off the stage, Ellen returned in 2024’s Steel Magnolias as the delightful “Shelby”. Ellen’s biggest joys in life are her son Alex & daughter Emma. Ellen is currently a board member for the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts.

Mitzi Keairns, a true La Veta native and one of its most recognized residents, graduated from La Veta High School and from the University of Northern Colorado then departed Colorado for points east. Having lived in Rhode Island and New Jersey for a number of years, Mitzi and her husband Don returned to La Veta in 1999 to help her dad run Charlie’s, later assuming full ownership and operation of the historic La Veta store until selling it in the spring of 2012. Don and Mitzi are the parents of two daughters and two sons and grandparents to a few grandchildren. In her spare time, what little there’s been of it in recent years, Mitzi has been a tireless participant in various local organizations including Rotary Club, Hermosa Club, PEO, Friends of the Francisco Fort and the Chamber of Commerce, to mention a few. As if that’s not enough to keep her busy, Mitzi is also a member of the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts’ Board of Directors while enjoying (in her free –? – time) reading, cooking, writing, traveling and various outdoor activities. La Veta theater aficionados will recognize Mitzi as the ditzy waitress “Frankie” in Death by Dessert, as TV moderator “Jane Lemur” in Town Meeting (a role that clearly demonstrated that Mitzi belongs in the spotlight!) and as “The Woman” in The Shame of Tombstone. 

Rafe Schneider graduated with a minor in theater. Rafe has assisted in several of the kid's shows at the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts. Most recently, Rafe has appeared in the melodramas The Ballad of Gopher Gap and The Adventures of Cyclone Malone: The Wattalottawatta River Pirates. In 2024, Rafe played the role of the brilliant “Sir Bedevere” in Spamalot: the Musical and will be appearing in Fall Follies for the second year in a row.

Liz is our newest member of the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts.  Some of her stage experience includes 2 seasons at the Diamond Circle Melodrama in Durango, “Titania” in A Midsummer Night's Dream, “Sheila” in Hair and “Fraulein Kost” in Cabaret.  She also has an extensive background in Children's Theatre, and worked as both a Prop Master and Costume assistant. She was excited to be a part of 2024’s Spamalot and hopes to be involved with every show, hereafter. Liz also helps direct and assist with our youth performances.