(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater has announced that Lucy Shea and Orion Lopez-Ramirez will serve as the helm of this company's leadership team for the 2026 season. From Philadelphia, PA, Lucy Shea will serve as PST's Artistic Director, with Orion Lopez-Ramirez of Los Angeles, CA as Executive Director. Both are theater minors at Princeton University.
The new team is well into preparations for the coming season, which opens June 11th. Season details, including titles, directors, casts, and educational opportunities will come soon.
For over fifty years, Princeton Summer Theater has provided the central New Jersey community with high-quality works of theater produced by young artists, and continues to be dedicated to training and fostering the talent of the up-and-coming leaders of the theater world. This summer will mark the company's 56th season.
Shea is returning to Princeton Summer Theater after her work in directing and writing the Children's Show and workshops last year. An English concentrator graduating next year, Shea is a director, actor, and arts administrator. They recently directed Eurydice at Theatre Intime, Dependence at the Lewis Center for the Arts, and is directing her upcoming theatrical thesis The Children's Hour.
On returning this year, Shea says "As director of the children's show, I was able to interact personally with so many of our community members, and loved the opportunity to meet families and hear about their experience with us. As Artistic Director, I'm excited to continue and build on those connections. Creating the season has been incredibly rewarding, finding shows that will excite and challenge our young artists and speak to our wonderfully intergenerational audience."
Lopez-Ramirez is also returning to Princeton Summer Theater, reprising his leadership role as Executive Director. On returning, he says "I look forward to continuing to push our company's artistic ambitions forward and support our talented network of artists this year." A politics and international affairs concentrator graduating this year, Lopez-Ramirez is an actor and arts administrator whose recent roles on stage include his theatrical thesis How to Live at the End of the World and A Thread of Golden Ashes.
The rest of the executive board includes Kat McLaughlin '25 as Publicity Director, Kristen Tan '26 as Company Manager, and James Morales '26 as Executive Assistant. All were a part of Theatre Intime, with three members of this executive board (McLaughlin, Lopez-Ramirez, and Shea) as consecutive General Managers of the theater.
Orion Lopez-Ramirez returns for his second year as Princeton Summer Theater's Executive Director. Graduating this Spring from Princeton University, he will earn an A.B. in Public and International Affairs with minors in Urban Studies and Theatre. An actor, designer, and administrator from Los Angeles, his recent acting credits include his theatrical thesis How to Live at the End of the World and A Thread of Golden Ashes. His recent work at Hamilton Murray included his performance in The Game's Afoot and the sound design of Yaga, and he was the General Manager of Theatre Intime. Outside of theater, his policy research focused on urban housing and equitable development, including a senior thesis examining Los Angeles's Transit Oriented Communities program.
Lucy Shea is honored to be serving as Artistic Director for Princeton Summer Theater's 56th season. A current Princeton Undergraduate, Shea is pursuing a degree in English with minors in Theatre and Teacher Preparation. A director, actor, and arts administrator, Shea's recent directorial credits include Eurydice, Dependence, and last year's children show at PST The Odyssey. Shea's acting credits also span the Murray Theater and Lewis Center for the Arts, including Bridges of Madison County and Manual for a Desperate Crossing. Shea has also spent two terms on Theatre Intime's Executive Board as General Manager and Publicity Director.
Kat McLaughlin returns for her third season at Princeton Summer Theater, this year as Publicity Director. A recent graduate of Princeton University, with an A.B. in Anthropology and minors in Theatre and Environmental Studies, her research investigates environmental belief systems, action, and policy. A director, lighting designer, and intimacy director from NYC, her recent credits including at the Murray Theater and Lewis Center for the Arts include: Bridges of Madison County, Pippin, Drift (Lighting), Frankenstein, Carrie, Eurydice (Intimacy), and Yaga, Celebration, Party Time (Direction). She spent four terms aboard Theatre Intime, including the roles of General Manager and Technical Director.
Kristen Tan is delighted to be Company Manager for their debut season at Princeton Summer Theater. Graduating this Spring from Princeton University, they have a concentration in Comparative Literature and a minor in Theater. A playwright, designer, and performer from Chesapeake VA, their recent credits in sound design include A Moment of Silence and Safe Harbor at the Lewis Center for the Arts, and All My Sons and Eurydice at Theatre Intime. Their other works at the Murray Theater include performances in Company and Yaga, and their play Missing Dog, Very Helpful. Especially passionate about original works, they were Original Projects Director on Theatre Intime's board and plan to pursue playwright development post graduation.
James Morales returns to Princeton Summer Theater for his second season as Executive Associate. Graduating this Spring, he will receive his degree in Anthropology with a minor in History of Science. With expertise in archival and interview-based methods, his research focuses on transgender healthcare transmisogynistic academic discourse within the social sciences. His theatrical expertise is primarily in producing, with credits including Yaga at the Murray Theater and multiple terms spent on Theatre Intime's board as Business Manager and Archivist. Other credits include Scenes of Connection in Costume Design and Manual For a Desperate Crossing in Stage Management at the Lewis Center for the Arts.
Since its inception more than fifty years ago, Princeton Summer Theater has produced great works of theater created by the stars of tomorrow. PST is dedicated to training the up-and-coming leaders of the theater world, offering young artists the opportunity to hone their craft in every area of theater production, from performance and direction to marketing and design. Housed in the charming, historic Hamilton Murray Theater on Princeton Campus, PST is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to training up-and-coming theater professionals while offering high-quality, affordable theater to New Jersey.
PST has launched the careers of hundreds of young artists. Some of PST's notable alumni include Tony Award-winning actress Bebe Neuwirth (Damn Yankees, Chicago), TV and Broadway playwright Winnie Holzman (Wicked, My So-Called Life), lighting designer and Broadway assistant designer Alex Mannix (Hadestown, Lempicka), associate Broadway director (Ragtime, Into the Woods) and Hollywood veteran William Hootkins (Star Wars, Batman).
