Meet “La Havana Madrid’s” Honorary Producers

A powerhouse lineup of theatre fans with extensive ties to SCR joined forces to serve as Honorary Producers for the Outside SCR production of La Havana Madrid.

Apriem Advisors returns for the third year in a row as Season Producers. The Irvine-based wealth management company has served as underwriters for the Gala since 2020, and has an impressive record of supporting Theatre for Young Audience productions, including Dory Fantasmagory (2020), Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (2019), Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience (2019) and Junie B. Jones is Not a Crook (2018).

Michael Ray is also a three-time Season Producer for Outside SCR. It’s a fitting distinction for Ray, who was an early advocate for the Outside SCR initiative that brought theatre under the stars to audiences at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.dditionally, Ray served as Honorary Producer of five mainstage productions, including What I Learned in Paris (2022), A Shot Rang Out (2021), She Loves Me (2020), M. Butterfly (2019) and, as a member of Playwrights Circle,Sheepdog (2019). He has been an underwriter at numerous SCR galas, serving as the Co-Chair in 2021. He joined the theatre’s Board of Trustees in 2018 and currently serves as Vice President of Community Relations, playing an important role not only as an enthusiastic supporter but also as an energetic ambassador for SCR in the community. 

Connie and Dr. Peter Spenuzza/Spenuzza Velastegui Family Foundation make their debut as Honorary Producers of La Havana Madrid. The Spenuzzas’ history with SCR began back in 2006, when they subscribed to the First Nights series on the Segerstrom Stage and then continued their support of the Gala the following year. Since then, their more than 15-year history supporting SCR has been extended through a variety of ways, including several years as members of the Platinum Circle. The Spenuzzas serve as leaders and advocates for the arts in Orange County and their Spenuzza Velastegui Family Foundation has a time-honored history of supporting arts and education.

Associate Honorary Producers Susan Shieldkret and David Dull served as Season Supporters of Outside SCR the previous two years. They previously underwrote several world premieres, including The Canadians (2019), Sheepdog (2019) and Little Black Shadows (2018), the latter two as members of the Playwrights Circle. In 2020, Shieldkret served as co-chair for SCR’s Virtual Gala. She returned as a gala underwriter last year and serves on the Gala committee as a member of the Board of Trustees.

The Corporate Honorary Producer is another familiar SCR patron—Haskell & White LLP. Its impressive history of supporting SCR includes underwriting more than 25 productions and the accounting and consulting firm is one of SCR’s most dedicated corporate partners on productions ranging from mainstage to Theatre for Young Audiences and Families.