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Discovery Theater Staff

Brigitte Blachere, Program Manager, Youth and Family Programming
Brigitte has been a program manager with Smithsonian Associates for 25 years. Drawing on her professional experience in the worlds of performance and production, her work focuses on developing and producing diverse, innovative, and high-quality arts and performance events and programs at the Smithsonian. Brigitte heads the Youth and Family team in creating and producing museum- based educational programs for Discovery Theater, Smithsonian Sleepovers, and the Smithsonian Summer Camps, one of the largest programs in the country. Brigitte was the recipient of the 2011 Smithsonian Spirit award in recognition of her work in the arts and museum education.

Sam Game, Theater Producer
Sam officially joined the Discovery Theater team in January 2015, but started out as an understudy for Albatross in June, 2014. He is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and The George Washington University where he received a B.S. in Economics and a Minor in Theater. After various on and off-stage roles, Sam served as Production Manager for Discovery Theater from 2015 through 2024. Sam was also the Program Manager for Discovery Theater's Creative Tools for Teaching program managing a team of teaching artists performing and teaching in DCPS Schools from 2015 through 2019. Other directing and production credits include Washington Revels, GWU Department of Theater and Dance, Catholic University, Flying V, and Adventure Theater.

Diana Matson, Operations Coordinator
Diana relocated to Washington, DC from Atlanta, Georgia in September 2023. She holds a BFA in Animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design, with a concentration in production. Prior to joining the Smithsonian Associates Youth and Family Programming team in February 2024, Diana served as an operations coordinator and producer for several animated short films, working with both students and clients on commissioned projects. She later shifted her focus to working in various capacities within the museum field including education, exhibits, operations, and community engagement.

Makenzi Wentela, Resident Stage & Touring Manager
Kenzi is a graduate from Michigan Technological University where she received a B.S. in Theater and Entertainment Technology with minors in Art and Performance. Her first production with Discovery Theater was Seasons of Light in December (2022), and since then she has worked with Discovery Theater on Seasons of Light (2023), Lions of Industry: Mothers of Invention (2024), and Mother Earth and Me (2024). During the 2024 summer season Kenzi worked on the Smithsonian Summer Camp staff, and she also works with the DC theater company We Happy Few as a Stage Manager and an Artistic Associate.