Betsy Longoria – Executive Director, Village Stage Productions
Betsy (Stewart) Longoria is originally from Napa, CA, where she participated in theater productions at her high schools (Vintage High School and New Technology High School) and local community college (Napa Valley College). From an early age, Betsy had a strong desire to be on stage, and looked up to such performers at Bette Midler, Gene Kelly, and Julie Andrews.
After testing out acting and enjoying her experiences in several productions, she discovered a true love of being in charge backstage during her high school production of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. She went on to stage manage several other productions, eventually directing Curtain Going Up for a final project her senior year.
College brought Betsy first to UC Santa Cruz, and then to CSU Monterey Bay in 2000. There she discovered a team of instructors and students who created exciting new theater productions, integrating film, media, and live video into stage productions. Betsy landed the role of Stage Manager for Twilight, Los Angeles, 1992, where she learned the in-depth approach to Stage Management for multi-media productions. She graduated in 2004 with a major in theater and minor in business, with the goal of owning her own community theater.
From 2000-2011, Betsy worked on the Monterey Peninsula as a Stage Manager, Technical Crew, and House Manager for over 30 productions. Some of her most memorable productions include: The Vagina Monologues (CSUMB, 2002, 2003, 2004), The Mousetrap (CSUMB, 2003), A Midsummer Nights Dream (CSUMB, 2004), Fuddy Meers (Unicorn Theater 2002), Side Man (Unicorn Theater, 2004), Proof (Unicorn Theater 2006), Les Miserable (Forest Theater Guild, 2003), The Sound of Music (Forest Theater Guild, 2004), and My Fair Lady (Forest Theater Guild, 2007).
Betsy and her family relocated to Elk Grove, CA in 2011 to be closer to extended family. She took a break from work for a few years to start a family and focus on being a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters, and has spent the last four years volunteering as a Girl Scout Troop Leader and on the PTO for her daughters’ school. She is so grateful for the opportunity to fulfill her dream and bring a new community theater to Elk Grove!