Dolores Aguanno
Founder & Artistic Director

Dolores is responsible for the day-to-day operations of our organization.  She facilitates all workshops and summer camps, and is the producer/director of each production.  Dolores began teaching acting for children and teens over 20 years ago at the Lee Strasberg Theater in New York.  She has worked in the nonprofit arena for over six years teaching a life skills program through creative writing and improvisation in high schools and middle schools throughout LA County, as well as in LA Probation Camps.  Dolores has been directing musical theater productions with the Culver City Department of Parks and Recreation since September, 1999.  It is her passion to help youth discover their innate creativity and provide such a joyous opportunity for their self-expression.  It has been her dream to establish this organization to ensure the continuation of her work, keeping tuition at a reasonable cost and to be able to provide scholarships for kids in need.  Dolores has just completed her Ph.D. in Mythological Studies & Psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara.

Dana Murphy
Camp Operations Manager

Dana Murphy is a graduate of UC San Diego with a B.A. in Theater. She has been involved with dee-Lightful Productions for more than ten years as a performer, musical director, stage manager, assistant director, counselor, camp director, choreographer, co-director, and associate director! Outside of dee-Lightful, she has been fortunate enough to continue her educational and creative explorations by becoming a Co-Founder and Artistic Director of two new theatre companies this past year. She just finished directing and choreographing the inaugural production of Into the Woods, Jr. with the John Adams Middle School Theatre Company (in partnership with the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation) and she is co-directing the play Spring Awakening for the Hollywood Fringe Festival this June (2011) with her company, "Lonesome No More!". Dana loves dee-Lightful and all of its participants as if they were her family and she passionately believes in using theatre and communal creativity to help children and young adults become more comfortable and confident in themselves and with each other.