About Us
Diane Sampson, Book and Lyrics
Diane has written the books and lyrics for 4 other musicals, including Oh, Progeny! (two Bay Area productions) and The Tale of Sleeping Cutie, a commissioned work produced in San Francisco in 2014. Full-length non-musicals include Naked and The Greater Good, a finalist in Memphis’s Playhouse on the Square’s New Works Competition in 2019. Diane’s short plays have been staged in venues as far afield as Seattle, Miami and London, and her short piece Undone was made into a film shown in PlayGround’s Annual Film Festival in 2013. She was an associate producer and co-writer for the documentary Faces of Genocide, winner of an award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2019. Diane is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and delighted to be collaborating with Lauren and Tim on The Most Unlikely Star.
Lauren Mayer, Music and Lyrics
Lauren is a songwriter who works in educational theatre, musical revues, cabaret acts, and her own comedy performances. She wrote the music, lyrics & books for several published children’s shows, including December Rainbow which was commissioned by Broadway by the Bay, and she was the songwriter/music director for Darlene Popovic’s award-winning solo show. She has performed her own comedy songs at Society Cabaret, The Plush Room, Feinstein’s at the Niko, and others, and she is a 5-time recipient of the San Francisco Cabaret Gold Award, as well as a phi beta kappa graduate of Yale University (where she studied songwriting and music theory with composer/lyricist Maury Yeston). Lauren is thrilled to be working with Diane and Tim to help audiences fall in love with Marie Dressler, just like we have.
Tim Heitman, Producer
Tim has spent most of his career as a presenter working for the NYC Nederlander Producing Company at Broadway San Diego and Broadway San Jose. He spent 6 years at the La Jolla Stage Company as Artistic Director where he produced all, directed most, and even wrote some of the work at that theatre. He is currently the General Manger of Society Cabaret and Theatricals and is very proud to be working with Lauren and Diane to produce THE MOST UNLIKELY STAR. If you have any questions or comments about the show, contact Tim at tim@societycabaret.com
or 650-504-9792.
