We assemble a special creative and production team specifically for each project.
Matthew (MJ) Herson
A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, MJ began his career skating professionally with Peggy Fleming and Ice Follies. Subsequently, he moved to the corporate offices for Inter-Continental Hotels (New York City) and was Assistant Treasurer for Master Hosts International, (Los Angeles). Since 1986 he has been creating and producing strategic special events founding I.D.E.A.S Inc. in 1995, and the Herson Group Ltd. in 2001.
Today MJ is particularly interested in blending new communications and theatrical technologies to make the next generation of events more interactive, effective, powerful, and, of course, fun.
Jennifer Shea
Jennifer credits MJ (and Tom Stoppard!) for inspiring her to use fun to communicate ideas. A former member of the Cornell Theatre Arts faculty and university administrator, she began collaborating with MJ in the mid 1980’s- first by revamping a summer repertory theatre and scripting civic celebrations and, ultimately, in conceiving and crafting strategic events. She enjoys adapting theatrical ideas, methods, and styles to serve institutions’ specific communications needs, i.e. creating smart fun.
As part of her HG collaboration, she has written numerous video scripts (University of Chicago, Texas A&M, Duke); speeches (Christopher Reeve and Dick Button); and plays (for Harvard The Harvard Letters, performed by John Lithgow and Stockard Channing; for the Peabody Essex Museum A Cabinet: That every mariner may possess the history of the world). Recently, she completed her first YouTube video.
A student of 20th Century British Theatre, she aspires to use the power of the theatre to stimulate thought and action.
Camille Lee
Camille Lee is a web developer, graphic designer and illustrator. Camille designs user-friendly, accessible, attractive websites and web applications as well as identity packages for print and web. She is currently the director of web production at the Employment and Disability Insitute at Cornell University and a freelance designer. Camille has taught web and graphic design at Cornell University and is the designer of the Herson Group Ltd's current website. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Interior Design from Cornell University.
Matt West
Matt West brings Broadway panache to HG events. There he choreographed The Beauty and the Beast (Drama-Logue Award, Olivier, Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle Award nominations) and Lestat. Regionally, he worked on Elton John and Tim Rice's Elaborate Lives. Little Shop of Horrors (Buenos Aires), The Wanderer (Tokyo's Parko Theatre). The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan (Disney Home Video). The Nutcracker (Disney Channel). Mr. West played Bobby in the film version of A Chorus Line directed by Sir Richard Attenborough.
Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips has written the scores for all the Herson Group’s films and videos including Harvard, Yale, Cornell, the University of Chicago, Duke, Union, and Texas A&M. His credits include over 400 films for PBS, ABC, CBS, Discovery Channel, TLC, Lifetime, A&E and HBO, which have amassed a long list of industry awards.
His score for the PBS film The Murder of Emmett Till contributed to both a national primetime Emmy award and the Special Jury Award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. His score for the The Pill, a PBS film, contributed to winning the Best Historical Documentary Emmy in 2004.
His scores are regularly heard on national television, including the Antiques Roadshow theme (PBS), programs for American Experience, and for Nova (PBS).
Steve TenEyck
Mr. TenEyck’s design work in theatre, opera, performance art and live event has been seen both nationally and internationally. Companies include: Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Syracuse Stage, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, TACT-NYC, Big Art Group NYC, Tacoma Opera, Syracuse Opera, The Kitchen Theatre Company, Merry-go-Round Playhouse, Tri-Cities Opera.
Beyond maintaining a busy freelance career, Steve teaches lighting design at Ithaca College in Ithaca New York. Steve acted as Lighting Designer for Herson Group’s Texas A&M Celebration and Ithaca College Campaign Launch event as well as production designer for University of Tennessee, University of New Mexico, and The Lawrenceville School events. Steve received his MFA from the University of Washington in Seattle and is a member of United Scenic Artists local 829.
Jason Ardizzone-West
Mr. Ardizzone-West is a licensed architect and theatrical set and lighting designer. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University in 1995 and has worked with Peter Gisolfi Associates and Mitchell Kurtz Architect PC, where he designed primarily theatre buildings (Playwrights Horizons, Chautauqua Institution’s Bratton Hall, Heckscher Theatre, Streb Action Lab, among others). As a freelancer, Jason has designed sets and lights for various theatre companies including: New York State Theatre Institute, Cornell’s Center for Theater Arts, Judith Shakespeare Company, Juilliard School, Worcester Forum Theatre, Kearsarge Arts Theatre, and Educational Theatre Collaborative. With the Herson Group, Jason has designed scenery, video, lighting and graphics for various events including: Cornell’s Far Above Campaign Kick-off, Cornell’s Presidential Inauguration, Duke’s Campaign Finale, and the University of Dayton’s Campaign Kick-off.
Sarah Lambert
As set designer for theatre, her credits include The People’s Temple (The Guthrie, Berkeley Rep, and Perseverance), Gross Indecency (NYC, London, Toronto, LA, & SF), Spectators at an Event (BAM Next Wave), El Beso del Diablo and Maya (Dzul Dance), Fly (Lincoln Center institute) One Mo’ Time and Two Can Play (Crossroads), Savage Acts and Last of the Suns (Ma-Yi) and 100+ regional and NYC productions.
She is an Artistic Associate with Theater of Necessity and Resident Designer for the National Asian-American Theatre Company (including Falsettoland, The House of Bernarda Alba, Ivanov, Air Raid, Fuenteovejuna, Othello, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Ah Wilderness!, The School for Wives, and The Cherry Orchard). As a dramaturg her credits include Playing Alexina (Theatre of Necessity) and The Laramie Project (NYC & HBO.)
With the Herson Group Ltd., she has designed events for The University of Chicago, Texas A&M, and Ithaca College. She has a BA from Cornell and MFA from Yale.
Richard Archer
Richard Archer is a professor in Cornell University's Department of Theatre Arts. His professional credits include over 100 productions on Broadway, NY Shakespeare Festival, Roundabout Theatre, Kansas City Lyric Opera, the Old Globe Theatre, Coconut Grove Theatre, Indiana Rep., Missouri Rep, and the Great Lakes Theatre Festival. His film and TV work includes many commercials, feature films, two award winning PBS broadcasts, and several televised ice shows. He has worked with Herson Group Ltd. as technical director on nearly all its events including the 2004 Texas A&M and Cornell 2006 award-winning events. Richard visited China as part of the US Citizen's Ambassador Program.
Pierre has been working in event production, theatre, and film since 1987. He was production manager for the Star Wars: Episode One Wrap Party, various Gala events in the San Francisco Bay Area, theatrical productions in New York and San Francisco, and a touring Circus (yes, he ran the circus). His design work has been seen in San Francisco, San Diego, NYC, and Dallas (where he was nominated for best lighting design of the year, 1994). His other event work has included fortune 100/500 companies, and a wide range of other corporate clients.
For the Herson Group, Pierre worked on the Jeffrey Lehman inauguration in 2003, the 2006 Cornell capital campaign launch, and the Texas A&M campaign finale in 2007. Reaching back into the distant past, Pierre worked with MJ and Richard Archer on an ice show in Central Park, as well as scenery construction for an ice show in Lake Placid. Even farther back, Pierre was in a play that Jennifer Shea directed when he was in 8th grade.
Pauline Watkins
Pauline's designs are featured in: House Beautiful, Victoria, Horticulture, Better Homes & Gardens. Besides her work with Herson Group she includes Tiffany & Co., Fidelity Investments, Boston Pops, Disney, MIT and Wellesley as clients. She also enjoys her judging duties for the Tournament of Roses Parade New Years Day!
Peter Carroll
Peter Carroll Productions is dedicated to producing high quality, affordable video productions specializing in the areas of education, training, and promotion. Clients include the Smithsonian Institution, The Ford Foundation, National Geographic Society, The National Science Foundation, National PBS Television, Discovery Channel, Cornell University. Borg-Warner Morse TEC, the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, the Johnson School of Management, the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center and , of course, the Herson Group Ltd. Many of these projects are designed for computer distribution, including CD, DVD and the Internet.
Peter graduated with a BA in motion picture production from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
Jon Crispin
Jon Crispin has been a full-time, self-employed photographer since 1974, dividing his time between regular freelance assignments and longer-term photo documentary projects. His regular clients include national publications, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. His documentary projects include exhibitions and publications of 19th century New York State insane asylums; 19th and early 20th century New York State prisons; the living conditions of rural New York State residents; New York State agriculture; the architecture of Syracuse, New York; food and nutrition programs for the needy, and the Erie Canal. Many of these projects were funded by The New York State Council on the Arts and by the New York State Museum. Jon is currently working on a book for the Taunton Press on restoring old houses. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wittenberg University.