Who we are: CFT Leadership
Riley Alyson
Co-Executive Director ∙ Production & Management
Riley Alyson (they/them) is a theater-maker passionate about ensuring everyone has what they need to do their best work. They are an arts administrator, production manager, and acrylic artist focused on painting whimsical misfit animals. Riley has a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater and Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and has grown with Crowded Fire over a 15-year tenure, from stage manager in 2010, to production manager (2012), to Shared Leadership Team (2022), and now Co-Managing Director. In addition to Crowded Fire, they have freelanced as a stage manager and production manager throughout the Bay Area for both theater and dance. Memorable collaborations include projects with Joe Goode Performance Group, LevyDance, Sidra Bell Dance NY, and Cutting Ball Theater. Their experience in technical theater, the corporate sector (as an accountant and office manager), and their personal art-making all uniquely contribute to their holistic, human-centered approach to arts management. Riley is a lover of cats, spreadsheets, and important, thought-provoking theater. They enjoy problem-solving, facilitating, and supporting the brilliant artists and technicians they work with on a daily basis.
To contact Riley directly: RileyA (at) crowdedfire.org
CFT Credits
Co-Executive Director: 2025 to present
Leader of Production & Community: 2022 to 2024
Production Manager: 2012 to 2022
Stage Manager: The Secretaries (2010) Exit, Pursued by a Bear (2011), Sticky Time (2011), Songs of the Dragons Flying to Heaven (2011), The Bereaved (2013)
I joined the Crowded Fire team over 15 years ago as a young stage manager, and knew after the first production in 2010 that I had found my artistic home. I am so grateful to have grown alongside this wonderful organization, from stage manager, to production manager, to executive leader. During my tenure (thus far), we mounted Crowded Fire’s last 40 productions through three leadership transitions, and reconfirmed our commitment to people-centered, justice-driven art at every juncture. I am thrilled to continue building on these values in the next phase of our co-executive director model. I believe that art and storytelling changes lives and that the boldest work is created when everyone is supported and resourced. I have brought that ethos into my 15 years of production management, and in my new role as co-managing director, my goal is to expand that so all of our systems support the individuals that make up Crowded Fire, whether they are artists, technicians, staff, etc.
