Who We Are

Our Legacy

We began as a nomadic theatre company in San Francisco, run by Jennifer and Enrico Banson, Sr., as a vehicle for fascinating shows that other companies didn't dare produce. Following an unofficial motto of “if we build it, our audiences will come”, The Royal Underground mounted ten productions in ten California venues over the course of 23 years, including two San Francisco Bay Area regional premiere productions (RENT and Glory Days, both in 2010).

Cast and crew of The Royal Underground's Los Angeles production of RENT

The cast and crew of The Royal Underground's Los Angeles transfer of RENT, featuring original Broadway cast member Gwen Stewart as mentor and guide.

In rehearsal for The Royal Underground's 2017 production of Next to Normal, featuring Jennifer Stark as Diana (standing) under the direction of Maria Banson (née Calderazzo).

Since The Royal Underground Theatre Company's founding in 2002, we have been committed to hiring a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team of talented creatives onstage and behind the scenes. It's one of the reasons why our founders wanted to start The Royal Underground in the first place — to create opportunities for creatives who don't always get to see their stories and experiences reflected onstage.

Today, The Royal Underground is led by the next generation of the Banson family: Artistic Director Enrico Banson, Jr., Casting Director Maria Banson, and Managing Director Jerianne Banson. Together, they are continuing the legacy of Jennifer and Enrico Sr. while reimagining the company for a new era. Their combined backgrounds in film, theatre, casting, music, hospitality, and community engagement give the company a practical, interdisciplinary approach to producing contemporary regional theatre.

Steve Alesch and Harrison Alter in Freud's Last Session, 2024

Steve Alesch (C.S. Lewis) and Harrison Alter (Sigmund Freud) share a moment during rehearsals for The Royal Underground's immersive 2024 production of Freud's Last Session.

Artistic Leadership

Enrico Banson

Artistic Director [he/him]

A filmmaker and actor who's written/directed two full-length indie films, The After and Some Night, which played/opened various film festivals including the LA Int'l Film Festival. Stage direction credits include Seminar (Royal Underground), Freud's Last Session (Royal Underground), People vs Mona at Masquers Playhouse (11 BATCC Nominations including Best Director), and Amélie (Masquers Playhouse). Favorite stage acting credits: Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden in Next to Normal (Royal Underground), Stephen in Farragut North (Masquers Playhouse), Serge in Art (Royal Underground), Roger in RENT (San Francisco Regional Premiere/Hollywood Hudson Theatre), and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (Golden Eagle Award Winner, National Shakespeare Competition at Lincoln Center NYC). Proud SAG and WGAW member. Love to family, friends, and wife Maria! enricobanson.com

Jerianne Banson

Managing Director [she/her]

Jerianne Banson, WGA is a producer, director, WGA screenwriter, creative artist, musician, songwriter, photographer, and media storyteller. A creative force behind Royal Underground Theatre, she brings the eye of an artist and the discipline of a producer, shaping bold, emotionally resonant work with vision, rigor, taste, and heart. She is also the founder of The Perpetualist, a lifestyle and storytelling brand rooted in faith, culture, healing, travel, music, style, and reinvention. JerianneBanson.com | Perpetualist.com

Maria Banson

Literary and Casting Director [she/her/ella]

A long time fixture in the Bay Area performing arts scene, Maria has served as an actor, singer, pianist, director, conductor, casting director, and stage manager for theaters and opera companies in four Bay Area counties. Favorite regional theatre credits include A Winter's Tale and A Raisin in the Sun (Assistant Director, Cal Shakes), Songs For a New World (Director and Music Director, Masquers Playhouse), Next to Normal (Director and Music Director, The Royal Underground), It Shoulda Been You (Rehearsal Conductor and U/S Rebecca, Pinole Community Players), and She Gets Naked In the End (Director, San Francisco Playhouse). Her life became much more cinematic and colorful when she married her favorite collaborator, award-winning theatre and film director Enrico Banson, in 2019. Maria is a proud Bay Area native and a second generation Mexican-American creative artist. She graduated from Saint Mary's College of California with a Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts: Music (Vocal Performance). When she's not running her own freelance casting agency or managing a theatre company with her husband, Maria puts her Certified Sommelier pin to work as the author of Brunello Bombshell, a wine and movie pairing blog.