Joel Veenstra is a professional stage manager (AEA), a production manager, a producer, a filmmaker, and an improviser. He teaches those career paths in the Drama Department at the UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts. He has managed theatrical productions and workshops with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, California Science Center, among others. He also serves as Production Manager for Counter-Balance Theater, whose mission is to construct physical theater based on great literature. 

Prior to joining the faculty at UC Irvine, Veenstra was the Production Manager for the nationally recognized Cornerstone Theater Company based in Los Angeles. In 1999, he created Veenstra Enterprises as an umbrella company for his hundreds of creative ventures in film, video, and theatre. His work included production at Grand Rapids' ABC Affiliate WZZM 13 and Compass Film Academy, where he produced award winning short films and taught film production.  Moving to Los Angeles in 2005, he was engaged as a Story Editor at Alcon Entertainment distributed through Warner Bros.