Bruce Livingston — Executive Director

Bruce holds a B.A. from Reed College and an M.A. from the University of Chicago, both in Anthropology. He lived and taught in Shiraz, Iran from the late 60's until the 1978 revolution. In 1980 he entered the culinary world in Paris, and adventures with food kept his attention for the next decade and a half. In 1996 he was invited to write a play for a child in the Haven Project, and since then has been passionately involved in connecting 'at-risk' youth with theatre. He served as Managing Director of the Haven Project from April 2000 through April 2003, and founded PlayWrite, Inc. in November of 2003.

Wendy Mitchell — Development Director

Wendy has been a development professional for over thirty years. Starting her career as a child therapist, she found herself being asked to be part of the development efforts for every organization she worked for. She followed this new occupational direction to UC Berkeley, managing three different programs over a twenty year period. In 1998 Wendy and her husband came to Portland where she was asked to be the first Development Director of the Japanese Garden. After four years there, she moved to OHSU and became the first Program Director of the National Center of Excellence in Women's Health. Wendy was a dance major at UCLA in the 60's and still tap dances but loves walking on the coast.

Kristin Steele — Program Director/Coach

Kristin Steele has been a writer and non-profit advocate in Portland for fifteen years, spending the last few coaching fantastic, young writers with PlayWrite, Inc. She has also volunteered as a community writing facilitator for the last eight years, leading adult workshops in domestic violence shelters, county jail, public housing projects, and community spaces. She holds a B.A. in English from Portland State University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Goddard College. Her writing has appeared in magazines, anthologies, online, and on stage.

Lisa DeGrace — Coach

Lisa DeGrace is a singer and performer who has made Portland her home since 1995. She has trained with Canadian clown teacher Sue Morrison. Locally, Lisa has sung with the Dahoo Chorus and the 5-woman singing group Emily Post. Lisa has worked for many years as a performer with Peak Experience Productions. She co-founded Profile Theatre Project with Jane Unger in 1997. She is not an astronaut.

Sarah Liane Foster — Coach and Actor

Sarah Liane Foster graduated with honors in creative writing from Brown University, after which she studied physical theatre at the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in northern California. Since then she has been creating, performing, and teaching theatre in Portland, around the United States, and internationally. She is co-artistic director of the Nomadic Theatre Co in Portland, and periodically leaves town to go on expeditions with Clowns Without Borders in areas of the world in great need of laughter. Around town you might see Sarah walking on stilts, eating ice cream, and biking furiously up big hills.

Doug Fraser — Guitarist/Songwriter

Doug is a long time professional guitarist/song writer from Portland Oregon. Best known as lead guitarist of well-known local groups Johnnie and The Distractions and the platinum selling band Quarterflash, he is also a veteran of countless recording sessions for music productions, commercials and industrial training films among others. Doug's latest project, Big Pay, have just released their debut CD Step Up.

Marianna Hane Wiles — Coach

Marianna Hane Wiles is a writer, editor, theatre-lover and PlayWrite coach. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Lewis & Clark College, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Writing/Book Publishing at Portland State. When not busy with PlayWrite, Marianna facilitates writing workshops for Write Around Portland and runs her own editing business, Trillium Editing. She believes in the power of words to create community and empower individuals and feels lucky to be involved with organizations that advance that vision.

Chris Harder — Coach and Actor

Chris Harder is a professional actor dedicated to artistic risk, ensemble collaboration and the development of new plays. He was an ongoing mentor with The Haven Project and continues to teach through Oregon Children's Theatre and Artists Repertory Theatre. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Parkside and has performed or developed new works with Portland Center Stage, Artists Rep, Third Rail, Sojourn, Sowelu, Stark Raving, Eggshell and Well Arts Institute.

Julianna Jaffe — Coach and Actor

Julianna Jaffe is a graduate of PCPA Theatrefest and holds a B.F.A. from Ithaca College. She has co-founded Insight Out Theatre. Julianna's most recent performances include Yitzhak in Hedwig and The Angry Inch, and Fatima in Insight Out's production of ONE The Musical. Julianna has been a guest instructor at The Northwest Academy, teaching acting techniques, along with coaching and acting with Playwrite. Currently, Julianna is a performer with CITE Educational Theatre, a multicultural school-touring troupe that performs shows about Bully Prevention, Diversity, Recycling, and Energy and Water Conservation.

Noah Jordan — Coach and Actor

Noah holds a B.F.A. in Drama from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and an M.F.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. Portland credits include productions of Metamorphosis and Assassins at A.R.T, J.A.W. West for Portland Center Stage, Prometheus for MAH Records and One The Musical for Insight Out Theatre Collective where he serves on the Board of Directors. Noah has toured internationally with such shows as Hair, Starlight Express, and a variety of musical revues. In New York he worked with Anne Bogart, Meredith Monk and Mabou Mines Theatre Co. Television credits include Days of Our Lives, Beverly Hills 90210, The Cosby Show and numerous national commercials.

Michelle Ruiz Keil — Coach and Actor

Michelle has been writing, performing and teaching theatre to young people for the past 17 years. Michelle trained at the American Conservatory Theatre and the Rob Reece Actors Workshop in San Francisco, and holds a B.A. in Arts & Letters with an emphasis on Chicano/Latino Studies from Portland State University. Her most recent creative project was writing/directing/producing the play Pure Gold Baby.

Sara Kennedy Adams — Coach and Actor

Since becoming a mother in 2005, Sara quit her day job and followed her passion of educating and entertaining young people in theatre. Sara has been an active theatre instructor for Oregon Children's Theatre since 2001. Some acting credits include Wonderbroads (Broad Arts Theatre), Trickster Tells This Story (Play Workshop Theatre) and Alice in Wonderland (New Moon Productions). Sara has sung in various choirs and was the lead vocalist in the rock band, Oracle. She received her B.A. in Theatre Arts from Southern Oregon University. Sara loves singing, laughing, and performing. Sara has been told by others that she is weird and is perfectly okay with it!

Hannah Long — Coach

Hannah Long is a puppeteer, creative-movement enthusiast, and sign language junkie. She received her BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Georgia in May of 2007 and toured with Bread and Puppet Theater last fall. Since moving to Portland in January of 2008, she has been honored to work with the Nomadic Theatre Company, and PlayWrite Inc. In the coming school year she will be touring The Shoemaker and The Elves with Tears of Joy in elementary schools throughout Washington. Hannah believes strongly that listening, creativity, and puppets really can change the world.

Rebecca Frost Mayer — Coach and Actor

Rebecca Frost Mayer is a recent graduate of Boston University's School of Theatre Arts, where she appeared in dozens of productions including Company (Joanne/Choreographer), La Bete (Marquise-Therese), and The Threepenny Opera (Queen Elizabeth) . This year in Portland, she has appeared in The Learned Ladies (Armande) with Theatre Vertigo's Anonymous Theatre, and her one-woman show, Happy Hour, at Stark Raving. Rebecca has taught classes and helped to develop new works in Portland, Boston, New York, El Paso, and Washington DC. She is currently working on a full-length script and another one-woman show.

Wade McCollum — Coach and Actor

Wade is a child of music and motion. Since graduating from the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Wade has contributed his multidimensional talents to the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Willamette Repertory Theatre, Idaho Repertory Theatre, Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Celebration Theatre and Insight Out Theatre Collective.

Timothy Scarrott — Coach

Timothy is extremely proud to be a coach for the invaluable PlayWrite Inc. program. He is the founder of Theatre Uber Alles, The Portlandian Theatrical Society and The Shakespeare Liberation Army. He is also the instructor for the rather irreverent acting class for kids, "Shakespeare: Why Bother?"