Biography

Natalie Greene (Director of Education & Community Programs) is an artist and educator working at the intersection of dance, theater, and community engagement. Natalie worked with the award-winning devised performance ensemble Mugwumpin for more than a decade, and was Artistic Director from 2016-2022. As a choreographer and intimacy director, Natalie has worked with 42nd St. Moon, AlterTheater, Aurora Theater, Cal Shakes, Center Rep, Custom Made, Cutting Ball, Portland Center Stage, and Shotgun Players. Her dance-theater work has been presented by California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco Airport, ODC Theater, Dance Mission Theater, San Francisco City Hall, Danspace (NYC), DiMenna Center/Baryshnikov Arts (NYC), Club Principe (Spain), and Montescudaio Amphitheater (Italy). Natalie has performed with numerous Bay Area dance companies and choreographers including Deborah Slater, Emily Keeler, Erin Mei-Ling Stuart, Kim Epifano, and Mary Armentrout.

As Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Performing Arts & Social Justice at the University of San Francisco from 2006-2021, Natalie directed USF's intergenerational performance company Dance Generators and led the international exchange program Minds in Motion in Tacna and Lima, Peru. She has served on faculty at San Francisco State University, ODC School, and San Francisco Arts Education Project, and has led workshops and trainings in the United States, Peru, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia and Ecuador.  Natalie is a passionate advocate for socially-conscious arts education. Her research focuses on ethical means and specific tactics for bringing people together for embodied creative experiences that build a culture of consent.

Biography

Lauren Tannous is a native to the Peninsula, growing up right outside of San Francisco. Lauren is grateful for her exposure to the arts through school and believes that all children deserve the same life changing opportunities. She has worked as a professional theater technician, stage director and designer with YPTMTC, SFBATCO, Ragged Wing Ensemble, Bay Area ETC, the San Mateo Union High School District, and various other companies for over 15 years. Lauren has also served as an Academic Coach for AmeriCorps, a Special Education Paraprofessional with the San Mateo Union High School district, a Recreation Leader with San Francisco Rec and Park, and as a high school Humanities teacher in the East Bay. Bringing with her years of experience working with Nonprofit organizations, Special Education, after school programs, recreational arts programs, and educational theater, Lauren is beyond thrilled to be working for such an amazing organization as A.C.T.

Biography

Leigh Rondon-Davis (they/them) is a performer, dramaturg, director, and producer; in addition to their creative work, Leigh is on staff as part of Crowded Fire Theater’s shared leadership team as the Leader of Artistic Curation & Marketing, where they are also a Resident Artist. Additionally, they are an Artistic Company Member at Shotgun Players, Casting Director with the Casting Collective, and Producing Director with The Forum Collective. Leigh has had the immense pleasure of working at dozens of local companies, including A.C.T., Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Rep, Curran, Magic Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Oakland Theater Project, Playwrights Foundation, TheatreFIRST, and West Edge Opera. While Leigh wears many hats as a theater-maker, much of their work and personal passion has been to shift the industry and its culture to be more equitable, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable. Leigh is an organizing member of a number of accountability and EDI groups to help further initiatives and policies to better support BIPOC and other artists of marginalized identities, and they recently completed the anti-racist train-the-trainer program, Making Good Trouble, becoming an anti-racist educator and facilitator. Leigh's practice draws inspiration from liberation and abolition movements, transformative justice, adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy, trauma-informed care, and their experience as a sexual health educator and rape crisis counselor in order to create safe and supportive creative spaces.

Biography

Anelisa Armijo Montoya (she/they) is an actor, playwright, and musician from Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 2020, she graduated from the University of New Mexico with her BFA in Theatre with a concentration in performance. She takes special interest in new work and scrappy theatre. Since moving to San Francisco in the fall of 2021, Anelisa has worked with American Conservatory Theater as a Production Assistant, Assistant Stage Manager, Prop Designer, and Stage Management PA for mainstage shows and the MFA Program. Anelisa has also worked as a Wardrobe Supervisor and Assistant Costume Designer for San Francisco Shakespeare Company’s 2022 summer production, Much Ado About Nothing. Anelisa is coming up on her first year as a part of the Education and Community Programs Department at A.C.T. Most recently, Anelisa took on a co-producing role for Downtown High School’s Fall Exhibition, “Caught in the Achievement Gap” which featured original student writing and was presented in December of 2023 in A.C.T.’s Strand Theater. She is looking forward to integrating more fully into the fabric of Bay Area theatre and continuing to learn everything she can. 

Biography

ANDY ALABRAN (he/him) received his B.A. in Theater from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and his M.F.A. in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater. He has 20 years of experience as a teacher, director, and performer in the Bay Area. He has taught at the American Conservatory Theater Young Conservatory and Studio, California Shakespeare Theater, Oakland School for the Arts, 826 Valencia (Tenderloin), Voice One, Stagebridge, Mission High, Burton High School, and Hayward High School. He directed A.C.T.'s Young Conservatory productions of "Electra", "The Glass Menagerie", "Discovering Beckett", and "The Importance of Being Earnest". He served as voice and speech coach for the Y.C. productions: "Begets", "The Wolves", and "Hookman". He has performed with Theatre First, the Shotgun Players, and Killing My Lobster. A current company member of the Shotgun Players since 2000, his acting credits include Woyzeck, The Death of Meyerhold, A Seagull in the Hamptons, Truffaldino Says No (world premiere), and Mother Courage. He served as Creative Director with San Francisco’s premiere sketch comedy group Killing My Lobster. With KML, he also performed, wrote, directed, taught, and produced where credits included The Shakespeare Bug (world premiere), The Whole Megillah, KML Plays with Beckett (at A.C.T.), and Patronizes the Arts.

Biography

Olivia Gregor Brown (she/her) is an actor and teaching artist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a B.A. graduate of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an M.F.A. graduate of the Bristol Old Vic School of Theatre in the United Kingdom. As a stage and screen performer, she specializes in genres spanning from Shakespeare and other classical works to newer, more experimental projects with a queer slant. She has been a collaborator and performer with San Francisco’s Awesome Theatre Company, the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Infinovation Films, the Novato Theater Company, the Mission Center Cultural Arts Theater, Into The Dark Productions, and many other companies based in both New York City and the United Kingdom. A San Francisco native, she is thrilled to now be working and teaching in the Bay Area. As as a teaching artist, she specializes in work with both neurodivergent and neurotypical children and young adults, and is committed to inclusivity, community impact, and the telling of stories less often told. oliviagregorbrown.com

Biography

Yari Cervas (all pronouns) is an awarded theatre director/dramaturg, teaching artist, and somatic worker inspired by stories of restorative justice, queerness, and trauma recovery. They are proud to have collaborated with numerous organizations including South Coast REP, La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe, and San Diego REP. As the founding Artistic Director of MaArte Theatre Collective in San Diego, they produced, developed, and directed two dozen plays by emerging Pilipinx playwrights including world premieres Your Best American Girl (Best of the ‘19 SDFringe Fest, Critics’ Pick, & Cultural Exchange awards); The Fire in Me (Award of Recognition from the State Legislature of California) co-produced by Asian Story Theatre; and You’re Safe Here in partnership with Allain Francisco M.D. and the UCSD School of Medicine to foster empathy for patients navigating relationships with mental healthcare providers. Yari has developed works that have gone on to the National Playwright’s Conference at the Eugene O’neill (2022) and National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival (2022). Previously, Yari was honored by the first ever Santa Barbara Double Indy Award for performance as Dido in Dido, Queen of Carthage and for directing the world premiere of Tar and Feather (Westmont College). Most recently they directed the world premiere of Desert Rock Garden at New Village Arts (Award of Recognition from California State Assembly). In response to the COVID pandemic, an inaugural participant of The Catapult Project, and later commissioned by Bay Area Playwrights Festival and Z-Space to present workshops for artists, Yari is the creator of Practical Somatics offering body-based meditations to empower individuals to overcome trauma in their daily lives. Yari believes that by practicing breathing, intuitive movement, and compassionate self awareness we are better positioned to heal our relationships with ourselves and our wider communities. yaricervas.com

Biography

DeAnna Driscoll has worked as a professional actor and theater educator for the past 20 years. She was most recently seen at San Diego’s Cygnet Theatre in the role of Sharon in the world premiere of the play Sharon by Keiko Green. Previous to that some of DeAnna’s favorite roles include: Paige in HIR, Beatrice in the play The Effect
of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Marigolds (for which she won her second S.D. Critics Circle Award for Best Female Lead), Margarie in Hand To God, and Janette in
The Quality of Life. Other theaters include: The Old Globe Theatre, NSC Black Box (NY), Cockpit Theater (NY), San Diego Rep., and more. Television and film credits include: Lincoln Heights, Point Pleasant, Veronica Mars, Decaf, and Unverified. She is a proud member of both Actor’s Equity and SAG/AFTRA. DeAnna created the drama program at the world renowned High Tech High school in San Diego, CA which she ran for 19 years. As well as teaching theater she also specializes in Arts Integration and creating original co-projects with fellow educators from around the world.

Biography

Callie Floor, since coming to the Bay Area in 1987, she has designed for many theaters, including  ACT, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Magic Theatre, San Francisco Mime Troupe, California Shakespeare Theatre, West Bay Opera, Zaccho Dance Theatre, Word for Word, and San Francisco Opera Merola Program. 

Biography

Sierra Gonzalez’s philosophy is that creative self-expression, the performing arts and holistic health education are catalysts for healing the mind, body and spirit. Gonzalez incorporates, storytelling, hip-hop, filmmaking, theatre, rhythm and poetry (rap), expressive movement, sound frequencies and tools for personal development in her creative educational works. Sierra’s greatest strengths are her capacity to create safe inclusive environments where participants of all demographics are excited to tap into their most creative selves and share those gifts with the world. Sierra expands her creative influence by collaborating with indie artists and community organizations to curate performing arts and personal development projects that celebrate the transformative expression of youth, teens and marginalized adults.

Biography

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Peter completed his BFA in Musical Theater from The Boston Conservatory in 2010 and went on to perform professionally as a member of Actor's Equity Association in musical productions across the United States. Some of Peter's professional stage credits include: Hello, Dolly! (Ford's Theater, DC), Evita (Northern Stage, VT), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Goodspeed Opera, CT), Bye Bye Birdie (North Shore Music Theater, MA), Curtains, Crazy for You, and Annie (Music Theater of Wichita, KA), Guys and Dolls (Ogunquit Playhouse, ME), and Kiss Me, Kate (Lyric Stage Company of Boston, MA). Peter also worked as a freelance dancer in NYC with contemporary dance companies such as Amalgamate Dance Company, BalaSole Dance Company, Six Degrees Dance, and Urbanity Dance Company. Peter has taught jazz, tap, and musical theatre with Opera NUOVA, The Citadel Young Company, DanceEmotion Studio, Promethean Spark International, Dance Code Studio YEG, and Visionary Centre for the Performing Arts, and also appeared as a guest instructor for the University of Alberta BFA Acting Program. His directing and choreography credits include Tuck Everlasting (Opera NUOVA), Little Women (Opera NUOVA), Grease (Edmonton Musical Theatre) and Broadway Rocks Again (Edmonton Musical Theatre). Recently relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, Peter is a dance teacher with SFUSD, guest choreographer at Musical Theatre Works and San Francisco Waldorf High School, and taught jazz dance at the 2023 AileyCamp through Cal Performances at UC Berkeley.

Biography

Biography

Inez Schynell was born and raised in San Francisco, passionately working at the intersection of justice, identity and dance. As a Choreographer, Hip Hop Educator, Mental Health Educator, Social Justice Facilitator, and Beauty-Prenuer, she embodies a multifaceted approach to her work. Inez began training at the age of 7, where she immersed herself in gymnastics, setting the stage for her future in dance. Her passion for performing led her to pursue Dance professionally with D-Fuse, a West African and Nigerian Folklore Dance Company, GRRRL Brigade, a performing arts company training in Ballet, Modern Jazz, Hip Hop, and Bellydance. Inez also trained in various prestigious studios from the Bay Area to New York. As a Notre Dame De Namur University scholarship recipient, Inez deepend her studies in dance. In 2022, she signed with Rae Agency as a talent and model, showcasing her versatility and skill beyond the realm of Dance. Significantly, Inez made her mark by choreographing 5 captivating pieces for the 50th-anniversary of Hip Hop ‘The Bronx Revolution and the Birth of Hip Hop’ Directed by Joanna Haigood and in collaboration with DJ Grandwizzard Theodre. The inventor of the scratching technique. The production celebrated the rich history of hip hop while paying homage to the origins and impact of hip hop today. Currently, Inez holds key roles as a Hip Hop History Educator, Hip Hop Dance Teacher and Mental Health Awareness Educator at MAX415. Through her artistry, Inez empowers individuals to reclaim their identity and promote justice through the transformative power of dance. 

Biography

Maryssa Wanlass (she/they) is an actor, director, and educator, with an emphasis on social justice and classical theatre. They recently directed a queer, fantasy genre Cymbeline for San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. She has also directed locally for Utopia Theatre Project, PlayGroundSF, Shotz, and regionally for Advice to the Players. Bay Area stage acting highlights include SF Shakes (Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Hamlet, and Winter's Tale), CalShakes (As You Like It), Jewel Theatre (Breaking the Code, Book Club Play), San Jose Stage (Persuasion), SPARC Theatre (As You Like It, Hamlet, Merry Wives of Windsor), Center REPertory Company (Sweat, Enchanted April, Witness for the Prosecution). Wanlass' social justice theatre work includes working with Red Ladder to deliver improv workshops to California's incarcerated population and with SF Shakes to develop a program to foster creativity with unhoused neighbors in San Francisco.