ICP CLASS OF 2024

Travis Abels is a listener, maker, part-time insomniac, and full-time lover of stories. Growing up the son of a preacher, he marveled at the infinite ways humans use story to create meaning from the chaos of life. Metaphor to say the unsayable. The forms that excite him most are film, art and oh yes - theater! Early on, he discovered its unique power to connect us to each other, the world around us, and deeper parts of ourselves. He’s also intrigued by the exquisite tension that can be found in nearly every moment — even in the stillness between breaths or the slightest gesture — there’s something electric waiting to be explored. After a 20 year career of making movie trailers, Travis is shifting full focus to his passion for the stage, and is honored, humbled and thrilled to be a part of PETE’s inspiring and rigorous training program. He’s ignited by the work this company does and how it transmutes to the experiences they create for others. Outside of this, he tells stories around Portland, tours his one-person show, and stops whatever he’s doing, every time he sees a squirrel. Find more of his ongoing / recent work, at travisabels.com or connect with him on IG @travisjay.

Jerilyn Armstrong (she/her) is an actor and improviser in Portland, Oregon. She minored in theatre arts at the University of Oregon and then continued her training at The Annie Grindlay Studio (Los Angeles), The Imagined Life (LA), the Upright Citizens Brigade (LA), and Kickstand Comedy (Portland). Recent credits include Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious (Oregon Contemporary Theatre), Metaverse (Corrib Theatre), Alabaster (Oregon Contemporary Theatre), and feature films Woe and #chadgetstheaxe. She’s a member of the improv team H.O.N.K which regularly performs around Portland. She’s thrilled to deepen her artistic practice and expand her possibilities mindset with PETE. Learn more at www.jerilynarmstrong.com IG @jerilynsophia @honkprov

Naomi Bowers (She/Her) is an actor from San Rafael, CA. She recently earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater from Portland State University, which culminated in her directing a final thesis production of the play 'Night, Mother. She is very excited and grateful for this artistic journey with ICP and can't wait to delve deeper into theater making.

Kasia Caravello is an actor based in Portland, OR. Recently she appeared in two feature films by Antero Ali, "Tracer" and "Blue Fire".  Last year along with a group of 4 friends they produced their own play "[de]composition" which they performed at Shaking the Tree Theater. The ensemble continues to work together in preparation of a new play coming out this winter. Kasia enjoys collaborating with local filmmakers and artists.  She trained with Brooke Totman, Howard Fine, Stacey Scott and Brandon Gill. She speaks Polish, English, Spanish and Italian.  Lately she has been focused on grounding herself in technique and gaining new skills in contemporary dance.  

Abby Jacquin is a technician and designer in the Portland area. They find themselves most commonly as a technician and designer, but feel drawn to performance and music just as much. They primarily work as an electrician and stagehand for companies including PETE, PICA, Hand2Mouth, Portland Center Stage, and others, but their biggest passion is as a lighting designer, which they did throughout college, and continue to do professionally, including designing lights for ‘Time and Time Again’ and ‘Piercing the Veil’.

Amelia Sommer (she/they) is a local artist, community activist, and aspiring experimental performer/director. They received a minor in Theater at Lewis & Clark College in 2020 and have spent the last few years cultivating a dream project; an annual backyard experimental theater show & market. She is passionate about building community & sharing art in an accessible way.

Sizheng Song is a sojourner in Portland. She is a visual artist and practices illustration, animation, and graphic design; she also adores theatre and live performance and hopes to further her understanding of various forms of liveness. Song delights in ambivalence and equivocation, thrives on the tangent of the sacred and the mundane, and remains curious about the constant negotiation between communities and narratives.

Daye Thomas (they/them) has been in the Portland theatre community for the last 8 years. As a first-gen American Filipino with a passion for equity and intersectionality, they have had the privilege of engaging with specifically queer and BIPOC storytelling in community in recent years via short films, readings, devising, and plays with Table14, AGE, Quincy Woo Visuals, Gather Repertory, Roots and All Theatre, and Fuse Theatre Ensemble. Whilst also busy with manufacturing engineering, Daye delights in artistic challenge, and has for years been thankful for and inspired by PETE's work in creating spaces to share often-untold stories.

ICP CLASS OF 2023

Claire Aldridge (they/she) is an interdisciplinary artist born and based in Portland Or. Using the crossroads of dance, theater, poetry, and visual mediums, Claire enjoys exploring themes of the feminine grotesque, metamorphosis, and little horrors. She has studied with Dell’Arte International School for Physical Theater (Graduate of the PTP, 2020), The American Conservatory Theater (Graduated from the Training Congress, 2015), and is so excited to spend the year training and creating with the Portland Experimental Theater Ensemble. Credits around town include Shaking The Tree (Short Flix, Caucasian Chalk Circle, Head Hands Feet, Orpheus and Eurydice), Oregon Children’s Theater (Charlotte’s Web), Enso Theater Ensemble (Romeo and Juliet), and is the creator of Anatomy of A Rabbit, an experimental dance film and art instillation in partnership with the Sexual Assault Resource Center. Claire can also be found traveling the world as a founding member of the Siren International Ensemble, a collective focused on storytelling beyond the barriers of language. She is so grateful to PETE for the opportunity and excited to be a part of this year’s cohort.

Zoe Brouwer: My name is Zoe Brouwer. I am a Lewis & Clark College Alumnus with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Performance. I come from the small town of Corvallis Montana, a location beautifully nestled between mountains. Growing up I was not presented with many theatre opportunities so I resorted to other methods of performance such as dance, speech and debate, and band. During my time at Lewis & Clark college I dedicated myself to the stage, committing to the roles of Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret and Susan Curtis in The Secretaries to name a couple. All my work built to a thesis performance as Medea in Euripides’ play of the same name. While my time there was fabulous I’m extremely excited to devise my own work.

Keshav Eldurkar: Hi! My name is Keshav and I’m an aspiring writer and actor for stage and screen. I graduated from Lewis & Clark College in December 2022, and from PETE’s ICP in 2023.

Kora Link (she/they) is a performer, musician, maker, mover & shaker based in the Portland area. They earned their BA in theatre from Lewis & Clark College with a concentration in performance. In college, Kora performed in multiple main stages and began their exploration of devising and creating new works. Their experience at LC culminated in a devised thesis production and research on the intersections of feminism, witchcraft and performance. As an artist, Kora is interested in themes of embodiment & ritual and melding the personal, spiritual and political to inspire change regarding the world at large.

Lily Linz is an actor-creator, performance artist, and visual artist from Santa Barbara California. She studied at Dellarte international for Physical Theatre this past year and before that was training at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for performance art. Recent credits include Dell'arte: Red Light Cabaret (Singer), Fools Delight (Co-creator/Clown), Hollow Palm (Co-creator/performer), Chicago Shakespeare Youth Ensemble Richard III (Queen Margaret), as well as enjoyed working closely with Proximity Theatre, in Santa Barbara CA, as a co-collaborator and company member in many new devised works. Lily’s studies encompass investigating bodies and movement to observe endurance as people pursue the extremes of physical capability. Through this, she had been experimenting with sustainable performance practices and leaning into the healing nature of theatre. She is super stoked to still be making art during this bat shit crazy time and would like to thank PETE for this exciting opportunity! 

IG: @motorcyclebikedept

Tamera Lyn has set her sights on the boundless world of creative art as a young black woman. She has cultivated a passion for creating art through her ever-growing perspective, both in performance and filmmaking. She was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, and studied Theatre Performance & Public Relations at Florida A & M University, graduating with honors, and receiving her Bachelor of Arts in 2016. Tamera has worked with Artists Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre, Shaking the Tree Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Confrontation Theatre, Vanport Mosaic, Passin' Art, and other theaters in the PNW. Tamera has also done commercial, tv, and film work, and has worked with NW Documentary, POW Film Fest, Open Signal Labs, Hearts & Sparks Productions, BLVCK Film Collective, and others. She produces her visual work with Sunflower Creations. Watch her bloom at tameralyn.com 

peace + blessings.

Isabel Strongheart McTighe is a multidisciplinary performance artist, teacher and facilitator currently living on Cowlitz and Clackamas lands in so-called Portland, Oregon. They hold a BA in Theatre with a distinction in Performance from Lewis and Clark college and are a graduate of the 2017 From The Ground Up Young Women’s Residency. Isabel is delighted to be a member of this year’s ICP cohort. Their work is rooted in mutual aid, emergent strategy and a daily practice of community care which they hope to bring to the collaboration-space of ICP. Isabel is a pleasure activist in training and a hopeful shaper of change. 

I love to share! Please look here for more information: Isabel Strongheart McTighe +++ Info Cache

Rachel Lindsey Routh is a performer and artist originally from Washington State, currently living and working in Portland, OR. They graduated from Southern Oregon University with a BFA in Theatre Arts, as well as minors in both Shakespeare Studies and Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies and a handful of stage combat certifications. They’ve worked with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Oregon Fringe Festival, and the touring puppet troupe Puppeteers for Fears. Most recently and locally, they collaborated on the devised show Bluebeard with Bag&Baggage Productions and can be heard on the fiction podcast Average Folks. Since moving to Portland, Rachel has been focusing on the creative endeavors that fell by the wayside while in school: fiber arts, photography, music, and remembering how to feel like a human being. Much of their work draws from folklore, monster myths, and horror stories. Rachel’s current project is becoming the person they wanted to be when they were a child.

Emily Smith (she/they) is a recent graduate from Pacific University's Theatre program. While they have explored and fallen in love with many areas of theatre, acting and playwrighting have been some of the most important pillars in their artistic journey. She adores art that is visceral, that helps create and sustain communities, and that highlights collaboration. Emily is so excited to be continuing her exploration of performance art at PETE.

Becca Wirta is a theatre artist, performer and collaborator in Portland, where she has lived and worked in public relations and marketing for the past 8 years. A graduate from Willamette University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Theatre Performance as well as Rhetoric and Media Studies, she sees herself at a crossroads as a person and as an artist. Art is no longer merely a fun venue for escapism for Becca, and through the past couple of years she has discovered that experiencing, participating and consuming art is when she feels the most awake, present and capable of deeper understanding. Artistic expression is how Becca has been able to navigate dark moments - and theatre has been a missing aspect of her life in recent years. Becca is thrilled to be part of the ICP program, getting the chance to learn and collaborate with the wildly talented and sincere community at PETE, and she is looking forward to using her mind and body as artistic tools again.

Ken Yoshikawa is a poet, actor, astrologer, and playwright based in Portland, OR. Ken’s first book of poetry, Monster Colored Glasses, was published in 2019 by Lightship Press. He performed his solo play, The Art of Flyswatting, in town and at the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre’s NuWorks 2019 (NYC). He is a regular in the Portland spoken word scene. Ken has a degree in Theatre from Reed College. Please talk to him about trees and food and planets and the nerdy business that keeps you up late at night.

ICP CLASS OF 2022

Annabel Cantor (she/they) is an actor and interdisciplinary theatre artist from Portland, Oregon. They hold a BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, where their studies culminated in an independent study on In-Yer-Face theatre and an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Annabel is deeply grateful to have the opportunity to be in community with this intriguing group of artists. In her free time she enjoys walking around and looking at stuff.

Kai Hynes is a performing artist originally from San Jose, California, with a B.A. in English and Theatre from the University of Portland. He hopes his time with ICP will help in his cultivation of a practice that feels truthful and fulfilling outside the bounds of conventional theatre making. He also hopes to make friends. Recent credits include Family (actor, Shaking the Tree Theatre) and Cock (director, University of Portland). His gratitude for the opportunity to be creating and experiencing live art again is immense.

Akitora Ishii is an actor from Rainier, OR. He earned his Associate's at Lower Columbia College before graduating from Portland State in 2020 with his Bachelor's in Theatre Arts. He last appeared onstage pre-pandemic as The Wolf / Michael in PSU's Wolves Eat Elk, and last year returned to LCC as a guest artist to serve as DP and Editor for their filmed short plays The Story about the Tattoo, Club Greg, and Runner's Telephone.

Phil Johnson is a visual and theatrical artist based in Portland and the host of Radical Listening Podcast (Coho Productions). He is a multidisciplinary artist who likes to express himself in as many art forms as possible. He identifies as a futurist and surrealist who focuses on the realities of the human condition especially as it relates to his experience as an African American. As a technologist Phil likes to find ways to use technology to imagine these future worlds, whether it is creating using virtual reality, binaural recordings or new programming software that enhances the theatrical experience. As a theatrical artist Phil is curious about the performer-spectator relationship and enjoys finding ways to deconstruct theater norms. Phil Has a BFA and MA from Ohio University. If you would like to learn more, comment @Philjohnsonlive or visit PhilJohnsondesignstheworld.com for more content.

Sofía Marks is a recent Lewis & Clark College graduate with degrees in Biology and Theatre. She devised a solo thesis performance called “Con serpientes vengo yo” or “I come with snakes”. In her performance she explores “light” and “dark” femininity, shame, and what it means to remember and transform the self. The Aztec snake goddess Quetzalcoatl, “the one who is at one with the beasts”, was the inspiration for the performance and served as a guide for Sofia’s search for balance and self-acceptance. Sofia continues to be inspired by the transformative process of performance and is excited to expand her understanding of her own strength, body, sexuality, and monstrosity through performance and ritual.

Olivia Mathews was first brought to PETE via the opportunity to assistant direct their 2020 production of Beckett Women. Since then Olivia has graduated from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Rhetoric and Media and a Distinction in Acting from the Theatre department. Mainstage credits from Olivia’s time at Lewis and Clark include Marie in Marie Antoinette, Elizabeth in The Christians, Naja in Anon(ymous), and Anna in The Arsonists. As an artist, Olivia is currently interested in unlearning, excavating, revealing, instigating, and making visible through performance and is grateful to PETE for creating a space for the exploration of these impulses.

Lilja Owsley (she/her) is an actor and theater maker with a focus on queer feminist stories and movement-based theater. She has come to Portland by way of NYC where she worked with Fringe and Fur (MADGE LOVE (critically acclaimed), The Hopelessly Hopeless Story of all Good Girls, Is This Clear Enough) and Theater of War (Little Wing, Weekend, Call Me Fury). Lilja graduated with a BFA from NYU Tisch Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting. She has worked with The Wooster Group, Elevator Repair Service Theater Company, Half Straddle, Radiohole and Automatic Release. www.liljaowsley.com

Leiana Petlewski is a mover, performer, creator, and musician who just recently graduated from Pacific University Oregon with degrees in Applied Theatre and Dance. She’s interested in both her stories and those of the people around her, and how telling those can help us find and forge connections and relationships. Leiana is in the constant pursuit of discovering the intersections between the universal and the particular within different artistic disciplines.

India Roper-Moyes is an artist and educator who studied English Literature, Gender Studies, and Dance at Lewis & Clark College. India has made work influenced by poets, writers, historians, and theorists, and fosters a creative love of hands, tables, words, fruit, paper planes, and multiplicity (n): the quality or state of being multiple or various.

Kamala Woods is a recent graduate from Lewis & Clark College, where she was the recipient of the Jack and Alice Baxter Scholarship recognizing artistic and academic excellence. She received a BA with departmental honors in Studio Art. Her background is in video and fine art photography, though Kamala has also directed and produced a collection of short films and is pursuing a future in directing.

ICP CLASS OF 2021

Kelsea Vierra Ashenbrenner recently moved to Portland after a few summers of commuting from Corvallis where she graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Theatre Arts. She has spent the last few years acting in Shakespeare productions with Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, Experience Theatre Project and most recently, Portland Actors Ensemble. She studied Shakespeare at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. Putting Shakespeare aside for a few months, she’s excited to dive into contemporary performance technique with ICP. She’s interested in devising social justice theatre and stories about womxn.

Elsa Dougherty is a Michigan native who graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 2020 where she earned a degree in music. She is a singer of musical theatre and opera with an interest in music outside of the Western canon. Elsa enjoys investigating the power of the breath and voice as a means of expressing personal and shared histories. She seeks to challenge societal expectations of how one expresses joy, grief, and love.

Dylan Hankins is a recent graduate from Lewis and Clark college with a degree in World Languages. His thesis focused on theatrical translation and he has six main stage productions at the college under his belt. Dylan is incredibly excited and honored to be working with PETE, and he hopes to make pieces that are catalysts for catharsis in these trying times. Laughing! Dancing! Crying! Mouth agape in awe!

Rose Proctor is a performer and illustrator from Eugene, Oregon. She was part of the 2017-18 ICP cohort, a member of the Third Rail Mentorship program, and is a graduate of Kenyon College and the National Theater Institute. She was last seen in PETE's Beckett Women.

Claire Rigsby: Claire Rigsby is a performer/mover/shaker originally from Atlanta, GA. She is a graduate of the ICP cohort of 2018-2019, and couldn’t resist the chance to continue learning and creating with these talented humans again. Creating her own performance through this program has been one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. Most recent credits include: The Bells That Still Can Ring (Portland Center Stage), Las Meninas (Profile Theater), Mythology of Blame (Portland Playhouse), and 1984 (Artists Repertory Theatre).

Logan Starnes is a Yunwiya (ᏣᎳᎩ - Cherokee) indigiqueer director and educator. Their work focuses on the welfare of community, working from the idea that artistic expression is inherent to our collective existence, survival, and future. Much of their previous work has centered around deconstructing dominant narratives in order to “re-story” marginalized histories. For Logan, re-storying histories is an act of resistance, healing, and continued cultural memory. They see theater as a learning space—providing an avenue to challenge ideas, privileges, and prejudices within ourselves and others with the ultimate hope of moving our voices forward into the future.

Rachel Wells is a performer-creator who seeks to celebrate sensitivity through the whimsical and grotesque. She received a B.A. with distinction in acting from Lewis & Clark College in 2019 and plans to pursue an MFA in the future. In her work, Rachel hopes to continue to find joy in chaos, community in heartache, and bravery in vulnerability.

ICP CLASS OF 2020
 

Morgan Clark-Gaynor graduated from Lewis & Clark college in May of 2019 with a minor in Theatre. Throughout college, they practiced and performed improv comedy, leading to their current employment and participation at Curious Comedy Theater in Portland. They have done research into improv as a structure for gender performance investigation, which instigated the creation of their own improv troupe. They have directed and taught improv both at Lewis & Clark and in Anchorage, Alaska to pursue theatrical and comedic explorations of identity politics. They have also directed and performed in devised and traditional pieces and are currently pursuing a continued career in a variety of theatre approaches. Morgan is interested in theatre's ability to unearth new ideas and collaboratively experience the re-evaluation of everyday life.

Kelsea Vierra Ashenbrenner recently moved to Portland after a few summers of commuting from Corvallis where she graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in Theatre Arts. She has spent the last few years acting in Shakespeare productions with Original Practice Shakespeare Festival, Experience Theatre Project and most recently, Portland Actors Ensemble. She studied Shakespeare at Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. Putting Shakespeare aside for a few months, she’s excited to dive into contemporary performance technique with ICP. She’s interested in devising social justice theatre and stories about womxn.

Rachel Wells is a performer-creator who seeks to celebrate sensitivity through the whimsical and grotesque. She received a B.A. with distinction in acting from Lewis & Clark College in 2019 and plans to pursue an MFA in the future. In her work, Rachel hopes to continue to find joy in chaos, community in heartache, and bravery in vulnerability.

Bekah Gillock is an actor and artist fresh off of getting her degree in Theatre at George Fox University. She is originally from a small town in Washington where she first participated in drama classes because she was too “hyper.” This eventually led to a deep love of the craft that has shaped and molded her life. She has dabbled in several areas of study and is very drawn to the experimental and devised form of theatre. She also loves music and has studied Opera and musical theatre for several years. She was most recently in a production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime as the character of Judy and has also recently been seen in Jane Eyre The Musical, Our Town, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is so happy to be a part of the ICP cohort and is excited to learn so much!

Catherine Ming T’ien Duffly is a scholar-director and community-based theatre artist with a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her teaching and research interests include socially engaged and community-based theatre, 20th and 21st century American theatre, race theory and performance, acting, and directing. Kate has published articles in TDR, Theatre Topics, Theatre Survey, and Theatre Annual and is currently working on an edited collection that examines a broad array of performance practices rooted in community and explicitly engaged in negotiating difference and disruption. In addition to her own directorial and devised performance work, Kate has worked with Cornerstone Theater, Lunatique Fantastique, Touchable Stories, and Wise Fool Community Arts. In 2016, Kate received a grant from Oregon’s Regional Arts and Culture Council to create a community-based theatre project with community organization Western States Center and collaborator Roberta Hunte (Portland State University) about reproductive justice, titled We Are BRAVE. Kate is a board member for the August Wilson Red Door Project, which seeks to "change the racial ecology of Portland through the arts;" and Theatre Diaspora, Oregon’s only professional Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) theatre company. Prior to her position as Assistant Professor of Theatre at Reed, Kate taught as lecturer at UC Berkeley and California College of Arts.

Kimberly Diamond is an experimental performer, story teller, and weirdness maker. After grinding it out in the theatre world in  NYC for almost 10 years, she decided to make the trek to the PNW to be inspired by the trees and the rain. She is heavily influenced by non linear modes of story telling. Whether that be through, movement, sound, poetry, light, interpersonal immersion or all of the above at the same time. Sometimes the best moments are the ones that fall through the cracks and she lives to bring those to life. To be able to make art in a setting such as this, inside a city brimming with multi dimensional art makers is a true true and pure dream. 

Nathanael Ayers is a performing artist with a love for storytelling and music. He came from Sacramento to train as an actor, singer, sound designer, and director at George Fox University, and received his B.A. in theatre in 2017. His art is fueled by curiosity and the joy of creation, and guided by the belief that art can be used for healing and change. He works as a freelance actor, singer, model, and voiceover artist with representation from Ryan Artists.

Note: Due to the covid pandemic, the class of 2020 was not able to complete their year. We missed a (no doubt daring and beautiful) Festival of New Work. We lost our ceremony for graduation. We grieve not having been able to culminate our year as live bodies in space, and look forward to supporting their work in the future.

ICP Class of 2019

August Augustine: August, also known as Skweekz, is exploring the textural world of nature and the aesthetics of the human form. Just as the birds sing in the trees, August hopes to ignite a fire through their heart that sings to the passion of the individual. Their works explore the process of being cleansed by the rains of creating. A beautiful flower emerging from the ground that transforms into a butterfly ready to take flight.

Julia Brandenberger: I’m coming to ICP from Philadelphia- having grown up the farmlands and woods of the Pennsylvania suburbs. My artistic awakening came from the ballet world, which I entrenched myself in until I found improvisational storytelling. Once I broke open the different capacities within myself to perform I found that immediacy and direct presence with an audience were my preferred methods of reaching people and making art. I’ve come to hold this true above all else; Art must be at service to humanity, not the other way around. My objective with art is to use expression as a tool to better know myself and the human condition, through the medium of performance. I have studied theology at Pendle Hill Center for Quaker Studies. I have a BA in French Language and Linguistics from Penn State. I have studied performance at a long list of dance institutions, at Panorama Philly and the Headlong Performance Institute. Contact: julia@roguetheology.com Website: www.roguetheology.com

Bayley Brown has been interested in performance since a small age. Growing up in West Virginia she began at the age of 6 creating plays in her living room with her siblings for her parents and friends. As a junior in high school she started a very successful professional radio career which lasted for 15 years and took her to work at various radio stations in the United States and the United Kingdom. Bayley graduated with a BA in Mass Communication from York College of Pennsylvania and a MS in Journalism from West Virginia University with two popular thesis papers which received critical acclaim. She’s trained in commedia, clown, aerial, improv and took a lovely Summer Intensive at Dell’Arte International. As a theatre artist she’s interested physical comedy, clown and character development. In her spare time she’s a foley artist, sound designer, lighting designer, aerialist and general theatre nerd.

Keegan Kyle: Keegan was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and he attended Grant High School. He attended University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington (class of 2017) where he received a B.A. in Theatre and Philosophy. There he was a member of Ubiquitous They Sketch and Improv clubs and acted in main stage and student directed shows including The Seagull (Treplyev), Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play (Mr. Burns), Twelfth Night (Sebastian), Afterlife: A Ghost Story (Postman, Blackbird), Gnit (various characters), How I Learned to Drive (male chorus), and 365 Plays/365 Days (ensemble). He has also played Uncle Vanya in Uncle Vanya with The Serf Theatre Company in Seattle Washington.

Rebecca Miles: Rebecca is a performer and director based in Portland, Oregon. Rebecca is a graduate of George Fox University’s theatre program (2018) where she performed in numerous main stage productions. And now, just recently, she’s allowing herself to jump. To jump and soar into something new. A world of devising, expressive work and movement. She seeks to find the greater good in our world and wrestles with exploring where kindness and beauty are in society and where we can find it in each other.

Claire Rigsby: Originally from Atlanta, Claire graduated from Emory University in 2010 and bopped around the theatre scene in her hometown before heading West in 2013 for a training program in Sacramento. That experience led her to a summer of exploring in the Claireavan, her 1992 Tioga Montara RV, which became her home for four years in Portland. She’s performed in musicals, Shakespeare, children’s theatre, site-specific works, more “traditional” theatre spaces, devised pieces, tours, and more in Georgia, California, Oregon, England and China. Claire’s interest in the physical body and the mind-body connection has grown exponentially as she’s aged, leading her to yoga teacher training, ecstatic dance, Vipassana 10-day silent meditation retreats, Butoh, Aerial Silks, Viewpoints, Suzuki, and Alexander technique. She’s dedicating this year to focusing more deeply on her connection to her physical body, and the ways in which that will aid her growth as an actor, artist, and human being.

Patton Small is a director and performer with a passion for Theatre that pushes boundaries. Originally from Midland Texas, Patton fell in love with devised theatre as a teenager while first discovering the performing arts. He proceeded to attend Carleton College (‘17) and graduated with distinction in the degree of Theatre Arts, additionally receiving a Bachelors in Philosophy and an Interdisciplinary Concentration in Archaeology. Before joining ICP Patton trained in Stanislavski technique as well as in Grotowski technique and in Contact Improvisation. Most importantly Patton is passionate about the intersection of philosophy and performance creation. He believes in creating art that starts conversations and helps reimagine the world around us. Notable productions Patton has recently worked on include: Perpetrators (Performer); BAAL (Director); Hamletmachine (Director). In addition to his love of the arts Patton also maintains a deep affection for the outdoors. He is an avid mountaineer and works as a guide at Rare Earth Adventures.

ICP Class of 2018

Clifton Holznagel: I've been rolling around onstage since the late nineties and don't plan to stop anytime soon. I began life in Cleveland, Ohio and credit Near West Theatre for my early development as an empathetic human/artist, Pierre Davignon (RIP) at St. Ignatius High School for inspiration in the craft of Acting, and the Ohio University Division of Theatre for developing my attention to voice, body and mind in their BFA program. Shout out to Grandpa and Dad, I'm proud to bring our performance lineage into the 21st century with its third generation.

Myia Johnson is a local actress and improviser. She graduated in 2013 from Pacific Lutheran University with a fancy degree in acting/directing. Here are some accomplishments she wants you to know about: ensemble member at Deep End Theater and the Brody, performed in the 19th Del Close Marathon in New York, and member of the local ensemble for the 2017 Stumptown Improv Festival. She also loves cats, pizza, and glitter. 

Jonathan Lee: With a great interest in iconoclastic forms, Jonathan was a founding member of the guerilla theater company Loose Change Players, led by director Mark Kelty in Columbia, Missouri in the 90’s. With poet Adam Good, they created the ontological performance research collective We Are Science in Washington, DC. They have worked in collaboration with Forum Theatre and Dog and Pony DC, and were a faculty member at Washington Improv Theater. Jonathan is an award winning creative director and writer, most notably helping to create the WWF Together app and the promotional campaign for Fallout 3. Jonathan is currently working on a piece called I Need to Never Not Nothing, a series of durational performances based on the living room and garden of the house where they live.

They can be reached by hand.

Myriel Meissner is a young director, performer and educator, with a background in children's and dance theatre. She recently received her B.A. in Theatre from Lewis and Clark College, and is now teaching classes at OCT and with New Moon Theatre Productions. As an artist she enjoys to use humour to make witty statements about the sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways social and political issues play out in our world. Myriel spent her summer on a Fringe Theatre Tour to Canada and Colorado, where she performed as a shadow puppeteer in Sam Reiter's play Baba Yaga and is thrilled continue her theatre training at ICP.  

Rose Proctor is a performer, illustrator, and native Oregonian. She was a member of the Third Rail Mentorship program and is a graduate of Kenyon College and the National Theater Institute. 

ICP Class of 2017

Sullivan Mackintosh received her post-secondary theatrical training from Lewis & Clark College, National Theater Institute, and Institute for Contemporary Performance. She is currently the Artistic Director for CCA Children's Theatre and Phoenix Theatre, both focused on producing theatre for young audiences in the Columbia Gorge. In Portland, Sullivan can often be seen teaching at Oregon Children's Theatre, where she has also worked as a stage manager, performer, and costume designer. She also frequently performs in parks and schools with Original Practice Shakespeare, including a recent pilot project bringing Romeo & Juliet/Theatre of the Oppressed to Portland Public middle schools. When she takes off her many figurative and literal theatre hats, she enjoys crafting, board games, and fair-weather hiking. 

Nicola Rossi has considered Oregon home for the past six years since relocating from Massachusetts. After playing hide and seek with performance for the past few years, Nicola is excited to be found at ICP.

Jake Simonds is an award-nominated actor, writer, podcast host, and international touring artist. He has performed in New York City, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Seattle, Portland and Perth, Australia. When not touring critically acclaimed solo work ...like nobody’s watching, Jake resides in Portland where theatre credits include Hawthorne at Action/Adventure, The Three Sisters with Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, How to End Poverty..., and A Christmas Carol at Portland Playhouse, Present Laughter and Unnecessary Farce at Lakewood (2X OTAS nominee), and One Man, Two Guvnors at Clackamas Rep. Jake hosts and produces ...like nobody’s listening, a Fringe conversation podcast. You can find that and more at jakesimonds.com.

ICP Class of 2016 

Colin Trevor joined ICP fresh out of Reed College, where he earned a B.A. in Theatre. While at Reed, he appeared in over a dozen student, faculty, and thesis productions. He was most recently seen in Reed's mainstage production of Eugene Ionesco's The Bald Soprano and The Lesson which made up the production component of his senior thesis. Colin has studied at institutions such as New York's Public Theater. In 2013, he completed a semester at Russia's Moscow Art Theatre through the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. 

Gracie Rittenberg (she/her) is an actress, writer, and director. She got her BA in Theatre at Reed College and attended ICP shortly after graduating. ICP helped her grow her passion for creating her own work through physical theater, and she pursued further study in Suzuki/Viewpoints at the Conservatory at the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York City. She is currently Artistic Director of Bluebird Theatre Company. Her film Alien Invasion screened in multiple festivals, and she starred in and produced her adapted genderbent version of Hamlet. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Charlotte Markle is a recent graduate of Lewis & Clark College with a B.A. in Theatre. At L&C she participated in multiple productions as a performer, a director and a writer. Her favorite roles have included Duke Ferdinand/Duke Senior in As You Like It, Thea in Spring Awakening and Trinculo in The Tempest. Originally from San Francisco, Charlotte has worked as a teaching artist with Bay Area Shakespeare Camps and as an assistant teacher with ACT’s Youth Conservatory Summer Program. Prior to joining the Institute for Contemporary Performance, Charlotte collaborated with Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble as the assistant director and dramaturg on their production of The Three Sisters.

Stephanie Woods graduated from PSU with a Bachelors in theater arts (2012). Since then she has worked locally with theaters such as Sowelu and Imago. Studying with the Institute for Contemporary Performance, she is closing in on something she hadn't thoroughly tapped into. And she's stoked.

J'ena SanCartier moved to Portland from Central Florida to expand her artistic horizons. And that's exactly what she's been up to. She is a recent graduate of Portland Actors Conservatory, where she had the fateful opportunity to create performance with PETE for the first time-- an experience she wouldn't soon forget. After graduating, she starred in The Lower Rooms, a feature length film done with Sowelu Theater.  She is so incredibly stoked to be working, creating, and exploring new performance with ICP.