ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS

ICP courses are taught by our core faculty: Jacob Coleman, Rebecca Lingafelter, Cristi Miles and Amber Whitehall.  All instructors have extensive training with performance greats like Sonia Moore, Anne Bogart and the SITI Company, Mary Overlie, Wendell Beavers, Barbara Dilley and Tectonic Theatre.  ICP faculty have taught at Portland Actor’s Conservatory, The Sonia Moore Studio of Theatre, Barnard College, Naropa University, Brandeis University, Boston Conservatory, Pacific University, Lewis & Clark College, Portland State University, The Public Theatre, and the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

ICP also hosts occasional guest workshops by professional working artists, including core PETE company members and designers.

Core Faculty:

Jacob Coleman is a director, performer, teacher and founding member of PETE. Recent performance work with PETE includes Cherry Orchard, Fronteriza, Weather Room, Uncle Vanya, Procedures for Saying No, [or, the whale], Enter THE NIGHT, The Three Sisters, and R3. Jacob has also worked with Shaking the Tree, Imago Theatre, Liminal, Hand2Mouth, The Portland Art Center, Portland Actors Conservatory, Jenny Vogel, and zoe|juniper. Jacob directed PETE’s Our Ruined House, Deception Unit, All Well, Drowned Horse Tavern, and Song of the Dodo. In addition to teaching with ICP, Jacob has worked at Lewis and Clark College, George Fox University, The Portland Actors Conservatory, Portland Center Stage, Naropa University, and Reed College. He currently teaches in the Theatre department at Pacific University. MFA, Naropa University.

Rebecca Lingafelter is a performer, teacher and producer based in Portland. She received her MFA from Columbia University, where she studied with Anne Bogart, Andrei Serban and Kristin Linklater. In New York she performed at Classic Stage Company, PS122, The Ontological Hysteric Incubator, HERE Arts Center, The Bushwick Starr, The Chocolate Factory, Judson Church, Vortex Theatre Company, Target Margin Theatre, and The Metropolitan Opera. She has performed internationally in Korea, Germany, Italy, England and Budapest, Hungary. She was co-artistic director of experimental theatre ensemble Performance Lab 115 from 2005-2010, where she produced and performed in over 12 productions. In addition she was lead-artist for PL115’s six-month residency with Mabou Mines mentored by Ruth Maleczech. Rebecca is currently an Associate Professor of Theatre at Lewis and Clark College. She has taught at the The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Art, The Public Theater, Classic Stage Company, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the Actors Conservatory. She is co-artistic director of PETE and a core member of Third Rail Repertory. Current projects include The Cherry Orchard with PETE, and work on a new piece devised in partnership with an Inside/Out class at CRCI in North Portland.

Cristi Miles is a native of El Paso, Tx and is a performer, director and teacher. She has taught and created at numerous theaters nationwide including: The Berkshire Theatre Festival, PETE (Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble)where she is a founding member, Portland Actors Conservatory, Portland Playhouse, The Stoneham Theatre, The Huntington Theatre, New Repertory Theatre and The Boston Conservatory. As an actor she has worked with: PETE, Third Rail Rep, Portland Playhouse,  Portland Shakespeare Project, Teatro Milagro, San Jose Rep, New Repertory Theatre, The Nora Theatre, Actors’ Shakespeare Project, The Stoneham Theatre, The Huntington Theatre, Profile Theatre, Coho Theatre, The Portland Civic Theatre Guild, and New Rep on Tour. She has trained with Anne Bogart and the SITI company, Double Edge Theatre Company, The Roy Hart Theatre company and is a AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher, who is devoted to working with performers to improve their use and performance quality. Cristi holds an MFA from Brandeis University and is a proud member of Actors Equity.

Emily June Newton is an international multi-skilled comedic performer specializing in the areas of clown, physical comedy and character creation. Originating from Australia, she now resides in Portland, Oregon. Emily has performed both nationally and internationally with companies including Terrapin Puppet Theater (AUS), Oregon Children’s Theater (OR, USA), The Children’s Art Theater of China (Shanghai, CHN) and Dell’Arte International (CA, USA). She writes, performs and tours solo interactive comedic works including ‘Frank: to be Frank’ and ‘For the love of down under: an evening with Australia’. Emily holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Ensemble-Based Physical Theater from Dell’Arte International (CA, USA), and is a core member of the Coho Clown Cohort (CoHo Productions PDX) founded by Philip Cuomo; who she worked with for many years creating original clown theatrical works including Philip’s Glass Menagerie, Witch Hunt and Beethoven and Chopin: Monster Hunters. Emily is honored to be teaching Clown for ICP and hopes to bring joy, laughter and big-ridiculous-fun into the studio. www.emilyjunenewton.com

Roo Welsh: It is with a sense of indescribable joy & heartfelt gratitude that Roo is joining the teaching staff at PETE’s Institute for Contemporary Performance.  He is a life-long student of self, a stay at home Dad, a devoted husband, and student of Yoga.  Roo also volunteers his time teaching trauma informed yoga in correctional facilities in Oregon.  He has an MFA in Acting (Columbia University) and an MA in Spiritual Psychology. 

Amber Whitehall is performer, writer and teacher. She is co-founder of PETE (Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble). Her work is a unique synthesis of technique, concept and practice informed by her years of experience making original work in a collaborative way. Her research and teaching includes creative compositional processes, embodied awareness and expression, and the symbiotic relationship between composition and improvisation. She has produced work and taught in Portland, Seattle, NYC, and Europe. She is a dedicated practitioner of the Viewpoints and the Suzuki Method actor training. She is also a trained practitioner of Roy Hart Voice Work, Developmental Movement, and BMC. Amber has taught acting and movement in the BFA program at Naropa University; butoh dance at The Evergreen State College; composition at Conduit Dance; Voice at Portland Actors Conservatory; and Suzuki and Movement at Lewis and Clark College. She has been facilitating performer training and composition workshops for professional artists since 2003. She is also a Registered Yoga Teacher. MFA: Contemporary Performance.

in memoriam

Philip Cuomo was a founding faculty member of ICP, without whom this program would not exist. It was in many ways because of Philip’s vision, his many years of experience as both an artist and administrator, and his overwhelming enthusiasm for teaching that PETE was able to conceive that we might create this unique kind of training program. Philip was our clown, our Executive Director, and our dearest friend and collaborator. He taught clown to each of our first five cohorts and remained a mentor to so many who crossed paths with us in the studio. Philip died in November of 2021, but his spirit remains alive with each of us involved in the program every day. His vibrant, delightful soul is inextricably interwoven into our teaching, our artist-selves, and our reasons for continuing forward. We miss him every day. We continue to make ICP as best as we can without him, always hearing his voice shouting at us to keep dancing, keep making the work!

A bit more about Philip:

Philip was the Producing Artistic Director of CoHo Productions, a director, and actor and a Third Rail Repertory Theatre core company member. His directing credits included work with Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Hand2Mouth, Theatre Vertigo, Miracle Theatre, Nomadic Theatre and Portland Actors Conservatory, all in Portland Oregon, Oberon Theatre Ensemble, Expanded Arts and The Sonia Moore Studio of Theatre in New York City and with The Tampa Historical Society and School is Fun Productions in Florida. He worked extensively in devised work and play development.

Previously, Philip was the Executive Director of Portland Actors Conservatory. His responsibilities included administrative and operational oversight in regards to compliance with National, State and local agencies, budgeting and finance, origination and disbursement of federal financial aid, administrative staff, fundraising, development and marketing. His leadership was instrumental in securing accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre in 2008. He oversaw the creation and implementation of policies, procedures, and systems to disburse federal financial aid under Title IV beginning in the fall of 2009. He was instrumental in securing approval to offer F-1 student visas to international students. His leadership and discipline stabilized the financial health of the institution. Philip was a member of the Conservatory faculty teaching movement and clown and directing in the Conservatory season of plays.

As an actor he appeared at Lincoln Center, The Hartford Stage, The Civic Theatre of Central Florida, and in Portland with Third Rail, Artists Repertory Theatre, Shaking the Tree, and Imago Theatre.

Philip was an adjunct faculty member at Portland State University teaching movement and clown.