About Us

portland playhouse

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About Us

Portland Playhouse is dedicated to producing quality, intimate, live performance in which the interaction between artists and audience is paramount. We hold theatre to be a space in which people of all social, economic, racial, and political backgrounds can come together to celebrate the complexity of our shared human experience. We do this by:

Fostering a supportive relationship with the community.
Engaging in educational outreach and training that expands our audience and nurtures the artists of tomorrow.
Producing world-class plays, acoustic music, and spoken word performances.

Brian Weaver, Artistic Director / Founder

Born in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Brian received his MFA from Brandeis University. Shakespeare & Company: Ice Glen (Denby), Romeo and Juliet (Romeo); Berkshire Theatre Festival: Where Has Tommy Flowers Gone (Tommy Flowers), The Illusion (Amanuensis); New York: Lynch Play. Intiman Theatre Company: Scapin (Octave) and Titus Andronicus (Alarbus); The Idaho Shakespeare Festival: The Comedy of Errors (both Dromio twins); Seattle Public Theatre: Incorruptible (Brother Felix); Brandeis Theatre Company: Big Love (Nikos), The Bacchae (Messenger), The Waiting Room (Doug), The Suicide (Igor). Brian is also a founding member of New World Theatre (www.newworldarts.org/) where he directed the U.S. premiere of the Spanish translation of Jose Rivera's play, Marisol, as well as, Angels in America, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and The Tempest.

Michael Weaver , Executive Director / Founder

Born in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Michael has a degree in Business and Sociology from Gordon College, Boston MA. Michael has worked for the last three years as Operations Superintendent at a utility construction firm in Virginia. He has started 3 businesses in 6 years (all still running). Michael is happy to bring his entrepreneurial background to the Portland Playhouse. After 3 years of building power lines, Michael is excited about building a premiere, innovative and inspiring theater. Michael acted during his college days and in recent years at a community theater in Virginia: Waiting for Godot, Odd Couple, and Twelve Angry Men.

Nikki Weaver, Development Director / Founder

Born in Los Angeles, California. Lived in Sydney, Australia for thirteen years. Graduate of The Australian Academy of Dramatic Arts. Moontyde Productions (founding member): Australian premiere of The Batting Cage (Wilson), Shakespeare & Company: Hamlet (Ophelia); Historical Perspectives for Children: Madame Curie; Sydney Art Theatre: The Golden Age(Betsheb), Dags (Monica), The Would-Be Gentleman (Nicole), Road (Claire), Four Corners of a Round Woman(Darkchild), The Crucible (Sarah), Blackrock (Tracey Warner), ATM (Claire and Trix), Boston credits- Theatrezone: Dead City (Jewel), Whistler in the Dark: All this Flying (Franca Rame),11:11 : The Autumn Hours(Marie), Centerstage: More Than What(Eve). TV/Film: Stone Temple Pilots (Vaseline), Olsen twins Downunder film, Home and Away, Boston Historic Film and various commercials. When not on stage she can be found teaching yoga and working as a massage therapist. Nikki currently resides in DC where she is completing an MFA with The Shakespeare Theatre.

Lorraine Bahr, Directing Wilow Jade / Company Member

Lorraine Bahr is a two-time Drammy Award winning actress (Portland, OR Theater Critics Circle), Award-winning Playwright, director and theatre educator. She is co-founder, Associate Artistic Director and Acting Company member of Sowelu Ensemble Theater, and has been professionally acting, directing, writing and teaching, primarily in Minnesota and Oregon, since 1981. Most recent appearances in Portland include Bob’s Mom in bobrauschenbergamerica (Portland Playhouse,) and LIVE NUDE FEAR! (co-written, co-produced and co-performed with Ritah Parrish.) As playwright, Bahr’s other produced work includes Life Alone; Bottomless; Count Time Count Time; Single Women; The Great Escape of Charlie Stone; Lost Dog; and Carefree Highway. She currently teaches Acting at Portland State University, Playwriting with WITS/Literary Arts, Inc.; and is Program Coordinator for Well Arts Institute’s Elder Writing Program.

Jenny Lakey, Assistant Directing Fiction / Company Member

Jenny graduated from Reed College with a BA in Theatre. Her work there included Mug in Boris Vian's The Empire Builders and stage managing Edward Bond's "The Sea, though her favorite was directing scenework and thesis productions. At Portland Playhouse, she has worked on Mauritius by Theresa Rebeck (stage manager) and bobrauschenbergamerica by Charles Mee (asst. director). She has spent many years volunteering in the Portland Public School system, both in the classroom and as a fundraiser for the Portland Schools Foundation. She served five years on the board of the Oregon Writers Colony. Jenny and her husband own Trainer's Club in Lake Oswego.

theresa hernandez, Dramaturg for Fiction / Company Member
theresa hernandez spends her time exploring and wrestling with text and served as dramaturg for Portland Playhouse's bobrauschenbergamerica and Mauritius. She is currently Literary Manager for Portland Theatre Works, box office manager for CoHo Productions, and master of administrative tasks. She designed the Greenroom Gourmet, is a former board member of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance and graduate of Tisch School of the Arts. theresa has fluffy red hair and may be seen in a theatre audience near you.

KB Mercer, Company Member

KB Mercer has been in Portland over a year now (wow) and loves it. Did her first show at Portland Playhouse and fell into a pot of jam! While running the Traveling Lantern Theatre Company with her husband, Doren Elias, KB is now diving into the Portland Area Theatre scene.
She is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts Professional Actor Training program, and has been an acting for over twenty years, the last twelve or so years at various theatres in San Diego. She is delighted to be a Company Member with Portland’s hottest new company!

Cristi Miles- Assistant Director for Willow Jade, Company Member

Cristi was last seen on the stage as Lulu in Miracle Theatre's El Grito Del Bronx.Prior to that, while in Boston she served as Producer for Orfeo Group's Elliot Norton Award winning production of Look Back in Anger, and played the title role in their inaugural production of Marisol. She has directed and taught at the Berkshire Theatre Festival and with numerous regional theatres including the Stoneham theatre and New Repertory Theatre. She also was a faculty member of The Boston Conservatory. As an actor her credits include:Celia in As you Like it at San Jose Rep, Matilde in The Clean House at New Rep (Elliot Norton Award –Best Production), A Streetcar Named Desire (Mexican Woman/ Nurse) also at New Rep, Buried Child with The Nora Theatre , The Winter’s Tale (Perdita) with Actors’ Shakespeare Project, A Christmas Carol with New Rep, A Prayer for Owen Meany at Stoneham, Closer (Alice) with The Devanaughn, Hamlet, Our Town, The Glass Menagerie, Macbeth, all with New Rep on Tour. This winter Cristi will be assistant directing Willow Jade with Lorraine Bahr of Portland Playhouse. Cristi holds an MFA from Brandeis University and is a proud member of Portland Playhouse, Orfeo Group and Actors’ Equity.

"Imagination dead imagine."- Beckett