The Company We Keep
The Guest Artist program at Willamette Theatre sets our training apart from many colleges. Artist contributions are diverse: Directing, acting, design, playwriting, music composition, solo performance, and guest teaching and workshops. In addition to expanding students' experience and training, the Guest Artist program offers example and insight on future careers in the arts – a part of our committed liberal arts education.
2023-24 Season
- Carly Christensen • Director, In the Deep
- Janie E. Howland • Scenic Designer, In the Deep
2022-23 Season
- Natalie Rose Mabry • Scenic Designer, Blithe Spirit
- Lindsey Mantoan • Intimacy Director, The Secretaries
- Stephanie Mulligan • Director, The Secretaries
- Sasha Schwartz • Scenic Designer, The Secretaries
- Emmett VanVactor-Lee • Intimacy Designer, The Liar
2021-22 Season
- Lava Alapai • Director, Wayfinding
- Cher Anabo • Artistic Director, Fall Dance Concert '21
- Raja Benz • Intimacy Director, Wayfinding and Twelfth Night
- Austin Blake Conlee • Costume Designer, The Amateurs, Wayfinding and Twelfth Night
- Joy DeMichelle • Intimacy Director, The Amateurs
- Yvonne Miranda • Scenic Designer, Twelfth Night
- Sasha Schwartz • Scenic Designer, The Amateurs and Wayfinding
2020-21 Season
- Michele Ainza • Choreographer, Moving Forward • Screendance
- Blanca Forzán • Lighting Designer, A Bright New Boise
- Samantha McLean • Choreographer, Moving Forward • Screendance
- Robert Uehlin • Cinematography in Dance Masterclass, Moving Forward • Screendance
- Solomon Weisbard • Director of Photography, Moving Forward • Screendance
2019-20 Season
- Michele Ainza • Choreographer, Fall Dance Concert
- Leazah Behrens • Scenic Designer, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., and Blood Wedding
- Daniel Do • Choreographer, Fall Dance Concert
- Jeff Forbes • Lighting Designer, In Triplicate
- Blanca Forzán • Lighting Designer, Men on Boats
- Sarah Hughey • Lighting Designer, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again., and Blood Wedding
- Marina McClure • Director, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.
- Matt Romein • Multimedia artist & performer, In Triplicate (solo performance)
- Mar Undag • Choreographer, Fall Dance Concert
- Robert Vaughn • Sound Designer, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.
2018-19 Season
- Cynthia Gutierrez-Garner • Choreographer, Future Voices dance concert
- Genevieve Gahagan • Choreographer, Future Voices dance concert
- Kalean Ung • Solo performer and playwright, Letters from Home
- Kevin Otos • Visiting instructor, Commedia dell'Arte
- Mary McDonald-Lewis • "A View from Here," professional voice artistry seminar & workshop
2017-18 Season
- Hayley Green • Playwright (book & lyrics), Wings of Fire
- Austin Green • Composer, Wings of Fire
- Craig Pesti-Strobel • Performer, An Inspector Calls
- Sarah Hughey • Lighting designer, An Inspector Calls • Lighting designer, Symbolic Interactions: Giving Voice, Making Spaces dance concert • Visiting instructor, Lighting Design
2016-17 Season
- Cristi Miles • Movement director, Macbeth
- Calvin Steck • Music director, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
- Ted deChatelet • Fight choreographer, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
- Tannis Kowalchuk • Solo performer, Shakespeare's Will
- Elizabeth Rothan • Director, Lear's Daughters
2015-16 Season
- Judy Halebsky • Playwright, The Weaver and The Dress
- Jubilith Moore • Director, The Feathered Mantle and The Weaver and The Dress
- Robert Anderson • Creative producer, My Case Is Altered: Tales of a Roaring Girl
- Lisa Gaye Dixon • Solo performer, My Case Is Altered: Tales of a Roaring Girl
- Grace Godwin • Dramaturg, My Case Is Altered: Tales of a Roaring Girl
- Struan Leslie • Director and conceptual artist, My Case Is Altered: Tales of a Roaring Girl
2014-15 Season
- Samantha Jones • Costume Designer, Top Girls and Veracity
- Johanna Melamed • Sound Designer, Top Girls
- Damaris Webb • Actor, The Box Marked Black
- Michelle Seaton • Director, Helen
2013-14 Season
- Shana Cooper • Director, The Conference of the Birds
- Alan Schwanke • Set Designer, The Conference of the Birds
- Sharath Patel • Sound Designer, The Conference of the Birds
- Lauren Dubowski • Dramaturg, The Conference of the Birds
- Jessica Wallenfels • Choreographer, The Conference of the Birds
- Lisa Rothe • Director, Hold These Truths
- Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams • Scenic Designer, Hold These Truths
- Joel de la Fuente • Actor, Hold These Truths
- Tom Nabhan • Actor, Proof
- Amanda Cole • Choreographer, The Trojan Women
2012-13 Season
- Nathanael Johnson • Actor, Measure For Measure
- Cecil Averett • Sound Designer, Measure For Measure
- Brennan Harvey • Choreographer, PeopleDance
- Jessi Fouts • Aerialist/Dancer, PeopleDance
- Holly Hughes • Performance Artist, The Dog and Pony Show (bring your own pony)
- Jason Miranda • Puppet Maker
- Bill Holznagel • Puppet Maker
- Gabrielle Brewer-Wallin • Director, Orlando
2011-12 Season
- Jessica Wallenfels • Director, The Adding Machine
- Eric Nordin • Music Director, The Adding Machine
- Cecil Averett • Sound Designer, The Adding Machine
- Kitty Sailer • Choreographer, PeopleDance
- Jessi Fouts • Aerialist/Dancer, PeopleDance
- Elaine Bromka • Actor, Tea for Three
2010-11 Season
- Rod Ceballos • Director, Death of a Salesman
- Susan Coromel, • Actor, Death of a Salesman
- Laurence Harris • Actor, Death of a Salesman
- Mikel McDonald • Actor, Death of a Salesman
- Tom Nabhan • Actor, Death of a Salesman
- Cecil Averett • Sound Designer, Death of a Salesman
- E.B. Brooks • Costume Designer, PeopleDance, Death of a Salesman
- Okaidja Afroso • Musician & Choreographer, PeopleDance
- Kurt Crowley • Music Director, Aquitania
- Calvin Steck • Vocal Coach, Aquitania
2009-10 Season
- Larry Kominz • Director, The Sardine Seller's Net of Love
- Toshimi Tanaka • Assistant Director & Co-Costume Designer, The Sardine Seller's Net of Love
- Colleen Lanki • Choreographer, The Sardine Seller's Net of Love
- Mitch Imori • Musician, The Sardine Seller's Net of Love
2008-09 Season
- Michael Brusasco • Director, Twelfth Night
- Brent Barnes • Actor, Vocal Coach, Twelfth Night
2007-08 Season
- Raissa Fleming (Willamette Alum, 1979) • Actor, The Importance of Being Earnest
- Nick Zagone • Playwright, Driving Under the Influence
- Marc Friedman • Director, Driving Under the Influence
- Karen Vacarro • Director, The Women
2006-07 Season
- John Parnham • Makeup and Special Effects Designer, The Ash Girl
- Stephanie Timm • Playwright, W(h)acked, An Immorality Play
- Tom Butler • Director, O Pioneers!
- Jen Raynak • Sound Designer, O Pioneers!
- Susan Vaslev • Musical Director, O Pioneers!
2005-06 Season
- Luba Zarembinska • Director, Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Patryk Czaplicki • Assistant director, Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Stefan Puchalski • Musician, Confession in Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Michael Griggs • Actor, Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Karol Kersh • Actor, Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Mateusz Perkowski • Translator, Confession in Wood; and The Lives of the Saints, or The World According to Wowro
- Jen Raynak • Sound Designer, Tongue of a Bird
- Philip Cuomo • Actor, The Game of Love and Chance
- Gabrielle Brewer-Wallin • Director, Dear Charlotte
- Hal Logan • Sound Design, Dear Charlotte
2004-05 Season
- Robert Quinlan • Director, Sueño
- Nathan Kahler • Sound Designer, Sueño
- Tim True • Actor, Lie of the Mind
- Shana Cooper • Director, Marisol
- Alan Stone • Sound Designer, Marisol
2003-04 Season
- Michael O'Connell • Actor, Three Farces and a Funeral
- Tim Stapleton • Sound Designer, Three Farces and a Funeral, The Promise, Our Country's Good
- Bruce Hostetler • Director, The Promise
- Tori Haring-Smith • Director, Our Country's Good
- Joseph Fisher • Playwright, Cupid and Psyche
- Bill Holznagel • Puppet Maker, Cupid and Psyche
- Jeff Forbes • Lighting Designer, From Within (Dance Concert)
2002-03 Season
- Tim Wratten • Lighting Designer, The Taming of the Shrew, Moveable Feast (Dance Concert)
- Ted deChatelet • Director, Savage in Limbo, Actor, The Diviners
- Michael Peterson • Lighting Designer, Savage In Limbo, Big Love
- Lisa Rothe • Director, Big Love
- Michael Griggs • Director, The Diviners
- Drew Flint • Lighting and Sound Director, The Diviners
2001-02 Season
- Rod Ceballos • Director, All My Sons
- Mikel McDonald • Actor, All My Sons
- Rita Honka • Choreographer, ... and we dance (Dance Concert)
- Daryll Thomas • Choreographer, ... and we dance (Dance Concert)
- Teri Vore • Choreographer, Quilters
- Susan Vaslev • Musical director, Quilters
- Suzy King • Actor, Quilters
- Polly Robbins • Scene Designer, The Good Person of Sichuan
2000-01 Season
- Leslie Brott • Director, Tartuffe
- Mikel McDonald • Actor, How I Learned to Drive
1999-2000 Season
- Robert G Anderson • Director, You Never Can Tell, Actor, A Bright Room Called Day
- Mikel McDonald • Actor, You Never Can Tell
- Robert Quinlan • Vocal/Dialect Coach, You Never Can Tell
- Carolyn Holzman • Movement Director, Lysistrata
- Jacky McCormick • Choreographer, Bodies in States of Motion (Dance Concert)
- Megan Orion • Dancer, Bodies in States of Motion (Dance Concert)
1998-99 Season
- Cindy Gold • Director, Arcadia
- John Tillotson • Actor, Romeo and Juliet
- Mike Mahaffey • Fight Choreographer, Romeo and Juliet
1997-98 Season
- Margo van Ummersen • Choreographer, as freedom is a breakfast food (Dance Concert)
- David Gardiner • Director, The Hostage
- Richard Leinaweaver • Actor, The Hostage
- Sue Carney • Musician, The Hostage
- Pat O'Scannell • Musician, The Hostage
- Judy Schaub • Musician, The Hostage
- Dawn Lanphier Simon • Scene Designer, Uncle Vanya
1996-97 Season
- David M. Berkely • Guest choreographer, Rose Petal Soup dance concert
- Margo van Ummersen • Guest choreographer, Rose Petal Soup dance concert
- Catherine Roach • Guest Dancer, Rose Petal Soup dance concert
- Leslie Brott • Actress, The Sea
- Robert G Anderson • Actor, The Sea
- Judy Cullen • Scene designer, The Sea
- Dawn Lanphier Simon • Scene designer, Fefu and Her Friends
1995-96 Season
- Robert G. Anderson • Actor, Once In a Lifetime, The Broken Jug, Othello
- Billbob Brown • Guest Choreographer, Immigrants and Innocents (Dance Concert)
- Aldo Bilingslea • Actor, Othello
- Robin McFarquhar • Fight Choreographer, Othello
- Cynthia White • Director, Dancing at Lughnasa
- Stacey Bean • Actress, Dancing at Lughnasa
1994-95 Season
- Marc Hughes • Dancer and Choreographer, Court Dances dance concert
- Susan Coromel • Director, Waiting for the Parade • Actress, The Cherry Orchard
- Robin McFarquhar • Fight choreographer, Of Mice and Men
1993-94 Season
- Susan Coromel • Voice coach, Women of Troy
- Erika Rolfsrud • Actress, Women of Troy
- Robin McFarquhar • Choreographer, Women of Troy
- Larry Roach • Actor, Terra Nova
- Robert Herzog • Actor, Terra Nova
1992-93 Season
- Robin McFarquhar • Fight Choreographer, The Rover
- Manuel Zarate • Playwright/Director, Kuka
1991-92 Season
- Steven Pachosa, G• Guest Artist, Mixed Blood
- Virginia Choate, A• Actress, Eastern Standard
- Maureen Culligan, G• Guest Designer - Masks, Celebration
- Cheney Ryan, P• Playwright, El Milagro De Tepeyac
- Ernesto Ravetto, D• Director, El Milagro De Tepeyac
- Monica Sanchez, A• Actress, El Milagro De Tepeyac
- Eli Torres, A• Actor, El Milagro De Tepeyac
- Mile 6, R• Rock Group, The Tooth of Crime
- Sean Carlson, C• Composer/Musical Arranger, The Tooth of Crime
1990-91 Season
- Rick Jones, G• Guest Artist, Woza Albert!
- Anthony Armstrong, G• Guest Artist, Woza Albert!
- Larry Roach, A• Actor, God's Country
- Woodrow Blettel, G• Graphic Design,1990/91 Season Posters
1989-90 Season
- Keith Scales • Guest Artist, This Ever Living Man
- Robert Meagher • Playwright (Adaptation), Iphigenia
- Michael Griggs • Director, Iphigenia
- Jacky McCormick • Choreographer, Iphigenia
- Barbara Bernstein • Composer/Music Director, Iphigenia
1988-89 Season
- Wayne Ballantyne • Director, The Rules of the Game
- Don Caldwell • Guest Artist, Damien
- Jacky McCormick • Dancer, Ascent (Dance Concert)
- Gray Eubank • Director, The Skin of Our Teeth