Meet Our Instructors

And discover the amazing talents they bring to Metropolitan Performing Arts!

Deepa Barve

BOLLYWOOD DANCE

Deepa started performing since the age of 8 and the performing arts has been a part of her life ever since. She is trained in Indian classical dance form, Bharatnatyam and in jazz. Winning dance competitions, participating in musical theater and school plays, even scriptwriting and directing in college all led to her being named the principal dancer of National Center of Performing Arts in Mumbai, India. 
After that, she joined Suyog Productions, a flagship theatre house in Mumbai as an actor and toured all over the country with several hit productions. She dabbled in a couple of short films by National Film Development Corporation before moving to United States. She has been teaching Bollywood dance in Portland for 8 years and has been an independent choreographer/dancer.
Her all-women dance troupe has performed at various platforms in the Northwest, including Power of One show in Seattle, and City of Beaverton’s summer events. Her dance academy recently won Portland’s first Bollywood competition. 
Follow her on Instagram: @deepashrib 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeepaBarve
Because of her extensive time on stage, she is extremely passionate about arts education and has served on the board of Metropolitan Youth Symphony and Portland Center Stage.

Dylan Sladky

acting

Having grown up in Vancouver, WA, Dylan attended VSAA before graduating from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle with a degree in Directing/Playwriting. Since college, Dylan has worked all across the country, most recently as the Artistic Administrator for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Favorite credits include; ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA (Cornish), TWELFTH NIGHT (Bard and Bourbon Theatre Co.), and THE CHILDREN'S HOUR (Outskirts Theatre).

Jeffrey Puukka

Acting

Jeffrey Puukka is curious and passionate about actor training, and joined Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy to teach Acting Fundamentals in 2017.  Additionally, Jeffrey teaches the highly popular and successful Monday Night Acting Lab at Mt. Hood Community College, and is also a mentor and adjudicator for high school competitive speakers.  Jeffrey has directed thirty-something theatre productions in the Portland metro area over the past 15 years.  Favorites include “Women of Troy” which he adapted from Euripides and directed in 2015, “Elective Affinities” (Portland, the Edinburgh Fringe, and Cambodia), and “Dracula” (Portland, 2004).   
​

William Johnson

ACTING
TECH
AERIALS & silks

After graduating from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City, Will went on to get his bachelor's degree in Theater Education from Western Washington University. Since 2014 Will has been teaching Acting, Acrobatics, and Theater Technology in the Vancouver area having the opportunity to work in all aspects of the theater from play-writing to performance. Previous credits include: Midsummer Night's Dream (Puck), Jack Sprat World Tour (Jack), Town of Gruff (Playwright), Madeline's Christmas (Director), and many more.

Pip Kennedy

makeup design
playwriting

Pip Kennedy is an actor, director, vocalist, and dramaturg based in Portland, Or. Classically trained in Meisner Technique & Victorian Period Dramaturgy, he has over 8 years of study in these areas plus, stage direction, script analysis,  new play development, musical theatre & Shakespeare. His professional training started at Concordia University, then to Portland State University & also NYU. He's traveled the country & Eastern Europe performing for various companies. He's been professionally working as an actor & director for about 20 years. 

Jimmie Herrod

​MUSIC

 Jimmie is a musician and actor currently residing in New York City. Jimmie is a vocalist with locally beloved international superstars Pink Martini, for the Grammy-nominated ODESZA for their national television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and recently debut his second solo album. After graduating Cornish with a degree in composition and performance, Herrod pursued a Master of Music in jazz studies from Portland State University and made a name for himself as a theater artist in Seattle. Authoritative Broadway World deemed his 2015, gender-bending performance as Tunny’s Extraordinary Girl in American Idiot by Seattle’s ArtsWest “a performance for the ages.” Jimmie has served as an adjunct professor of voice for the PSU jazz program and performed with the Oregon Symphony, 5th Avenue theater Seattle, NWCT, Staged!, Portland Opera and Seattle Rock Orchestra. 

Jeanna Reed

CHOREOGRAPHER

Jeanna Reed is excited for the opportunity to share her love of dance and musical
theater with MPA! Jeanna has over 20 years of experience as a dance instructor and
choreographer. She finds joy in working with beginners on up to professionals. Jeanna
is the owner of "Jeanna's Forever Dance, LLC" Her local musical theater work includes
choreography and performance in: Mary Poppins, Charlie Brown, Shrek, The Mikado, and tap choreography for Thoroughly Modern Millie. She also enjoys choreographing for youth productions, and some of her favorite credits include Singing; in the Rain, Aladdin,
Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka Jr., and Disney’s 101 Dalmatians KIDS. Choreography credits also include two original musicals written and directed by Steve Taylor with Theater Under the Stars in Lake Chelan. One of Jeanna's greatest thrills was performing in the opening dance for The New York Radio City Rockettes. In addition to
her passion for dance and theater, Jeanna has her teaching degree from Whitworth University. Jeanna taught first grade and middle school before becoming a mom of her four sons.

Sean Kelly

DIRECTOR

​Sean began performing in the 5th grade with a community theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. He attended Southern Oregon University as a BFA student with an emphasis in Performance. Sean's interests grew with his education, and he took a full course of Sound Design and Directing classes in addition to his acting, movement, speech, and dramatic literature courses. He also served as a guest lecturer for the Drama in the Western Culture class at SOU for two years, and performed at the Oregon Cabaret Theater and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival before coming North to the Portland/Vancouver area. Sean received his Masters in Teaching at Concordia University, and has been the director of the drama department at Camas High School since 2011. Sean and his department have received state-wide recognition at the 5th Avenue Awards in Seattle earning dozens of nominations and honorable mentions for scene design, lighting, directing, performance, and choreography, including 3 nominations for Outstanding Overall Production, and wins for Outstanding Direction for 2013's Into the Woods, and Outstanding Overall Production for 2015's Cabaret. Two of his students have won Outstanding Leading Actor/Actress awards, and have been sent to the National High School Musical Theatre Awards in New York. Sean also performed with Post5 Theater in Portland's 2015 performances of Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing.​
 

Kemba Shannon

dance

Kemba Shannon received her BFA from Towson State University and trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,  Martha Graham School,  the Edge, Lula Washington,  Peridance,  and Morgan State University.  She has taught dance classes at UCLA,  Loyola Marymount,  El Camino College and Portland State University among others. Kemba‘s stage credits include: The Lion King (LA cast), The Color Purple (Broadway cast), Cirque du Soleil (Zumanity), Aida and FAME. Kemba‘s ambition and drive have won her world recognition with icons MADONNA (“Drowned World Tour”), PINK (Try This World Tour”), Celine Dion ( Taking Chances World Tour”), RIHANNA (Nike Rockstar World Tour), Kanye West, R. Kelly and FANTASIA just to name a few. Her television credits include: American Dreams (NBC), Oscars (“Chicago” Performance), MTV Music Awards (Pink performance ), the Emmys (Kristin Bell performance), World Music Awards (Kanye West & R. Kelly), NAACP Awards and the Grammy’s. Kemba‘s multifaceted dance style continues to inspire her students to be fierce and dance with their heart and soul.

Shannon Jung

dance

Shannon is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and arts educator based out of the Vancouver/Portland area. An alumna of Western Washington University, she is a double major in Theater (acting) and Dance (performance). She has trained heavily in tap, modern, musical theater, ballet, devising, Suzuki, viewpointing, and Stanislavski Technique. Since 2013, Shannon has been choreographing and teaching tap technique, as well as various workshops. Recent MPA choreography credits include: Matilda (2019), Willy Wonka (2018), The Fantasticks (2017), and Aladdin (2017). Other choreography credits include: Young Frankenstein (2018), 1776 (2017), Peter and the Star Catchers (2016), and Twisted (2015).

Ian Anderson-Priddy

lighting design

Ian Anderson-Priddy first worked with MPA as LD for ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ in 2016 - next was ‘Chicago’, ‘Shrek Jr.,’ ‘Edwin Drood,’ ‘The Hobbit’, ‘The Fantastics’, ‘Junie B Jingle Bells’, ‘Spamalot’, and ‘Into the Woods,’ and is happy to return in 2021/2022 as lighting designer for multiple shows. He has designed for OCT (Geronimo Stilton Mouse in Space, Goosebumps, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed) He won a Drammy Award for Video Design with Triangle Productions ‘American Idiot’ in June 2016.  He currently designs lights and video for Oregon Ballet Theatre, PHAME, Defunkt Theatre, Westside Dance Academy, Mac Dance, BDC Dance, Central Catholic High School, Chamber Music NW, Bodyvox Dance, and Staged!.

Cooper Poole

sound design

Cooper has been doing sound for theatre in Portland for 5 years now. He has worked on shows for Metropolitan Performing Arts, Staged!, Enso theater, and a few others. He is excited to work with Metropolitan Performing Arts again, and looks forward to this winter season of shows.

Laura Harris

WRITING, CLOWNING

Laura Anne Harris is a theatre artist and writer raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. She recently graduated with a Master of Fine Art in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia. She is a multi-award-winning artist who has toured internationally with her plays including such cities as: Syracuse, NY, New York City, NY, Lancaster, PA, Bangkok, Thailand, and Toronto, Ontario. Laura has trained for six years in clown-based performance in Montreal, and Toronto, Ontario with renowned clown instructors John Turner, Helen Donnelly, Adam Lazarus, and Francine Cote. She has trained in improv and sketch at Second City in Toronto. Most recently Laura has toured the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit with her solo show Destiny, USA about her experience working as a Relay Operator in Syracuse, New York. Her play was professionally produced by The Belfry Theatre in Victoria, British Columbia as part of their 2020 Spark Festival. Now a resident of Vancouver, Washington she cannot wait to cultivate creativity and joy at the Metropolitan Performing Arts Center.  

Barbara Richardson

acting
musical theater 

Barbara Richardson is an actor, singer and voice over artist based out of SW Washington. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Vanguard University of Southern California (VUSC) and took part in the 2009 NYC Making it on Broadway intensive studying under Jodie Llangel, Nick Wyman, Erin Dilly, Kim Steiner, Dave Clemmons, Ryan Stanza, Judith Fredricks & Pasek and Paul. In 2011 she started her own private vocal studio and has been a vocal coach and musical director for several productions in the Vancouver/Portland area. Barbara is passionate about arts education and creating a safe space for kids to be unapologetically themselves. When not working she enjoys listening to jazz music, reading and hanging out with her niece. ​​

Paul Angelo

Director

Paul serves as the artistic director of Staged! musical theatre. He holds a BFA in musical theatre from the
State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia and an MFA from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival/University of Alabama.
Portland directing credits include: Artists Repertory Theatre: A Civil War Christmas by Paula Vogel, four Portland Area Musical Theatre Award (PAMTA )nominations including Outstanding Direction. Staged!: Les Miserables, awarded PAMTA for Outstanding Ensemble. Big River awarded two PAMTAs.
The Portland premier of Jason Robert Brown's 13 awarded Drammy for outstanding Pit Ensemble, also, four PAMTA nominations including Outstanding Direction. Jason Robert Brown's Parade awarded PAMTA for Outstanding Ensemble, nomination Outstanding Direction. Dogfight by Pasek and Paul, four PAMTA nominations including Outstanding Direction. Defunkt: The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom by David Zellnik, Undiscovered Country by D.C Copeland, Blasted by Sarah Kane. That Pretty Pretty…by Sheila Callaghan. Girl in the Red Corner by Stephen Spotswood. Awarded four
Drammys including Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Direction. Post5: Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Equivocation by Bill Cain awarded Best Play and Best Ensemble by Broadwayworld.com
and Coyote on a Fence by Bruce Graham. Portland Actors Conservatory: Romeo and Juliet. Stumptown
Stages: Ruthless! the Musical. In 2017 Paul was honored with a PAMTA for special achievement in direction for his body of work in musical theatre, as a director, in Portland from 2005-2017. Lakewood Theatre Company: Pippin, four PAMTA nominations including Outstanding Direction. Most recently directed Matilda for Lakewood Theatre Company in Lake Oswego. Paul is a proud member of The Stage Director and Choreographers Society (SDC)

Rebecca Chelson

MUSIC DIRECTOR

In the past 25 years, Rebecca Chelson has worked on more than 120 productions throughout the Pacific North West. Her work has been seen at George Fox University, Costers Theatre, Centennial High School, Canby Highschool, Oregon City High School and Reynolds Highschool, to name a few. Rebecca was one of the first music teachers at Metropolitan Performing Arts almost 10 years ago. She has music directed many MPA productions including The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Les Misérables, Disney's Peter Pan Jr, Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, Gypsy, Legally Blonde, Into the Woods, Seussical, The Little Mermaid Jr, Anything Goes, Little Women and Oliver. Rebecca is very happy to be back music directing at MPA and especially happy to be back music directing after spending the past year successfully battling cancer. To top off the good news, her hair is growing back nicely.

Erik Montague

acting

A native Montanan with BAs in English and Theatre from the University of Montana, Erik traveled the country for over two years with Missoula Children's Theatre after graduating college, teaching upwards of 5000 K-12 kids an hour-long musical in a week across 40 states before moving to Portland. In his nearly five years of living here, he has worked with Lakewood Theatre Company as Lewis in Pippin, Broadway Rose Theatre Company as Travis in Footloose, and Experience Theatre Project as Hiram in The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as many other companies around the area. He currently serves as the Education Outreach Manager at Northwest Children's Theater and the Development Director for Experience Theatre Project. He is humbled to be working with Metropolitan Performing Arts and relishes the opportunity to spread his love of theater to more kiddos!

Kristin Heller

Private lessons
acting
directing

​Originally from Ohio, Kristin received her Bachelor of Arts and Communications in Theater Arts from Bowling Green State University. She moved from Ohio to Chicago, IL and  was Artistic Director of a non-profit theater company that focused on new play development. In 2009, she moved to Portland, OR to pursue her Master in Theatre, graduating in 2011. Kristin has apprenticed under world renowned directors such as Tito Capobianco, David Edwards and Elizabeth Bachman. She has worked as Acting, Dance, and Directing faculty for the Tyrolean Opera Program in Maurach Austria. Kristin has worked summers as Acting, Dance and Directing faculty at the Napa Music Festival and recently directed Mozart’s ‘Cosi fan tutte’ with Ping and Wolf Opera in Portland, Or, touring to Hood River, OR. Kristin is currently directing ‘Hello Dolly’ with Sherwood Foundation of the Arts.  Currently, she privately coaches voice, flute, acting, acting for singers, and Public Speaking, as well as, instructs larger Master classes on Auditioning, and Acting. She is also a voiceover actor for audio books. http://kristinheller.com

Ian Timmons

MUSIC

Ian is a Performer/Musician- and a proud Portland native- which he assures lends credence to that man bun of his….. A graduate of Portland State University with a B.M in Performance and an alumni of the international award winning Portland State Chamber Choir, his recent work includes roles and chorus with the Oregon Symphony, Opera Theater Oregon, Astoria Music Festival/Portland Summerfest. Portland State, and The Eugene Concert Symphony. He has worked with performers and directors from around the world. including Frederica von Stade. Ian is the music director at Kairos Milwaukie UCC in Portland and had the distinct pleasure of music directing MPA’s ‘Into The Woods’ - he’s excited to be joining the MPA staff (let him know if you want voice lessons)

Matthew Sepeda

STAGE COMBAT

Originally from the central valley of California, Matthew Sepeda moved up to Portland to study and receive a B.A. in Drama from the University of Portland. He's been working ever since as an actor around the Portland area. Some of his favorite stage credits are The 25th Annual Putnam County SpellingBee and Urinetown with Anonymous Theatre Company, Tomás and the Library Lady (traveling show) with Oregon Children’s Theatre as well as Lydia, Alebrijés, and Wolf at the Door with Milagro. He has also been studying fight choreography with the illustrious Kristen Mun for a little over two years now and is very excited to be able to share that knowledge with these young actors.

SHANAE TULLIS

MUSIC

Shanae Tullis fell in love with theatre at the age of 5 while performing in a production of Pinnocchi right here in Vancouver. She went on to earn a double AA in Technical Theatre & Theatre Arts, followed by a BA in Theatre with an emphasis is directing and a minor in music. After working in Washington, DC for private and performing art schools, Shanae returned to the Pacific Northwest with her husband and 4 children.  She loves teaching, directing, and performing in the Portland metro area and works with many different theaters and organizations as well as owning a private vocal studio.  Shanae is excited to be part of the Metro community!

Willow Swanson

DANCE

Beginning with classical jazz, and soon expanding to a variety of styles including tap, hip hop, and contemporary, Willow Swanson fell in love with dance early on.  Fascinated by other types of movement, as well as how to apply them to dance, she has also trained in Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Yoga, and Acrobatics, and rock climbs as another way to train.  She has collaborated with a number of Portland locals such as DarVejon Jones, Alicia Cutaia, Jamuna Chiarini, Beth Whelan, Amelia Unsicker, and Katie Burkes, and her performance experiences include dancing with Portland companies Polaris Dance Theatre, Agneizska Laska Dancers, and Tongue Dance Project, as well as the Vancouver-based company Horizon3 Dance. Credits also include performing with Victoria Perez at the Young Choreographer's Festival 2019 in New York City, showing and performing her own work at Chapel Theatre earlier the same year, and several small film roles.  She currently teaches a diverse range of dance classes at studios across Vancouver and Portland, and continues to work with dance companies and independent artists on several projects, including live shows, film and photography, and dance outreach.

Mark Martin

SET DESIGNER
RENTAL TECH MANAGER

Mark is excited to bring his experience and insight to MPA. His theater history began in grade school and continued through college. He has held positions at CYT and other theater companies as Set Designer, Stage rigging engineer, Assistant director and Director, as well as a class instructor. Recent directorial credits would include Cinderella, Great American Tall Tales, Aladdin and HONK! Mark holds an Associates Degree in Arts and Sciences from Clark College. 

Robert Head

MUSIC
​dance

A Portland area native, Robert Head currently resides in NYC where he works as a musical theater actor/pianist. Credit highlights include Something Rotten National Tour, Royal Caribbean cruise lines, and
regional theaters around the US.  Robert teaches private voice/music at various youth theater programs in the NYC area, and is also a certified Yoga Instructor.

Amy Palmer-Cole

​MUSIC DIRECTOR

Ms. Cole is currently performing with Opera Quest Northwest as the Ingenue in “Opera the Great.” A private vocal teacher and manager at Cole Studios in Battle Ground, she has sung roles in several operas including Emmy in Albert Herring and Armchair in L’enfant et les Sortileges with Portland Opera, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Vancouver Children’s Opera. She has been a featured soloist with the Oregon and Vancouver symphonies, performed at New York’s Carnegie Hall, toured Europe with the Portland State University Chamber Choir and was soprano soloist on the CD On American Shores. In her spare time, Cole enjoys traveling, garage sales and activities with her three children.