Chris Harder
Chris Harder is a professional actor (Actor's Equity Member) and instructor currently living in Portland, Oregon.
He is a two-time Drammy Award winner for Outstanding Performance, most recently for his multiple roles in
The
Centering, self-produced in 2006 at The Back Door Theatre in Portland. Chris has a physical acting style rooted
in the Sanford Meisner technique and, as a founding member of the Sowelu Theater Ensemble (1998 - 2004) and a mentor
with The Haven Project (2000 - 2005), he developed a process for new play creation stemming from Modern Dance,
Viewpoints and Composition exploration, mixing striking imagery with metaphor and unique narratives. He is actively
involved in leading workshops and creating civic theater in communities across the country. His other perfomance and
new play development experience includes three seasons with Portland Center Stage's JAW/West New Play Festival, as
well as collaborating on original work with Artists Repertory Theatre, Sojourn Theatre, Playwrite Inc., Oregon Children's
Theatre, and Eggshell Productions. Chris holds a BA in Theater from the University of Wisconsin Parkside, where he
was awarded Best Actor three straight years in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Steve Patterson (playwright)
Over the past decade, Steve Patterson has written more than 30 plays. Known for its rich word play, surreal imagery,
and willingness to explore the unknown, Mr. Patterson's work has been performed in Portland, Chicago, Tampa, Austin,
Los Angeles and elsewhere. In 1991, his play
Bombardment was a finalist for an Oregon Book Award, and, in 1997,
he was the inaugural recipient of the Portland Civic Theatre Guild fellowship for
Turquoise and Obsidian. In 1998,
Stark Raving Theatre won a $10,000 grant from the Flint Ridge Foundation for production of his play
Liberation.
In 2003, Rude Guerrialla Theatre Company's production of
Liberation was cited by Theatre Y2K.com for an Honorable
Mention as one of that year's best productions in Los Angeles. In 2006, his play
Lost Wavelengths had a mainstage
reading at Portland Center Stage's JAW/West festival. Mr. Patterson's other plays include
The Continuing Adventures of
Mr. Grandamnus,
Controlled Burn,
Deuces,
Malaria,
Shelter,
Temptation,
Curl of
Smoke, and
Waiting on Sean Flynn. In April 2001,
Waiting on Sean Flynn opened at Tampa's Performing Arts
Center, the largest performing arts facility in the Southeastern United States. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild
and a former board member of the Northwest Playwrights Guild.
Lisa L. Abbott (director)
Ms. Abbott, Co-Artistic Director of Pavement Productions, has directed Pavement's shows since 1997, including
Life and Death
on the American Road,
Between the Sheets, and
Curl of Smoke. Her work is known for its insightful character
development, fine ensemble playing, creative use of theater space, and skillful integration of lighting and sound effects.
Ms Abbott's work as a director has focused on the developemnt of new scripts including Steve Patterson's
Lost Wavelengths
at Portland Center Stage's JAW/West Festival; and
What Mad Pursuits at Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon. Her Portland
directing credits include
A Grimm Late Night for Spectre Productions; and
Liberation and
Waiting on Sean Flynn
for Stark Raving Theatre. Ms. Abbott has also directed in Chicago and Denver, where her credits include
Wolfbane;
In Stiches;
Interview,
Audience;
Slow Dance on the Killing Ground; and
The Indian Wants the Bronx.
Ms. Abbott has a MFA from the University of Portland and has been an AEA Stage Manager and a guest director for the Chicago
Dramatists' Workshop.
