Imagine Theatre is dedicated to hiring skilled professionals for all of our Teaching Artist, Artistic Team and Staff Roles. Imagine is proud to have the following individuals among our Teaching Artists & Artistic Team Members.

Questions? Email Alec Martinez at alec@imaginetheatre.org 

Draven Carrere
​Teaching Artist

Draven has a large dance background including 6 years of musical theater with Journey Theater Arts Group and 3 years of dance experience from Abernathy Performing Arts. He has taught beginning musical theater, tap classes and private lessons, swing dance classes and private lessons, and choreographed for multiple theater and dance productions.

Josh Carter
Teaching Artist

Josh has been doing theater since 2011. He has performed in Guys and Dolls & and The Music Man with Journey Theatre, as well as playing Chandler Marlowe in The Butler Did It with Barnstormers Project. He's performed and coached improv with Journey. In 2013, the team he performed with took third place at Spotlight Theater's National Improv Competition. In 2020, the team that he coached took 2nd place at Journey's annual Improv Invasion. He has studied improv at CuriousComedy and ComedySportz Portland, in addition to being a leading member in four other improv Troupes. He's excited to bring his experience to Imagine Theatre!

Anne Dunlop
Teaching Artist

With a degree in theatre/education and years of working at all levels of theatre, Anne bring a vast array of experience ranging from teaching, directing, costume designing, make up and wig design. Anne has worked for many of the large Portland theatres and loves passing on her love of theatre to kids.

Stefano Iaboni
Teaching Artist

Stefano Iaboni was born and raised in Rome, Italy. After having spent some of my earlier years seeing the world, he moved to Holland where he enrolled in a professional circus school and gained experience in traditional circus arts. 
Stefano currently lives in Portland, OR with his wife and two wonderful daughters. When not touring the globe with his solo shows "S.P.A.M." and “Me Myself and Us”; Stefano offers corporate team building workshops and laughter-therapy classes. He also produces a monthly variety show called "Follies: The Unofficially Best Ever Variety Show" at Funhouse Lounge, and is the Physical Comedy coach at The Circus Project.

Phoebe Gildea
Teaching Artist & Music Director

Phoebe Gildea is an active performer and passionate educator based in Portland, Oregon. In addition to teaching voice and piano lessons for over ten years, she has become a specialist in working with performers who experience stage fright, and is licensed to teach “What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body” and other Body Mapping courses. Favorite performance credits include Amalia in SHE LOVES ME, Emma in JEKYLL & HYDE, Lady Macbeth in MACBETH, Lysander in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Lauretta in GIANNI SCHICCHI, Foregin Princess in RUSALKA, and the opportunity to create the role of Celeste for the world premiere of new opera FREE MEN. Phoebe earned her Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Chapman University, and has subsequently earned levels 1-2 of Teacher Certification from OperaWorks and licensing from the Association for Body Mapping Education.

Jennifer Justman
Artistic Team

Jennifer has been passionate about the performing arts all of her life. She was in choir almost all of her school years up through college, and drama in high school. She worked in day care during college, then taught drama at Sheridan Japanese School on a volunteer basis—She loves working with kids! She also have performed in several productions at Gallery Theater and loved helping with costuming and sets in others.

Ira Kortum
Teaching Artist

A fifth generation Oregonian, Ira is a firm believer in the ideology that education never ends. He’s studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, holds a master’s degree in Theatre Arts form Portland State University, and is currently in pursuit of a doctorate.  
Ira’s experience in the world of performing arts stretches over thirty years, ranging from Film and television to voice work, theatre, musicals and opera.

Louis Kruse
Teaching Artist & Artistic Team Member

Louis has eight years of experience in extra curricular theatre education, specializing in classes that develop character through scene and song study. In that 8 years has taken on varying roles including director, stage manager, music director, production manager and vocal coach. With this background comes from a decades long love of musical theatre that went on to earn a BFA in Performing Arts from AMDA College of the Performing Arts in 2016, and continue to work in performing as a stand up and an actor in the PNW market.

LeRoy Lee
Artistic Team Member

LeRoy has acted in several summer show, as well as directed, and music directed for Journey Theater. For Imagine Theater he recently directed "The Ten Minute Play" in the Comedy One Acts last Fall. He is a staunch member of the Tech Team parent committee. LeRoy loves how theater brings together God given gifts and Biblical truths through creative stories.

Alec Martinez
Teaching Artist & Music Director

Alec Martinez is loves all things music, theater, and administrative tasks. After graduating from Portland State University with his Bachelors of Music in Music Education, and then his Masters of Education, Alec became the Elementary Music Specialist at Beatrice Morrow Cannady Elementary in the North Clackamas School District. During this time Alec worked for Journey Theatre Arts Group for 4 years as a Teacher, Music Director, and Teen Leadership Advisor. Alec is thrilled to be in the role of Co-Executive Director of Programs & operations for Imagine Theatre, as the position is encompasses his strengths and passions. Alec is deeply dedicated to improving access to arts for all, creating inclusive spaces within programs, and is passionate about community building. Alec loves to travel with his wife Tiffany, and they both enjoy cuddling with their adorable cat Meredith and Goldendoodle Winston.

Maria McClish
Teaching Artist & Music Director

Maria will be a senior this fall at Oregon State University, majoring in music education.  Being a theatre music director is her dream job, and after music directing Lion King Kids online, she is even more excited to do it in person with Imagine Theatre! Outside of school, Maria loves reading, leading worship, and running. 

Aaron Morrow
Teaching Artist & Director

Aaron Morrow has served as a professional functional, leadership, and technical training facilitator for 30 years, supporting the technical and interpersonal learning needs spanning from private individuals to multinational financial services companies. He has always had a heart for youth ministry, especially in the area of live theatre, inspired by raising his own children and supporting their learning and growth as a leader through the AWANA ministry. Having participated in dozens of local live theatre productions as an actor, director, technician, producer, and as Artistic Director for Hillsboro Artists' Regional Theatre (HART), Aaron has combined his love of learning, teaching, writing, and theatre, to establish both ApplauseNW and Sceneworx as groups dedicated to both the support of local live theatre and the education and peer-to-peer development of local playwrights, actors, directors, and producers, respectively.

Kristen Mun
​​Teaching Artist

Kristen Mun was born and raised on the island of Oahu. She has worked in Portland as a Stage Manager and Fight Choreographer for the past nine years. She has worked with almost every theatre company in Portland, including Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage at the Armory, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, and Northwest Children’s Theatre. She has received multiple Awards for Best Fight Choreography most recently, Tender Napalm 2018, Girl in the Red Corner 2019. Kristen is a proud AEA stage manager and facilitator with Racial Justice from the HEART.

Robert Nove
​Teaching Artist & Director

Bobby is a Tony Award Viewing actor. He was raised in Portland and has been working in the world of Theater since age 3. He received his masters in Teaching Theater from Concordia University and currently works as a full time Theater teacher in Portland. As an actor he has appeared in over 50 productions and TV shows all around Portland with many different acting companies. He is also a former Disneyland Cast Member. When not teaching and acting Bobby enjoys watching TV and movies, traveling, participating in Trivia making puns, playing Among Us with friends and writing Bio’s in 3rd person.

Lauren Pickthorn
​​Teaching Artist

Lauren Pickthorn is a Portland native who began her love of theatre in a required Intro to Drama class in high school. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Portland State University. In more recent years, Lauren can be found performing and designing for companies around the Portland area, along with a few teaching gigs at Journey Theatre Arts Group. She has a passion for seeing the art of live theatre live on through younger generations. Now the Co-Executive Director of Creative and Community at Imagine Theatre, Lauren hopes to help create a space where the love of theatre and faith can come together.

Jeremy Richardson
​​Teaching Artist

Jeremy Bachelors in Drama with emphasis in education, was a touring theater artist for nearly 4 years across Canada & the US and has taught and directed for local theater for over 10 years.

Sarah Rose
​​Teaching Artist & Choreographer

Sarah Rose was raised in the PNW before venturing out into other areas of the US for a good portion of her adult life. She got to perform and become a trainer for the Disney Corporation (at Disneyland specifically), as well as perform professional level musical theatre in Denver CO, Charlotte NC, San Diego CA, and here in our own backyard in Oregon City OR. As much as she loves to perform, her heart prefers to teach the joy of performing to others! She has been involved in camps and afterschool programs throughout the US, and loves to see people grow both their skill and their confidence within themselves. Being a part of someone else's journey is what brings Sarah true joy.

Mya Spangler
​​Teaching Artist 

Mya graduated early and plans to go to college this following spring. She has done dance since she was 6 years old, doing various different kinds mainly focusing on ballet. She has done ballet, hip hop, tap, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, musical theater, and many other styles.

Courtney Temple
Artistic Team

Courtney has been a professional singer and actress for over 15 years in the Portland area. Her love for the stage started young, performing with her family in Greenidge Family Ministries throughout the West Coast. She continued her love of music through high school and college where she attended George Fox University, minoring in music and serving as a campus worship leader for 2 years. Recently she participated in Broadway Rose Theatre Company’s 2020 “Christmas My Way”. She also perform for various corporate and private events and have also been a featured soloist in Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree at Keller Auditorium.

Grace Thompson
​​​Teaching Artist & Director/Choreographer

Grace is thrilled to be teaching for Imagine! She is excited to help students grow and explore creating and storytelling through dance as they increase their skills and strength in various styles. Grace holds a BA in Fine Arts from Indiana University and has been teaching and choreographing for youth theater the past 5 years since moving to the PNW from the Midwest. She is also an avid tap dancer who loves performing and finding ways to bring that art form to a new and broader audience through video production.

Shanae Tullis
Teaching Artist & Director

Shanae Tullis fell in love with theatre at the age of 5 while performing in a production of Pinocchio. She went on to earn a double AA in Technical Theatre & Theatre Arts, followed by a BA in Theatre with an emphasis in directing and a minor in music. After a few years living and working in Washington, DC for private and performing art schools, Shanae returned to the Pacific Northwest with her husband and 4 children.  She has been teaching and performing in the Portland metro area since 2013, working with Metropolitan Performing Arts Academy, Love Street Theatre, and Journey Theatre as well as running a private vocal studio.  She also volunteers as Music Director and Coordinator at her church. Shanae is looking forward to building a strong relationship with Imagine Theatre! 

Kelsey Wallace
Teaching Artist

Kelsey has been doing theater for half her life now! She has played some amazing roles, including Gertrude in Suessical and the title role in Annie. She cannot wait to teach for Imagine Theatre!

Lupita Zamora 
​Teaching Artist

Lupita Zamora received a great music education in all her k-12 schools and developed a passion for it. In middle school, she wanted to take that passion past the classroom and joined the Community Music Center as a student. Once she graduated high school she became employed there and attended the University of Portland to study music and Spanish. Lupita started her career as a music and Spanish teacher in Beaverton in 2018 and spent her free time as a College Young Life leader. In that role, she realized her deep desire to minister people using her gifts and passions. Lupita is now starting her third year at Holy Cross Church and School where she has worked primarily as a high school youth minister and school aide but is constantly doing anything else they ask of her! Outside of work Lupita does social media marketing for Portland Young Catholic Professionals and UP BIPOC alumni chapter because, though often difficult, she finds beauty in her faith and in being a woman of color. Lupita is excited to be teaching in this capacity again; it is her mission for everyone to know that they are not only welcome but genuinely heard, seen, and valued for who they are and encourage people to be bold in that, to develop an appreciation for the arts, and show everyone the unconditional love of Christ!