Costume Studio Manager and Draper
Amanda Aiken is originally from Salem, OR. They attended undergrad at University of Oregon for a BA in Theater Arts and recently graduated from Utah State University with their MFA in Costume Design and Technology. This summer they were at Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre for Little Shop of Horrors and before that worked as a First Hand at Arizona Opera for the 2023-24 season. Amanda has received KCACTF Honorable Mentions for costume designs for Spring Awakening, a paper project for Pipeline and Hair and Wigs for Miss Bennet Christmas at Pemberley. They have worked for Lyric Repertory Company, Phoenix Theatre Company, Oregon Contemporary Theatre, Actors Cabaret of Eugene, Kitchen Theatre Company, Lion TV, Lucky 8 TV, New York Shakespeare Exchange, Sanguine Theatre Company, and La Musica Lirica. Amanda was also a contestant on The Price is Right and won Pie for a year as well as other prizes. You can stay updated with her work on ig @amandaaikendesign or at www.amandaaiken.com
Assistant Professor of Theater, Directing
Andy Christensen is a fiercely curious artist-educator who specializes in emergent forms of immersive and site-informed theatre that explore the intersection of place and time. In his practice, he builds egalitarian ensembles that create interdisciplinary, research-driven, and process-shaped performances that put audiences at the center of artistic experiences and contextualize performance within community.
After receiving his M.F.A. in theatre directing from the Lir Academy of Trinity College in Dublin and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Andy returned to the United States to invest in emerging artists in the Pacific Northwest. He is a founder of Cascadia Art Project and a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. He has mentored artists in many regional high schools, George Fox University, Pacific University, and most recently at Whitworth University where he was recognized for outstanding integration of vocation in the classroom.
Professor of Theater Design
This is Larry’s 30th year of teaching at the University. He has been involved with theater since 5th grade when he played Schroder in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He teaches courses in Scenic and Lighting Design, Scenic Painting, Film Studies and Visual Art. He has served the department as theater program director and chair, and just completed 6 years of service as an Academic Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Recent shows he has designed at the University include last years productions of Everybody, The Wolves and Twelfth Night. He has designed over 100 shows in his time at UP. Larry also works as a professional designer for many local theaters. Recent shows include Arsenic and Old Lace and Blithe Spirit for Lakewood Theatre Company, Snapshots and Don’t Hug Me for Broadway Rose Theatre Company. He is the resident scenic designer for the Portland Revels a post he has held since 2001. He has also designed shows for Artists Repertory Theatre, Oregon Children’s Theatre, Northwest Children’s Theatre, Third Rail Repertory Theatre, Portland State’s Opera Program, and Summer Repertory Theatre in Santa Rosa CA. He served as the producer for Mock’s Crest Productions which presented a summer operetta on campus every June until 2020.
Prior to his work at the University he was the design associate for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival – Portland. He has an MFA in Theater Design from University of Washington, and when not at UP he is hanging with his wife Caren, his son Mac and his puppy Milo in lovely Northeast Portland.
Associate Professor of Theater, Acting and Voice for the Stage
Mindi is beginning her eleventh year teaching for the University of Portland. Her artistic work at the University includes choreography, acting and dialect coaching for last year's productions. Mindi received her MFA from the Professional Actors Training Program at Rutgers University and then worked professionally as an actor in New York and Los Angeles, appearing off-Broadway, in soap operas, sit-coms, and film. Continuing her professional acting career, Mindi has appeared locally with Artists Repertory Theatre, Quintessence Theater, Stark Raving Theatre, in commercials, industrials, and voice-overs. Mindi also serves as the Regional Chair of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival. Mindi's husband, Hal, is a professional musician and composer who also works locally and teaches at the University of Portland.
Education:
Master of Fine Arts, Rutgers U Sch Arts
Theater Program Head, Associate Professor of Theater, Costume, Choreography and Stage Makeup Design
Gregory is currently Theater Program Director and Professor of costume design, makeup and choreography for the University of Portland Theater Department and one of the 28 Resident Artists’ at Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland Oregon. He moved to Portland after a successful run as an Associate Professor of Costume Design at Western Washington University for 12 years and Chair of the WWU Theatre Department for three and a half of those years.
Mr. Pulver holds an MFA in costume design and choreography from Humboldt State University, CA. He is the 1993 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Costume Design Winner for his work on Three Penny Opera. He is a member of the international board of advisors for The Last Frontier Theatre Conference and participates yearly as a featured artist, mentoring new American playwrights.
Among designing both sets and costumes for Bag and Baggage Theatre, and costumes for Broadway Rose Theatre, and currently for Artists Repertory Theatre, Gregory has also designed for several short films and TV spots in Washington including a dance for the camera film titled Egg Skin.
Gregory is also an accomplished director, singer, actor, and dog owner.
Scene Shop and Production Manager
Tyler Smith is an award winning designer, technical designer, and project manager with a variety of experience in the education, experiential marketing, regional theater, and custom fabrication industries.
Tyler earned his MFA in theater technology from the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign in 2001 and has taught at many large university theater programs including University of Arizona, University of Central Florida and his alma mater, UIUC. He has also served as a LORT Technical Director for Studio Arena Theater and the Milwaukee Rep. His background includes Project Management in the construction industry building performing arts centers, theaters, cafetoriums, concert halls and upgrading safety systems for roller coasters.
Most recently he has been refining his design skills in the custom fabrication industry creating all manner of scenery, interactive games, custom vehicles and trade show displays. These projects were for a variety of experiential marketing events with the top brands in the technology, automotive, and sportswear sectors. He also has built giant weddings in the woods and refurbished a very large, historic lumberjack.
Tyler's work has earned many awards including: Themed Entertainment Association Award for Outstanding Achievement, Brand Experience CES - The Google Assistant Ride, A Clio Sports Silver Award - Gatorade X Jordans, MLS Activation of the Year 2018 - Portland Timbers Goal Dust, the Verge's Most in Show CES 2018 - Google Connected Devices and Oregon Restoration Demuro Award 2018 – Paul Bunyan.
Tyler spends his free time with his wife Tracey and their three nearly feral cats Oso, Raven, and Tesla.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
