INSTRUCTOR BIOS
MARY MCDONALD-LEWIS
The sound, shape, pitch, rhythm, posture, and meaning of human speech fascinates Mary McDonald-Lewis. Capturing where the sound originates – in the mask? The gut? From the heart or the head? – how it is biomechanically produced – this is her quotidian odyssey. MaryMac finds deep and abiding poetry in how speech communicates. How it obfuscates; how it liberates or enslaves with its secrets and lies and wonderful, terrible truths. She loves how it unites and divides us; isolates, identifies, betrays and saves us; how the sounds of humans speaking, as their voices harmonize or their words clash like warring tribes, are all a part of a code we must crack to understand one another.
The decoding process is at once a storyteller’s journey and a scientist’s quest, demanding a rigorous academic understanding of speech production, and an artist’s hunger to take in the tongues of the characters in the tale, and speak for them.
Contemplating this, crafting tools for acquiring new speech, and coaching this speech is MaryMac’s passion. She has done this in film and television, and in plays too many to mention. Her work encompasses hundreds of accents and dialects and dozens of languages, including dialects of disability and fanciful languages existing solely within the world of the film, television show or play, such as the “Grimmish” she coaches for NBC’s Grimm.
Mary McDonald-Lewis holds her MFA in Theater Arts from the University of Portland. She is also an internationally-known voice actor, a stage and on-camera actor, director, and mother to the marvelous Madeline.
ADRIANA BAER
Adriana Baer is a director, professor, and professional speaking coach working with business leaders, artists, and writers to explore their vision and driving purpose and communicate that to their target audience. She has directed for Artists Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre (Artistic Director, 2012 – 2015), Portland Playhouse, The Cutting Ball Theater (Associate Artistic Director, 2004 – 2007), Columbia Stages, Atlantic Theater Company Stage 2, the cell, and The Acting Company, and others. Adriana has worked with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Opera Boston, The Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Circus Center/Pickle Circus, Theatre Communications Group, California Shakespeare Theater, and American Conservatory Theater. Among other institutions, she has taught for Portland State University, Columbia University School of the Arts, The Acting Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Portland Community College. She has lectured as a guest speaker at over two dozen colleges and universities nation-wide. Adriana holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MFA in Directing from Columbia University.
MATTHEW HAYWARD
American lyric baritone Matthew Hayward has rapidly established himself as one of the most versatile artists of his generation. He is the winner of the Gerard Souzay-Grand Concours de Chant and made his European debut in concert at the Salle Cortot in Paris, France. In recent seasons, Mr. Hayward’s operatic engagements have included creating the role of Marquis de Brisaille in the world premiere of David DiChiera’s Cyrano at the Michigan Opera Theatre, Ravenal in Showboat at Lakewood Theater, Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette with Baltimore Opera, and Pelleas in Pelleas et Melisande at Opera Theater Oregon. Active in recital and concert, he was personally invited by Maestro Julius Rudel to debut with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Arts Festival, where he sang an all Kurt Weill Gala with soprano Angelina Réaux, he also sang the world premiere of Libby Larsen’s The Moabit Sonnets with the Linfield Chamber Orchestra. A Seattle native, Mr. Hayward completed his undergraduate and graduate music studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. As the Founder of Vox Northwest Voice Studios, he maintains a select private voice studio in Portland, Oregon and is serves on the voice faculty of Portland State and George Fox Universities. He is sought after as a District and State Vocal Judge in Oregon, as a Master Clinician at major universities throughout the West Coast and as a dramatic and interpretive coach.
ANGELA NIEDERLOH
Angela Niederloh has been acclaimed by the New York Times as "a charismatic mezzo soprano." She recently made her Portland Opera debut as Melibea in II viaggio a Rheim. A recent participant in the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Ms. Niederloh was last seen as Meg Page in Falstaff, Karolka in Jenufa and Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Other roles include Flora in La Traviata, Rosette in Manon and Olga in the Merry Widow. Other operatic engagements for the American artists include Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte (San Francisco Opera Center), The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Opera Omaha), Annio in La Clemenza di Tito, and Mrs. Slender in Salieri's Falstaff (Wolf Trap Opera.) Equally at home on the concert stage, Ms. Niederloh's solo credits include performances with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Columbia symphony, Choral Arts Ensemble, and Choral Crossties. Ms. Niederloh is also actively sought after nationally for music clinic workshops for choirs and individuals and currently serves as a faculty member at Pacific University.
COURTNEY FREED
Courtney Freed is a Portland native who spent several years performing in Chicago and Los Angeles. No stranger to the local theatre scene, her most favorite recent roles were Florence in Chess at Lakewood Theater Company and Trina (Drammy nom!) in Live on Stage's Falsettos. She has also tread the boards of Portland Center Stage, Pixiedust Productions, Broadway Rose, Lakewood, Profile, Triangle Productions and many more! Courtney is the creator of the wildly popular local concert series, Portland Sings!, bringing together some of the city's finest vocalists for a magical evening in a variety of musical themes. As a producer and creator, she has helmed countless themed concerts, including "I’ll Stop the World and Belt with you," a John Hughesical, “The Coco & Ruby Variety Hour" and most recently, a Freddie Mercury tribute show called "Mercury Rising," which premiered in Portland with Live on Stage in April 2018. An avid lover of vintage jazz, her first album titled "Happy Little Bluebird" lovingly celebrates the timeless melodies of Harold Arlen. She also sings in clubs and bars around town and is the lead signer for the local gypsy swing band, The Courtney Freed Five. Learn more at www.courtneyfreedmusic.com
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