Emergence II: Director and Playwright Bios Directors: Anna Soderberg began directing in Washington D.C. at the Source Theatre's One Act Festival in 1996. She studied directing in the University of Maryland Honors College and graduated with a BA in Theatrical Performance and Design. She professionally stage managed and designed props in the D.C. area for a few years studying at The Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre. After graduating with a degree in professional acting, she moved to Portland, Oregon to tour for a year originating the role of "Cinderella" for The Tears of Joy Theatre. Most recently, Anna directed “HAiR” and “Everyman” with Radiant Theatre. She also directed “Pal Joey” in 2002 at HART. Anna also teaches theatre to students of all ages and plans to continue offering acting classes and shows to the Portland area community for many years to come. Amy Lynn Gray most recently directed "The Wooden Boy" in April 2004 for the Oregon Symphony. A longtime company member of Tears of Joy puppet theater, she has contributed by performing, designing, writing and directing. She is the Director of ShakesProv, applying Commedia and contemporary improv techniques to fully improvised and engaging period comedy. Amy is a founding member of ComedySportz Portland, performing improv professionally for the past eleven years. In September, 2003, Amy directed a fun and controversial "Waiting for Godot" for Radiant Theatre. Amy self-produces 'educomedy' shows under her company Zing Productions, and is currently working on a Lewis and Clark mockumentary puppet show. Amy teaches workshops for all levels in improv and mask technique, and is known for her innovative work with kids, clowns and ballerinas. Helena de Crespo is back for the second time as a director with the Emergence Festival sponsored by Radiant Theatre. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and The London Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she has worked on both sides of the Atlantic and Central and South America, where she takes pride in the work she has been able to do in encouraging women to express themselves in the arts, whether as writers, actresses, dancers, singers or painters. As an Arts Administrator in Washington, DC, she initiated the first Very Special Arts Festival in Northern Virginia where a platform was provided to those in the community who are more greatly challenged. As an actress, Helena was last seen in the Portland area as Doris in "Talking Heads" by Alan Bennett at Triangle Productions for which she received a Drammy Award. Tamara Carroll is a somewhat recent graduate of Reed College, where she obtained most of her directorial experience from her thesis production, “Funeral Games” by Joe Orton. While directing is her primary interest, she also enjoys the gamut of backstage odd jobs. Really odd jobs, some of which include production assisting, as for ART's recent production of “Lobby Hero”, and stage-managing, as for the Miracle Theatre's future production of “Barrio Girl.” She would especially like to thank her cast, who, like the brilliant and creative people that they are, did exactly what they were told to do, the Miracle Theatre for the generous use of their rehearsal space, and of course, Radiant Theatre for all this good, clean fun. Playwrights: Elena Naskova was born and raised in Macedonia. She currently lives in Los Angeles. She writes plays, short fiction and poetry . Her work has appeared in Poetry Revival, Rational Magic, The Ultimate Hallucination, Words in Motion, Twilight Times, The Herons Nest and Simply Haiku. She has had a staged reading of her play “Meteorite Shower” in the Los Feliz public library. Madge Zaiko is a graduate of SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Theater Arts with a focus on Directing. She has Directed and Asst. Directed in New York City and Portland for six years until her desire to say more with her art brought her to her new love; writing. She is proud to have her first full length play “One Night on Mars” involved in this festival. Sandra de Helen’s play “My Alamo” was staged by Radiant Theatre, July 20, 2003. “Witch!” was presented at Stark Raving Theatre’s New Rave Festival in September 2002, and at the Women Playwrights International Conference in Manila Philippines in November, 2003. “Something's Got to Give” was showcased at Portland State University in 2001. “Raging Hormones,” a monodrama, was performed for in Paris, France. Next month, a young woman in Sydney, Australia will perform de Helen’s vampire monologue “Forever, Okay?” de Helen lives and writes in Portland, Oregon. Shirley King, a member of the Dramatists Guild and the International Center for Women Playwrights, lives in Benicia, California. Her first play, “Morgana’s Heart” won a California Arts Council competition for best new play and was produced in 2002. Her plays have been produced in eight different states. “Water on Mars,” an earlier version of “Major Issues,” was a finalist for Alleyway Theatre's 2003 Maxim Mazumdar Award. This play was recently workshopped by Chicago's Women's Theater Alliance. Victoria Vidal -- "Placebos" and "Foibles" are two one-act plays that under the umbrella title of “Spies and Other Governmental Dysfunctions” comprise Victoria's first writings for the theatre. "Placebos" was given a staged reading at the John Anson Ford Theatre in Los Angeles in June 2003 as a part of a Latina Arts Festival and the Macha Theatre Women Playwrights Workshop. The two plays were given a staged reading at the Actors Studio in New York City this past June under the direction of Daniel Selznick of the Ensemble Studio Theatre.