Staff

Bill was very lucky and got started in theater in junior high school. He then went on to a great high school program, which led to college at Wayne State University in Detroit. A national tour of 56 cities in 26 weeks rounded out his theater training. Working in New York for many years added to the variety and length of the production list.

Since relocating to Portland in 1989, Bill has worked on hundreds of productions including: dramas, musicals, operas, ballets, children’s theater, film, television, commercials, industrials, parade floats, zoo scenery and, “other events as assigned.”

He is very pleased to be in on the ground floor of a new company with so much potential, and he hopes this brief look back does not turn him into a pillar of salt.

Jessie (he/they) joined OrpheusPDX in January 2022, bringing with him a background in arts administration, classical performance, and music scholarship. He works full time as Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Chamber Music Northwest, and has held patron-facing roles at Portland Opera and Portland Columbia Symphony.

Jessie graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Musicology/Ethnomusicology and went on to earn a Master of Arts & Culture degree in Musicology from the University of Amsterdam. His scholarship has focused on music and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, with an emphasis on the performance of gender in various theatrical genres. Before discovering a passion for music history and feminist musicology, Jessie studied classical flute performance at the University of Vermont (where he is originally from), and PSU.

When he isn’t swimming in a river, singing with Queer Opera, or knitting, he can be found spending time with his husband and their two small dogs.

Amanda Dempsey is excited to be making her debut in the Opera world by joining the team at OrpheusPDX for their 2023 Season. With 15 dedicated years in the theatre, Amanda has had the opportunity to work in a myriad of productions taking on multiple theatrical roles. In regards to Production Management, Amanda most recently worked on “Two Witches, No Waiting”, “Any Body For Tea”, and “In The Tank” at the Art Center Theatre of Plano, TX. In addition, Amanda is an accomplished actress, voiceover actress, special effects make-up artist, props designer, sculptural artist, and skilled puppeteer. Amanda would like to thank OrpheusPDX for allowing her the opportunity to work on such a unique and exciting season.

Claudie (she/her) spent the past 20 years on the mean streets of live performance, working for companies such as Portland Opera, Broadway Across America, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Artist Repertory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, and Cirque du Soleil. As a marketing and public relations professional, her specialties are strategic messaging, advanced targeting, and equitable audience building. She centers artists and craftspeople at every level of her work and loves building them the largest audiences possible.

Claudie is particularly proud of supporting Portland Opera’s productions of Philip Glass’ Orphée and Galileo Galilei, which were commercially recorded, and her part in securing funding for the commissions of new plays by Lauren Yee and Mary Kathryn Nagle. She is also a costume designer whose awards include a Drammy for Artist Repertory Theatre’s Eurydice. When Claudie’s not at the theater, you’ll find her catching a punk rock show or playing with her tiny pup, Coco. She believes that everybody should pay way more to see incredible live performances, but she also believes that we all deserve incomes that allow us to adequately show our love for the arts. Every time the curtain rises on a new show, Claudie takes a moment to be grateful for everyone in attendance and the many people, most of whom the audience never sees, who work so hard to make these productions possible.

Brian’s career in the arts has spanned almost 20 years and as many locations. Not one to stay with one field for very long, Brian has worked as a Stage Performer, Commercial and Music Video Production Manager, Stage Manager, Chamber Music Production Manager, Lighting Designer, Technical Director, and Stage Director. More recently, Brian has begun to teach at the University of Portland after receiving his MFA in Directing there. When not working, Brian spends most of his time with his wife, Eve, and their 8 year old triplets – Hector, Rosie and Ella.

Stacie has worked in the field of accounting for over 29 years with over 8 years as head of bookkeeping for a local financial institution. She spent several years working directly for a local CPA firm and over 20 years providing independently contracted bookkeeping and payroll services to small businesses in the following industries: Performing Arts, Production Companies, Naturopath Physicians, Law Firms, Professional Consulting firms, Financial Consulting firms, Architecture Firms, Residential & Commercial Real Estate companies, Travel Agencies, IT companies, Automotive repair & restoration, Commercial building leasing, Homeowners Associations, Hotels, Restaurants, Childcare & Education organizations, Landscaping, Custom Woodcraft & Carpentry, Residential Developers, Marketing firms, Professional Forums, Retail shops, and Construction companies. She is currently providing services to a vast array of clients ranging from Vancouver to Wilsonville and everywhere in between.

Genevieve Larson has been working for different music and theater organizations in the Portland area for the past 10 years. She graduated from Portland State University with a theater degree focusing in stage managing and performance in 2015. She stage manages for the Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra, box office manages for Twilight Theater Company, and just completed her first music festival house managing Chamber Music NW. You can also see her on and off stage as a company member with The Canon Shakespeare Company. This is Genevieve’s first season with OprheusPDX and is excited for the opportunity to work with a new and exciting opera company.

Tara is passionate about the arts. With a love for music, photography, and design, Tara has worked both behind the camera and in the design studio creating visual communications and branding for performing arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest. Her clients include; The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Portland Opera, Broadway in Portland, Capella Romana, and All Classical. An Oregon native, Tara loves hiking, camping, and walking along the coast with her family. She enjoys a cup of coffee while considering the endless possibilities of designing the landscape around her home.

Kitty Sailer (she/her) is the Grants & Events Manager at BodyVox, a contemporary dance organization in NW Portland. A long-time dancer, Kitty moved to Portland from NYC in 2021, and works part-time as grants manager for OrpheusPDX, and part-time as a Pilates and Gyrotonic Method instructor at Kinespirit Circle in the Pearl. She has volunteered as a community grant evaluator with Oregon Community Foundation since 2023. She received a BA from Vassar College in 2004, and an MFA from the University of Utah in 2012. Kitty danced professionally with Headwaters of Missoula, MT from 2004-2009. She’s thrilled to be working within the arts community of Portland and making a home here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

With over 25 years of experience in public relations, event planning and operations, a degree in theater allowed Julia the great fortune of a successful career working in the arts. Starting on the wardrobe crew at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, she eventually ended up on the communications and publicity side of numerous organizations including Portland Opera, Broadway Across America, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Cappella Romana, and Cirque du Soleil, where she was the publicist for Cirque’s first appearance in the Northwest, and for LOVE (the Beatles show) in Las Vegas. She has enjoyed a brisk freelance practice with clients that include the Oregon Symphony, Portland Center Stage, and Spectra/Montreal for the Glenn Miller Orchestra. She does own up to a slight deviation off the path to the corporate world of Nike and Nordstrom where she reveled in the company discounts.