Meet Pamela Sterling Theatre Pro / PlayWrite Board Member

April Quote: The mission of the theatre, after all, is to change, to raise the consciousness of people to their human possibilities.” —Arthur Miller

Pamela Sterling, PlayWrite board member

Meet Pamela Sterling: “When I was 10 years old, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up—an actress, a teacher or a missionary. Notice the ‘or’. Now, 60 some years later, I realize I could have said ‘and’. With luck and persistence, I’ve managed to combine all three aspirations into one long career.”

Pamela began performing at seven and trained through elementary and high school at Portland Civic Theatre's Junior Theatre Program (JTP). She credits the teachers and directors she worked with there (especially the late, great Jim Cameron) for much of her interest in “theatre that could make a difference.”

Pamela received her BFA from the Actor Training Program at the University of Washington and did her graduate program in Child Drama. In graduate school she discovered her talent for playwriting and directing, and rediscovered her love of teaching.

She began her career as an actor with the Louisville Children’s Theatre. Her next job was Executive Director of the Muny/Student Theatre Project, the professional touring theatre of Theatre Project Company in St. Louis. She likes to call her five years with Theatre Project and the M/STP as a “post-graduate fellowship” where she polished her directing chops, performed in equity productions, and honed her playwriting skills. Her play Scrapbooks was commissioned by Monsanto to address issues of teen pregnancy. Living in Louisville and St. Louis opened her eyes to racial issues she had not been aware of in Portland or Seattle. Her career expanded to include leading professional theatres as artistic director as well as freelance directing, acting, playwriting, and serving as a dramaturge for new play development with theatres including the Kennedy Center’s New Visions New Voices program.

In 1999 she began a 22-year career at Arizona State University as Associate Professor for ASU’s graduate program in Theatre for Youth. She began teaching courses in what was then called Theatre of the Oppressed, which eventually became known as Theatre for Social Change. She also taught classes for the graduate program in playwriting, as well as courses in Improvisation for Youth to education majors, and the history of children’s theatre. She discovered herself fully embracing all her 10-year old’s career aspirations in one place.

She retired from ASU in 2021, although she has not retired from writing, performing, directing and working with young people. 

Interviewer: Pamela, how did you get involved with PlayWrite?

PAMELA: I read an article about PlayWrite and Bruce Livingston (PW founder). At the time I was traveling to Portland often as a guest director for Northwest Children's Theatre and also for Profile Theatre. I contacted Bruce, we met up over coffee a few times in Portland and discussed the possibility of bringing a workshop in the PlayWrite process to ASU graduate students. Some colleagues were researching the effects of the arts, especially theatre, on brain development, cognition, and empathy. So there was a connection to psychology and brain science research.

Bruce invited me to a performance, and I was impressed by the work and the respect shown by the professional artists to the young writers. I knew I wanted to be involved more directly. I told Bruce I often came to Portland during breaks and asked if I could serve as a coach some time. During one visit, Bruce and I met for coffee; the next day he called and told me that a couple of coaches had to be absent and asked if I could substitute. I immediately said yes.

Interviewer: Wow! So you went in cold?

PAMELA: Although I had no specific training with PlayWrite, the process was very familiar to me. I’ve taught improvisation and knew most of the games and ensemble building exercises and basic acting techniques PlayWrite uses. I’ve also taught playwriting to young people. I supported the instructions to avoid trying to write the play for the students, and the use of questions to help them think critically about what THEY thought and wanted to write. I had a great time.

Photo, left to right: Cynthia Shurr Petts, John San Nicolas, Pamela Sterling, Bobby Bermea, Bruce Livingston

Interviewer: Did you continue to coach?

PAMELA: I would have if I lived in Portland. I continued to attend performances whenever I visited Portland. I also incorporated a few steps I learned from PlayWrite in some of my college classes—in acting as well as writing.

Soon I discovered that Aimee, whom I had directed in a production of School for Scandal in Boise a few years prior, was Bruce's assistant. She joined our coffee dates in Portland, and it’s thanks to Aimee that I was invited to join the board. And it is thanks to Zoom that I am able to attend board meetings from Arizona, although I still hope to move back to Portland and work more directly with PlayWrite.

Interviewer: That’s a sweet, fated coincidence.

PAMELA: I continue to support PlayWrite in person by attending performances when I can, and I loved directing a play for PlayWrite's first 24-hour Play-a-Thon in 2023. I’d like to see the play marathon include more work by young writers, (perhaps a second section of the marathon?) and a showcase or maybe a booklet of work specifically by PlayWrite students.

Interviewer: Any other thoughts of what you’d like to see for PlayWrite?

PAMELA: Some other thoughts and hopes I have for PlayWrite include expanding the program to include training workshops for interested artists and educators. By requiring fees for the workshops, this might be a way to increase our budget and pay staff and our coaches more. I value our commitment to serve underserved communities and to keep all workshop fees as low as possible, but I think there might be a way we can offer our services to groups who can afford to pay more that would help subsidize groups who cannot. As one teacher I know has said: "Privileged kids need theatre, too:-)"

Interviewer: Final thoughts?

PAMELA: I am very proud of the work PlayWrite does and think we have an incredible staff and group of talented teaching artists. I look forward to helping PlayWrite grow and thrive in the years to come.

Photo from the SAGE website.

COMING EVENTS

In May, we’re going to deliver two workshops for SAGE residents. The SAGE Residential Program provides long-term treatment and stabilization for survivors of sex trafficking, ages 11–17. (SAGE is a “safe and secure environment in which youth can experience Support, Achieve their goals, Grow, and become Empowered”.) SAGE is a program of Morrison Child and Family Services, with schooling provided through Portland Public School’s DART (“Discovering And Rising Together”) School, a vibrant, caring learning community for children and youth in long-term care and treatment. 

This is the first time we’ve done two workshops simultaneously, and we’re looking forward to developing this new process.

SEE STUDENT WORK: VIDEO OF THE MONTH

We film every young writer’s performed play. Most plays begin with the writer introducing the play; these are blurred to protect the young writer’s privacy. This month we’re featuring "Midsummer Carnival" by Joshana, a student at Donald E. Long (May 2024). The actors are Mindy Mawhirter as Cora, an outgoing coral, and Mele Satsuma as Pilla, a hesitant pillow. Length: 3 minutes, 32 seconds.

NEWS ABOUT PLAYWRITE STAFF, COACHES AND ACTORS

Godot is a Woman. Corrib Theatre is extending its exploration of transmutations of Waiting For Godot with a festival named after the Irish play, Godot is a Woman. The cast includes Cynthia Shur Petts, a PlayWrite coach and actor, and Jerilyn Armstrong, a PlayWrite actor. Program A (Thurs May 8 & Sat May 10, 7:30 pm) includes Black and Blue by Sela Ellen Underwood (Portland, OR) and Not Beckett, a collection of short plays (Ireland). Program B (Fri May 9, 7:30 pm and Sun May 11, 2 pm) includes The Following Day by Joellen Sweeney (Portland, OR), Conditions for Survival by Ken Yoshikawa (Portland, OR) and Godot is a Woman by Silent Faces Theatre (UK). Get tickets here

Chris Harder

PlayWrite Coach/Actor Chris Harder has been teaching "Authentic Connection," his fun, supportive acting class for 15 years. Using the Meisner technique, you'll learn to build connection through attentive observation, listening, repetition, and moment-to-moment authentic responses. Open to all levels. Classes upcoming. Get more info.

THANK YOU, DONORS AND SUPPORTERS! AND THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS:

PlayWrite has recently been awarded grant funding from the Autzen Foundation, the Herbert A. Templeton Foundation, The Jackson Foundation, and Pacific Power Foundation.

We are grateful for their generous commitment to our work with young people.

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