Instructors
Marianni M. Groves
Marianni M. Groves has spent the last 30 years in and around the Theater. Marianni is an active teacher who maintains a private acting/audition studio, runs a college conservatory audition program (with a 99% placement rate), and teaches workshops and Master Classes around the Puget Sound. She was also the founder of CORE Theatrics. While there are so many of the elements and disciplines that the Performing Arts provides she loves the “intersection of disciplines” that being an Educator and Director provides.
Some of Marianni’s past directing credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dancing at Lughnasa, A Street Car Named Desire, Much Ado About Nothing, Les Miserables, Godspell, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Crimes of the Heart, Peter Pan, Kiss Me Kate, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Brigadoon. Marianni is proud to be an educator, private coach, director, and arts advocate. Marianni spends her hours not teaching with her husband and two huskies.
Jordyn Meeker
Jordyn Meeker directs and musically directs around the greater Seattle Area; currently, Jordyn is on the creative team at University of Washington for the their upcoming production of 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She holds a Bachelors of Music from Washington State University with a minor in Business Administration. While in school, Jordyn focused on vocal performing with classes in education and business. She has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer hall in New York City, and held lead rolls in shows such as "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", "Baby, the Musical" and "Jane Eyre". Currently, Jordyn is a continuing voice student of Dr. Kari Ragan in Issaquah, Washington and sings for local bands and producers. Jordyn is a three time first place winner in the NATS Musical Theatre Competition and was a finalist in Washington-Idaho Young Artists Competition. For more information and to read about her teaching mottos,please visit her website! Jordyn is a national NATS member and Puget Sound NATS chapter member.
Jennifer Price
Jennifer Price has been acting in the Puget sound area for over 29 years.She has worked in children’s theater, television, voice-over,improvisation, Shakespeare, movies, dramatic and musical theater. Jennifer enjoys teaching workshops and classes in dramatic acting, improvisation and character development. She has worked with Students and Adults and has taught improvisation to Business and Non-Profit Organizations as well.Some Favorite Past Roles , Wicked Witch *Wizard of Oz, * Meg *Crimes of the Heart, *Beatrice *Much Ado About Nothing, *Gerda *The Hollow*, Queen Aggravaine *Once Upon a Mattress*, and Snoopy *Your’e a Good Man CharlieBrown. *Jennifer believes that improv is great for your art, your life and coming out of your shell, building confidence and camaraderie.
Ariana Chriest
Ariana Chriest is a junior Performing Arts & Arts Leadership double major at Seattle University. At 19, she originated the role of the jazz-singing Jaquenetta in Scott Kaiser’s premiere of Love’s Labour’s Won, and has been in numerous shows within the Seattle University theatre department. Favorite past credits include Flo Owens in Picnic, Lydia in Big Love, Principle dancer and Vocalist in RENT and All Shook Up at CORE Theatrics. She fell in love with the theatre at a very young age and hopes to help others explore their creativity and confidence through theatre, dance, and storytelling.
Kate Jaeger
Kate Jaeger is active in the Seattle theatre community as an actor, director, educator and improviser. She has directed for Seattle Children’s Theatre, Book-It, ArtsWest and Village Originals. Favorite roles include Audrey in As You Like It with Wooden O, Karen in August: Osage County with Balagan Theatre and Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables at Village Theatre. Kate has been a member of Jet City Improv since 2004.
Dorothy Pierce
Dorothy Pierce is a professional actor with over 30 years experience. She has taught theatre classes, including improv, stage makeup and musical theatre in schools for the past 15 years. Dorothy teaches Acting, Improv and Stage Makeup at Edmonds Heights K-12 and is the head drama coach at Chief Kanim Middle School. She has taught theatre classes and workshops at the Evergreen School, Shorecrest High School, Meadowdale High School, Loyal Heights Homeschool, Edmonds Elementary, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Mukilteo Parks and Recreation and more. Dorothy toured schools for 6 years throughout the Puget Sound area as Team Leader, Road Manager and actor with Open Door Theatre, doing shows and teaching workshops to help children to learn safety skills to free them from abuse situations. She also a professional face-painter and photographer.
Mark Press
Born into a musical family, music has always been an essential part of Mark’s life. His father toured the country in many prominent big bands before settling in Seattle in 1959 as staff arranger and lead trombone in the Seattle World’s Fair band. His brother was a jazz bassist/pianist who performed with many jazz greats.
Mark grew up in Edmonds, attended Edmonds CC where he was a featured soloist with Soundsation. He graduated from WWU where he also directed the Jazz Choir. He has been a music educator at every level from Kindergarten through University and has taught in the Edmonds School District since 1990. He is a very busy singer, trombone player, vocal coach and conductor. He has performed with many premier groups in the northwest including the Everett Symphony, the Sno-King Chorale and the Seattle Jazz Singers. He is currently the lead trombone player and featured vocalist for the North Sound Jazz big band.
He has conducted over 35 shows at many venues including Shorecrest High, Seattle Musical Theater, Woodinville Repertory, and many with Madrona Children’s Theater - that he also founded in 1993. He has been Music Director at Driftwood since 2010 starting with Annie and will be MD once more for The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee April 22-May 8.
Mark is thrilled to share most of these musical adventures with his bride of over 21 years Nancy , a very talented pianist/accompanist. They are excited to be a part of the expanded education program at DWP.
Brian Toews
Brian Toews is a director, actor, playwright, producer and theatre educator in the Pacific Northwest. He received his BA in English and Theatre and his Master in Teaching from Western Washington University. He is the current director and advisor for theatre at Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, WA. Brian has also sat on Bellingham’s infamous iDiOM Theater as a board member. He was the Artistic Director for Plays 4 Us and Student Theatre Productions at WWU; two companies that emphasize student driven work. Directing credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Nerd, Betrayal, The Velociraptor, Rabbit Hole and Rhinoceros. Acting credits include WWU Ambassadors Tour, Equus, Twelfth Night, Colorado, The Nerd, and Hamlet. Brian’s plays have been produced in Bellingham, Seattle and Tacoma. When Brian is not working he enjoys seeing plays, going to a museum or concert and generally navigating his 20’s.
Andrew Coopman
Andrew Coopman is a new teaching artist and director to the Seattle area, and couldn’t be more excited to be joining the theatre scene in the Emerald City! Recently, he has received his BA in Theatre from Whitworth University and, more recently, completed his MA at New York University-Steinhardt in Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities, with an emphasis in youth theatre production. Previously, Andrew has worked with Missoula Children’s Theatre as a touring Actor and Director, and as a teaching artist in the New York city area at Opening Act and Stages on the Sound. He couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the teaching artist teams at Seattle Children’s Theatre, Studio East, and Village Theatre-Issaquah, and directing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Driftwood Players. His teaching and theatrical passions include improv, directing, creative storytelling and movement, process drama, and dance. His outside-of-theatre hobbies, when he has spare time, include reading, chocolate, playing with his dog (Gabe), and watching reruns of Friends.
Mariah Lotz
Mariah Lotz just finished her freshman year at Rider University in New Jersey where she is pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre and a BM in Music Direction. This year at Rider, she had the honor of assistant music directing Catch Me If You Can and playing keyboard for A Little Night Music. She has also music directed and performed in many musicals at Edmonds Heights including Big Fish (Sandra), Side Show (Daisy), and Pippin (Catherine) and was in the cast of 5th Avenue's Rising Star Project from 2013-2015. She is also an accomplished pianist, accompanist, and piano teacher. She is passionate about theatre, music, story-telling, teaching and learning!
Carissa Meisner Smit
Carissa has choreographed for numerous theaters here in the Puget Sound region, including The Driftwood Players (Joseph…, Grease, Annie, Rent, The Wizard of Oz, A Funny Thing…); Renton Civic Theatre (Forever Plaid, Plaid Tidings); Snoqualmie Falls Forest Theater (The Wizard of Oz); Kirkland Performing Arts (Oliver!); Madrona Children's Theater (Oliver!, The Boyfriend) and Ridgecrest Elementary (Aladdin, Mulan) among others. She enjoys working with people who are uncertain of their dance skills and helping them to gain confidence and shine!