Performance Project Creative
Joanne Underwood
DirectorJoanne is a senior teacher at the Piven Theatre, where she has taught a wide range of classes to both children and adults. She appeared as Cordelia in King Lear starring Byrne Piven and Florina in Mad Forest (2003 After Dark Award: Best Ensemble) and numerous other productions at the Piven Theatre, greasy joan and company, and Raven Theatre and has studied acting with the Moscow Art Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, and the Chicago Shakespeare Company. She has taught acting workshops at many schools and organizations throughout the Chicagoland area such as Lifeline Theatre, Roosevelt University, Columbia College, and Dance Center of Evanston. In addition, Joanne is a psychotherapist in private practice in Evanston and leads creativity workshops.
Director
Donna OsowskiDonna is one of our senior acting teachers, having taught classes in games, story and improvisation to children and adults. She has directed a variety of fairytales and literary pieces for the Performance Project at Piven for 12 years. She most recently appeared on the Piven stage in Dead Man Walking, staged readings of Far Away and To the Lighthouse, and she has performed in the Piven Improv series Anytime Anywhere. Other credits include Jewish Stories (Piven) and Summer and Smoke (The Den Theatre). She has a degree in theatre from Illinois State University. In her spare time, she explores Chicago and the lakefront via bicycle and snaps photos along the way.
Piven Theatre Workshop Staff
Co-Founders​
Byrne & Joyce Piven
Artistic Director Emeritus
Joyce Piven
Artistic Director
Jennifer Green
Education Director
Gillian Hemme
School and Office Administrator
Eldridge Shannon
Development Director
Juliet Bond
Literary Manager
Stephen Fedo
Production Manager
Claire B Taylor