About Us
Shangana Theatre is a nonprofit arts organization in Portland, Oregon, producing educational and cultural stage plays that explore social issues, promote dialogue, and engage the public through live performance.
Board of Directors
Gemma Whelan (President, Artistic Director)
Gemma Whelan is a director, novelist, screenwriter and educator. She was the founding Artistic Director of Wilde Irish Productions in the San Francisco Bay Area, and of Corrib Theatre in Portland, Oregon. In Portland, she has also directed at Artists Repertory Theatre, Profile Theatre, Milagro, CoHo Theatre, Boom Arts, and Portland Center Stage’s JAW Festival. She has taught at UC Berkeley, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, and Mills College in the Bay Area, as well as Pacific University, Portland Actors Conservatory, Portland State University, and Literary Arts in Portland. Gemma has also taught theatre and film in Singapore and co-leads the annual Irish Theatre Tour for Shangana Press, an independent publishing company, where she is the Publisher. Her novels are Fiona: Stolen Child and Painting Through the Dark. BA (English, French) Trinity College, Dublin; MA (Theatre) UC Berkeley; MFA (Cinema) SF State University. Member Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. gemmawhelan.com
Adam Liberman (Secretary, Managing Director)
Adam was previously the Managing Director of Corrib Theatre in Portland, Oregon. He was a theatrical sound designer in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he designed over 40 shows and was a resident designer at Berkeley Jewish Theatre and Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. He has worked extensively in audio test and measurement as a technical support engineer, technical writer, and test automation programmer. At Liberman Sound, which he operated for over thirty years, he designed, maintained, and modified audio equipment for major motion pictures and TV shows. He also worked as a production sound mixer for feature films, commercials, and documentaries, and in post-production sound as a mix engineer. Adam worked at KPFA Radio in Berkeley, California, for over 15 years as a news reporter, maintenance engineer, instructor, and on-air board-op. He has co-led choral tours to Cuba, Chile, and Mexico, and co-leads the annual Irish Theatre Tour for Shangana Press, where he is the Editor. He has managed the US office of Miguel Angel Asturias Spanish School in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, for 25 years. Other areas of expertise include programming, database design, web design, and photography. Adam has a BA in drama from the University of Washington, and a TESOL graduate certificate from UC Berkeley Extension.
Sharon Bourque (Treasurer)
Bill Bourque
Rene Denfeld
Shangana Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN 33-2057284), and a registered charitable organization in the state of Oregon.
Contact Us:
Shangana Theatre
3736 SE Salmon St
Portland OR 97214 USA
510-847-2175