Lisa Ortenzi

Lisa directs and trains young professional actors for the Great Lakes Theater School Residency Program. Lisa also coordinates the English Speaking Union Shakespeare Competition, creates lesson plans for the school outreach programs, develops special educational programming and teaches workshops.

In the summer, Lisa coordinates and teaches in the Camp Theater! Program. Lisa’s Outreach Tour directing credits include: Ten in One, The Decameron, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and Double Heart which has been chosen for the 2013 New York Fringe Festival. Lisa began her career with Great Lakes Theater as an Actor-Teacher in the School Residency Program from 1993-1997 and returned to Great Lakes Theater in 2001 to serve as the Supervisor of the School Residency Program.

In 2012 Lisa was named the Associate Director of Education. Lisa is a proud recipient of the 2006-2007 President’s Award for her service to Great Lakes Theater. In the Cleveland area, Lisa serves as the Artistic Director of the Baldwin Wallace University Triple Threat Music Theater Program for the Conservatory Outreach and has been named as adjunct faculty in the Fall 2013.

Lisa has also served as the Education Director/Artistic Associate of the Cleveland Youth Theatre, directed for the Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland Shakespeare Festival, Baldwin Wallace University and a variety of Community Theaters and High School Drama programs including the All-Ohio Thespian and North Area Thespian Productions for the Ohio Education Theater Association.

In the New England area, Lisa studied and performed at Shakespeare & Company, toured in The Merchant of Venice, and directed in the Fall/Spring Festivals of Shakespeare. Lisa holds BAC degrees in Theatre and Radio/TV/Film from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s in Directing from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts.