My Traveling Song – Creative Team

Liza Barley (Co-Creator/Co-Composer/Sound Designer) Liza Barley is the mother of a feisty toddler named Amalia who she considers her biggest ongoing creative work. She is also a violinist, violist, sound artist, and facilitator of collaborative creative approaches to making new artistic work in all kinds of community and professional development settings. A graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music (BM) and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London (MM), Liza has lived and worked all over the world. Some of her more significant works include Umoja Arts Project, a community arts initiative that she founded and still directs in Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa; workshops, installation and performances for Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Barbican Centre Creative Learning Department in London; workshops, performance, and installation at GNRation in Braga, Portugal; and a number of cultural musical performance/exchanges in countries such as Gambia, Argentina, and Palestine, among others. Her education work has also taken her far and wide, ranging from Chamber Tots at Wigmore Hall in London to community projects with the New England Conservatory in Boston, Peabody Conservatory and OrchKids in Baltimore, and Gateway to the Arts and Hope Academy here in Pittsburgh, as well as workshops in many different states and countries. More of her work can be seen at www.lizabarley.com.

Lisa Leibering (Costume Design) Lisa Leibering is the very proud mother of 2 emerging theatre artists: Wilson, a senior in Penn State’s BFA in Theatre program specializing in costume crafts, and Annabelle a freshman in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s BFA in Theatre program specializing in scenic art. Leibering is also a professional theatrical designer, puppeteer, and teaching artist, who focuses much of her time on creating dynamic and innovative theatre and artistic experiences for young people. She holds a BFA in Puppetry/Children’s Theatre from West Virginia University, a MA in Theatre for Youth from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a MA in Theatre from the University of Pittsburgh. Her artists work can be seen in and out of the theatre, and her recent local credits include the set design for Porto Domi (part of the 2018-19 CSA at the New Hazlett Theatre); serving as production designer for Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks for the past 5 years, designing/building fabric “skins” for social robots for Fine Art Miracles, designing/building Frankie the Fish mascot for ALCOSAN, serving as costume designer for several shows for the Mariposa Theatre and designing/building giant food and flowers for Stage 62’s Pinkalicious. Outside of Pittsburgh, some of her notable credits include, serving as production designer for Weber State University’s touring Peter Rabbit, designing and constructing an 18’’ dragon puppet for Fourth Wall Scenic’s Shrek rental package, and creating the original mascot for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Lisa is also the Manager of School and Community Programs for the Education Department of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

Tina Marie Cerny (Production Manager) Tina Marie Cerny is a mother to three kids ages 7, 5, and 3. She is currently the Production Manager for Prime Stage. Tina has had a long career in theatre throughout the East Coast, from Florida to Philadelphia and on tour with American Theatre Arts for Youth. She has worked with Riverside Theatre, Naples Dinner Theatre, several theme parks, and others. She proudly served as a founding member of Throughline Theatre Company as their Production Manager for six seasons, as well as Coordinator of Special Events and Individual Giving. Although she has lived here for over a decade, Tina is a transplant to Pittsburgh from North Carolina, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts at Catawba College.

Heather Graff (Lighting Design) is the mother of a precocious 3 year old. A Light & Scenic Designer, Actor & Educator from Chicago now based in Los Angeles. She has received 2 After Dark Awards, a Black Theatre Alliance Award & 3 Jeff Awards for her Scenic & Lighting Designs. Heather’s been the Resident Assistant Light Designer at Center Theatre Group’s Mark Taper Forum for 12 seasons, where she’s also been the Lead Scenic & Lighting Teacher for their Theatre Crash Courses for Students & Educators. Heather has also taught with and developed curriculum for Northwestern University Center for Talent Development, Imagination Theater, Aarvark Theatre & Teatro Vista. Heather has been an Associate/Assistant Light Designer on Broadway for Donald Holder & David Lander on Bullets Over Broadway, Big Fish, Leap of Faith & Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. On the West Coast she’s designed for Center Theatre Group, Black Dahlia, Playwrights’ Arena, Pepperdine University, Pomona College, & American Academy Dramatic Arts. In Chicago she designed for Steppenwolf, Second City, Chicago Shakespeare, Northlight, Hypocrites, Lookingglass, About Face, Chicago Dramatists, Timeline & A Red Orchid, among others.

Heather Irwin (Co-Creator/Actor) Heather Irwin is a mother to three children, ages eight, five, & three. Returning from Chicago to her home of Pittsburgh, she has recently performed as part of the Ensemble for the 2017 Young Playwrights Festival at City Theatre. Chicago credits include Heddatron and Strangerland (Sideshow Theatre Co), The Lady’s Not For Burning and Private Eyes (NEIU Center Stage) and Night Caps (Lincoln Square Theater). She has performed in two national tours with The Hampstead Stage Company (Barnstead NH), and has acting credits in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Akron, OH.  Heather is the the Associate Producer and Community Coordinator for Hiawatha Project, and was part of the production team for JH: Mechanics of a Legend at the August Wilson Center in February 2017.  Heather is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where she received a BA in Theater and English Literature. She has also worked in administrative roles for the Chicago Humanities Festival (Chicago, IL) and Sideshow Theatre Company (Chicago, IL), City Theatre (Pittsburgh, PA), and Porthouse Theatre (Kent, OH).

Anya Martin (Co-Creator/Director) Anya Martin is a mother to a 5-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy.  She is also a writer, director and the Founding Artistic Director of Hiawatha Project. Martin has worked in New York with the Vineyard Theatre, West End Theatre, Epiphany Theater Company, and International Wow, and regionally with Arena Stage and the Living Stage in D.C.  In Pittsburgh, she has worked with City Theatre Company, Bricolage Production Company, The New Hazlett Theater, ArtUp and the Mattress Factory.

Martin specializes in writing and directing devised works with ensembles of artists. With Hiawatha Project, Martin’s work has been called, “a fever dream of history that combines folklorically large emotions with a winnowing read on a nation’s past” (JH: Mechanics of a Legend – City Paper) and “smart, sharp and witty, not to mention spoken in three languages” (Camino – City Paper) with “scenes of imagination and poetic insight” (Camino – Pittsburgh Post Gazette.) Her show “Anthropological Data: with actual human footage!” was featured in Carnegie Mellon University’s International Festival and her show “Teatro Latino de Pittsburgh” was commissioned and produced as a part of Pittsburgh 250 celebrations. Her one woman show, “Muslims, Mennonites, and Mommies,” was presented at the Mattress Factory as a part of ArtUp’s acclaimed Sites of Passage. In 2018 her play “Helen at the Gym” was a winner in RedBull Theater’s Annual Short Play Festival in NYC and will be published with Stage Rights in 2019.