Meet the Team

Brian Sutherland is an actor, improviser, writer, and director. He’s taught in cities around the US, as well as Australia, Dubai, London, and Canada. His work can be seen on NBC, SyFy, Netflix, and in commercials around the country. In 2017 Brian was awarded “Best Actor in Portland” (where he resides) from the Willamette Weekly. When not on set he previously was the owner and instructor of “Professional Training for the Youth Actor”, “Improv at the Ballroom”, and currently travels with the Los Angeles based company “The Celebrity Experience.”

We had an opportunity to visit with Brian and ask a few questions.  Hear about how he got started, his number one tip for actors and a couple of funny on-set stories  INTERVIEW

Katie O’Grady is founder and owner of Acting for Kids & Teens, the Northwest’s premier acting studio, located in The Studio NW, that trains and launches young actors. She believes all kids should have a safe place to express themselves and explore their creativity.

Katie is also one of the Northwest’s most sought after actresses.

Her passion for acting has taken her from Los Angeles to New York City to study with renowned coaches Susan Batson and Laurel Smith. Her TV credits include: 8  seasons of Portlandia, Leverage, and Grimm. She has shared screen time alongside Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Justin Long, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro. She played, Claire, in the film, I Was There (2016), about a 9/11 firefighter.

She also starred as Meris in The New York Times Critics’ Pick film, Rid of Me, which earned her a place on the Hollywood Reporter’s prestigious Oscar Watch List and a nomination alongside Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, and Sara Jessica Parker for the The Women’s Film Critics Circle Best Comedic Actress award.

Rid of Me is a hilarious, meticulously crafted and heart-felt little film, and features a true comedic star turn from actress Katie O’Grady. Francesca McCaffery, VIMOOZ.

In addition to being and actor and coach, Katie owns and runs Alcove Productions, LLC where she directs and produces films, commercials, music videos and children’s movies. Commercials include: Carrera Sunglasses, Plasmon Baby Food, BMW/Mercedes, to name a few. Films by Alcove Productions include:

• Hot in the Zipper, a 1940s screwball comedy, that premiered at Palm Springs Film Festival;

• Courage in a Time of Fear: A Practical Guide to Ending Bullying a short documentary/narrative about bullying and

• The Gift of Gravity, a short film about teen girls and bullying.

• Undeserved, a faith based feature film that won critical acclaim and was nominated for multiple awards at the International Christian Film Festival including Best Supporting Actress: Katie O’Grady. It also won Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Film at the Churches Making Movies Film Festival.

Eric Martin Reid has been acting professionally for over 15 years. He is a graduate of the Professional Actor’s Training Program at the Dell’Arte International School for Physical Theatre and has studied Advanced Meisner with Actor’s Avenue Studio. He was recently seen on stage as Watson in the Pulitzer Prize nominated play The Curious Case of the Watson Intelligence. He also wrote the screenplay and played the lead in the film Six Nights, produced by Limbo Films.

Eric has taught many acting and storytelling workshops as well as with Playwrite Inc, Eric has worked on stage with Sojourn and Coho Theatres and in televison as a Guest Star on Grimm, Leverage, and a couple turns in Portlandia. Some of his commercial credits include Discover Card, Suzuki, Coors Light, Kroger and Oregon Lottery. As a writer/director Eric’s first short film Kidz won Best Comedy at the NW Short Film Festival.

Eric is also an experienced voiceover actor and coach with credits at Dell, Safelite, Microsoft, and Eddie Bauer as well as commercial, narration and audiobooks.

Sonya Davis works with our kids & teens and is one of the friendly faces at The Studio NW Front Desk! She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Oregon and continued her acting studies in the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles, and New York. Most recently, she studied in LA at Lonsdale-Smith Studios and Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshops. Her latest stage appearance was at The Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York where she originated the role of Reevie Nichols for a new play called, The Crinoline Arc. Sonya has worked on television shows Grimm and The Librarians and has appeared in commercials for Microsoft, Progresso Soup, Kroger, Nintendo, and many more.  She often works in independent film and her latest, The Sugar Moon Tribe, is set to release early next year. She is so grateful to be at The Studio Northwest!

Kilee Rheinsburg trained at Willamette University, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, & Third Rail Repertory, fostering her passion and experience for the stage.

Kilee has worked with various companies in Oregon and Chicago ranging from Profile Theatre, Third Rail Repertory, Experience Theatre Project, and Theatre Unspeakable.  Most notably, her love of physical sports has helped create a deep connection to ensemble-based performance; rooting herself in devising, physical work.

As a seasoned entrepreneur and design-thinking problem solver, Randy naturally wears multiple hats and works in a variety of businesses including The Studio NW and as Co-Producer at Alcove Productions, LLC.

Known for his quick wit and helpful nature, Randy easily transitions between roles and responsibilities to address whatever needs attention. From building set pieces, to location scouting, to media management, Randy has it covered and, boy, are we grateful!​

You can see some of his handiwork in our Studio including the beautiful, re-purposed wood wall in the main lobby, the hand crafted desks and tables and sound proofing solutions throughout the space. His aethetic attention has helped create a warm and welcoming environment for our community!

Hailee More is one of our friendly faces at The Studio NW Front Desk! She is an aspiring young actress, she loves to sing and write. She goes to Wilson High school in Portland Oregon, and has been working at the Studio NW with Katie O’ Grady for two years. She has worked on may sets as a Production Assistant and has been in Make-A-Movies such as Street Kids, The Facility. H?NT, and The Hallways.

Kristen is the accountant for Acting for Kids & Teens and Alcove Productions. Her accounting office, The Clover Group, works with local businesses, she helps companies have a clear financial picture through integrated accounting and in-depth monthly analyses.

As a Portland State University alumni and an active CPA with extensive experience in the private and public sectors, Kristen has a unique perspective on accounting and working with business owners.

When she was younger, Kristen wanted to be an actress on her favorite soap opera – Days of Our Lives – when she was a child. She enjoys spending time with her husband, David, and two kids – Lincoln and Lillian.