the right stuff

Tylor Neist, Artistic Director, Composer and Producer

Tylor earned his masters of music from Manhattan School of Music and his bachelors of music from Boston University. He studied violin with Midori; Mitchell Stern, a former first violinist for the American Quartet; and Bayla Keyes, a founding member of the Muir Quartet. He was fortunate to have studied chamber music with members of the Muir, Juilliard, Emerson, and American String Quartets.

Tylor has played with the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Eugene Symphony, Spokane Symphony, NW New Music, Filmusik, and Opera Theater Oregon. He is a member of the piano trio ThreePlay and the director of Portland's indie classical group, Bridgetown Orchestra.

As a composer, his most recent projects include commissions for the theater scores Lear (a violin looping score) and Kabuki Titus (a kabuki adaptation of Titus Andronicus). He was also the 2014 winner of Fear No Music's Locally Sourced Sounds for his piece Unfolding (for string quartet and looping pedals).

He studied composition with Tyson Street and Charles Fussel at Boston University, Reiko Fueting at Manhattan School of Music, and David Schiff in Portland. Occasionally, you can see him on stage or on film, stretching his acting chops.

Most recently, he played the fiddler in Portland Center Stage's production of Fiddler on the Roof.

Roland Rusinek, Theatrical Director

Roland is an actor-singer and a director (rolandrusinek.com), and a proud member of Actor’s Equity. A graduate of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, he also holds a degree from the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA). As an actor, his New York appearances include The Phantom of the Opera on

Broadway, Sweeney Todd with Elaine Page with New York City Opera at Lincoln Center, Jerry Springer the Opera with Harvey Keitel at Carnegie Hall, Kismet with Brian Stokes Mitchell and Marin Mazzie, and A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden. His national tours include The Addams Family, Kiss Me Kate, and Camelot with Robert Goullet. He has appeared regionally with The La Jolla Playhouse, Seattle’s 5th Ave. Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Bay Street Theatre, Sacramento Music Circus, The Maltz Jupiter Theatre, Geva Theatre, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Musical Theatre West, and The Ahmanson Theatre, among others. Roland’s on-screen appearances include Jack Lapidus in The Producers (2005) and features on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Guiding Light. As a director, his productions include the critically acclaimed Bat Boy at The Funhouse Lounge, in Portland, Oregon.

Benjamin Read, Creative Director

Benjamin is the creative director at Redhaus Design a company he founded in Portland in 2008. Redhaus focuses on building brands and telling stories that begin conversations, including the brands of estab- lished Oregon companies like Burley and Bogs Footwear. In Overview Effect, Benjamin found himself drawn to the collaboration because of his strong belief that concept and design can create a moving, sensory experience. redhausdesign.com

Jen Weaver-Neist, Editorial Director

Jen has been a part of the local publishing scene since 2003, wearing multiple hats in the production process as an editor, a publisher, and an author. A graduate of St. Cloud State and the MA publishing program at Emerson College, she is proof that a paid profession can come of an English and American Studies degree! She founded her small publishing house, Dame Rocket Press (damerocketpress.com), in 2007 and released five titles in as many years. She also spreads the good word as the coordinator of WiPP (Women in Portland Publishing), a position she's held since 2006. Its monthly gatherings are a just a slice of all the talented and passionate people who live in the Portland area—something Jen celebrates and strives to emulate daily.

Allison Tivnon, Marketing Director

Allison is the marketing director for ECONorthwest,the Pacific Northwest’s leading economics and land use consultancy. She oversees internal and external marketing operations, and guides firm-wide strategy for community engagement and business development. Active in both Portland and Seattle, Allison is dedicated to fostering partnerships that focus on improving quality of life and unifying communities.

She was recently appointed to Portland City Club’s Board of Governors and is tasked with helping to establish the Club’s vision for future civic engagement. In addition to her professional commitments, Allison is an active supporter of the arts, periodically working with local artists, writers, photographers, and musicians to activate their creative enterprises and market them to the community. She holds an MS in Writing from Portland State University and a BA in English from California State University at Bakersfield. 

Audra Petrie, Production Manager

Audra has been collaborating with Tylor Neist since 2009, when he began acting with Bag&Baggage Productions. She served as Production Manager for Bag&Baggage for five years and as Company Manager for two and a half years, during which time Tylor continued to collaborate as an actor, musician, and composer for the company. Audra was also the stage manager for numerous Bag&Baggage shows, most recently Kabuki Titus, Shakespeare’s R&J, and The Tempest, or The Enchanted Isle. She has done other stage management work for CoHo Productions, Salem Repertory Theatre, and Willamette University. Audra has also done a variety of props work for Bag&Baggage and Broadway Rose Theatre. She studied English and music at Willamette University.