About Us
Wedgwood Drama Studio offers after school programs in neighborhood schools, summer camps at View Ridge Park, and classes at our studio location in Wedgwood just east of the corner of 95th St and 35th Ave NE. Join us for some fun!

Christi Cruz
Founder/Director
Christi received her BA from the University of Washington in Drama and Spanish and has been working since 1998 as professional actor in the Seattle area performing on stage, film, videos, commercials, and in voice-overs.
As a 7 year company member of Living Voices, Christi worked as an Associate Director, Actor, and Teaching Artist, performing one person shows about history. She has also performed with eSe Teatro, SIS Productions, Theater Anonymous, 14/48, Live Girls!, Book-It, Mirror Stage, ReAct, and Represent! A Multicultural Playwrights Festival, Cafe Nordo, and ACT. She is currently working on a webseries.
As an Arts Educator, she has worked with Seattle Children’s Theater, Book Pals -Performing Artist for Literacy in Schools, Franklin High School, University of Washington, Eastside Learning Community, Theater of Possibility, Laird Norton, Kids in Motion, Family Biz Kids, Wake Up Girl, and Aspiring Youth. In her work with Wedgwood Drama Studio, Christi has taught drama programs at Wedgwood Drama Studio (Dramatic play 3-5s), Wedgwood, Viewridge, Bagely, Sandpoint, John Rogers, Thornton Creek, KapKa Cooperative, Bryant, Laurelhurst and Hazel Wolf Elementary. She has worked at Wallingford Cooperative, University Ravenna Pre-3s and Woodland Park Cooperative and is the Pre-K teacher at University Cooperative School.
Christi is also a Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator, a Parent Education Instructor with North Seattle College, Board Member of 14/48 serving as Vice- Chair, Board Member at Living Voices, currently sits on the Advisory Committee of Brown Soul Production, and is a proud NE mom of 3.
Christi was featured in Northeast Seattle Living Magazine. You can check out the article here.

Jesica Avellone
Actor/Teaching Artist
Jesica is a Seattle-based actor and teacher, and is delighted to join the Wedgwood Drama Studio team in addition to having taught with Intiman Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Studio East, and Stone Soup Theatre.
A New York transplant, she is a founding member of award-winning CollaborationTown, and was seen at La MaMa ETC, the Ontological-Hysteric Theater, and Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, and in the Off-Broadway premiere of Pentecost, among others.
She plays the violin and was nominated for an Innovative Theatre Award for her compositions for CTown’s The Astronomer’s Triangle. In Seattle, she has performed with Book-It Rep, Seattle Shakespeare Company/Wooden O, Seattle Public Theater, 14/48, and Live Girls! Theater. Jesica received her BFA from Boston University.

Alyssa Keene
Actor/Teaching Artist
Recent dialect coaching credits include Jitterbug Perfume (Cafe Nordo) A Christmas Carol (ACT), Cassius Clay (SCT) A Raisin in the Sun (Seattle Repertory Theatre), Ragtime (5th Avenue). Recent acting credits include Sweeney Todd (Reboot), Why We Have a Body (Strawshop), Mother Courage (Seattle Shakespeare Company).

Shaunyce Omar
Actor/Teaching Artist
She holds a B.A degree in Theatre from Southern University and A&M College.

Megan Sandico
Actor/Teaching Artist
Megan is a Seattle educator, working currently in elementary and dance education. She is currently an assistant teacher at University Cooperative School, where she assists in the kindergarten class. She grew up in Mill Creek, WA and she holds a B.A degree in Educational Studies from Western Governors University.
Megan has worked in dance education for 10 years, teaching at Dance Elite, Rhythm and Soul Dance Studio, The Studios, as well as teaching various independent dance workshops for kids and adults. She has trained/taught in styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, tap, and modern dance.
Megan’s dance education company, Puget Sound Movement, was started in 2022 and offers dance classes for kids with a social/emotional emphasis.

Aquillah White
Teaching Artist

Shanelle Leonard
Teaching Artist
Shanelle is thrilled to be apart of Wedgwood Drama Studio’s Theater in the Park camp! She starting teaching youth at the age of 21, teaching Pre-K and preschool aged children in her home town. After she received her BFA in theater she began teaching theater and performing arts at Seattle Infant Development Center to her Pre-K students. Shortly after she went back to school to receive her masters in acting at UNC (May 2019). While at UNC she taught acting fundamentals to high school and college students, she was so inspired she created her own curriculum and after completing her masters she launched her very own classes for inner city children and young adults in her neighborhood. Her true passion is teaching and performing and a few of her favorite performances have been Beauty and the Beast (5th Ave Theatre) Playmakers Repertory (Elinor) Sense and Sensibility, (Dorine)from Tartuffe, (Averie) from Dot, and (Shanita) from Skeleton Crew. She is thrilled to be apart of such an amazing community and is looking forward to teaching!

Pilar O'Connell
Teaching Artist

Marion Jacobs
Teaching Artist
She moved to Seattle in 2018 and that summer became a teaching artist for Red Eagle Soaring Native youth theatre. Marion has extensive experience working with youth. From 2006-2012 she was a volunteer teaching aid at Xwemelch’stn Etsimxwawtxw (Capilano Little Ones School) for kindergarten to grade 2 students.
Marion has recently been involved with productions by KCACTF Region 7, Kitchen Dog Theatre, and the Yale Indigenous Youth Arts Program. She is currently focused on producing her own work but she will always support youth in any way she can!

Haley Bates (She/They)
Actor/Teaching Artist

Sarah Russell (She/Her)
Actor/Teaching Artist

Patti Belle
Designer
Patti Belle has been designing with Wedgwood Drama Studio since 2008. As an Art Director and Designer with over 15 years experience, she offers both print and interactive solutions, specializing in corporate identity, branding, and collateral. Patti has extensive experience in advertising, marketing, publication design, non-profit collateral, photo styling and direction. For more information contact Patti