Stuart Kandell , Ph.D.,
Executive Director, Founder (1978)

Kandell studied theatre at Northwestern University. He attended the University of Newcastle, England to receive an advanced Diploma and Master's in Drama in Education under world renown, Dorothy Heathcote. In January 1996, Kandell was the first American to receive his doctorate in Intergenerational Studies from the Union Institute in Cincinnati. During the years of study and work in England, he developed a particular approach to using drama as a tool for education and social change .

Returning to the U.S. in 1978, he founded Stagebridge. Since 1979, he has also taught acting and speech classes for Vista Community College, is a drama consultant to local elementary schools and guest lecturer for local colleges. Awarded three California Arts Council Artists in Residence grants, his work is featured in numerous books. Dr. Kandell has appeared on national television, radio, presented workshops, and lectures throughout the country and in England and Australia.

He is a featured speaker at many national conferences, including the Creativity and Aging National Conference in Santa Fe and the Global Conference on Aging in Montreal. He has also served as a site reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts. In 2000, Kandell was nominated by the American Society on Aging to receive the first Generations United Award for Intergenerational Innovation. Currently, Kandell is founding director of the Center for Creative Aging West, bringing together professionals in the field of creative aging in the Bay Area. Most recently, he was a delegate to the Mini White House Conference on Creativity and Aging.

 

 

  

Josiah Polhemus, M.F.A.,
Theatre/Drama Director

Josiah Polhemus is a noted writer/director/teacher/producer who grew up in Palo Alto and has a MFA from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, where he co-starred with William Hurt in Good. He has appeared in over fifty plays and won Best Featured Male Performance for his portrayal of George Deever in Arthur Miller's All My Sons. His television roles include The Young and the Restless, Days of Our LivesandThe Tracey Ullman Show. Josiah has taught theatre in schools, colleges and community organizations. He is also an award-winning filmmaker, having won both Best Screenplay and Best Film for his short films Pause and Vision at the Hollywood Scarefest. His docudrama No Plan: Stories of survival in the Big Easy raised money for families who suffered as a result of Hurricane Katrina. His film credits include starring roles in the independent films The Scottish Tale and My Bad Dad, and appearances in Detonator and The Truth about Cats and Dogs.

 

 

 

Liz Nichols, M.A.,
Storytelling Director

Born and raised in New York City, Liz is a recognized storyteller who has been performing and teaching in the Bay Area since 1995. She is a graduate of the Dominican College Certificate in Storytelling Program, received her teaching credential from San Francisco State, and her MA in East Asian Studies from Stanford. Liz has been featured telling stories on radio and TV and is a member of the Storytelling Corps of the Asian Art Museum and a former board member of the Storytelling Association of Alta California. Liz has taught hundreds of elementary school students to discover the storyteller within.

 

 

  

Maryann Maslan, M.F.A,
Marketing Director

A University of California graduate in theatre management and design, with an M.F.A. in playwriting, Maslan has worked with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, San Francisco Opera and Ballet, the City of San Francisco, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company and regional arts organizations. She co-produced the first San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival and developed an intergenerational outreach program for Arts & Lectures at the University of California, Davis. Her background includes staff and freelance journalist work for Bay Area newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Vallejo Times Herald. She has taught in the California state college and university systems and is a published poet.