Wendy Hammers - writer/performer

Wendy Hammers is a hyphenate. An actress/writer/storyteller/writing teacher/stand up comic/creativity coach/producer/wife/mother/foodie/hip hop dancer/jersey girl/hopeless romantic/lover of life. Not in that order.

She loves chai tea, dancing 'til she sweats, desserts that are wheat and gluten free but not taste free, Bruce Springsteen. In no particular order.

Her true heart belongs to a triad of "G's" - her beloved Grandma Gussie, her wonderful and funny son Griffin, and her dear husband Garth.

As the the chief bottle washer at Tasty Words Productions, a live event company that produces the monthly hit spoken word salon of the same name (now in it's 12th year), Mrs. Hammers delights in creating and hosting evenings of theatre which celebrates hilarious and horrifying true life stories from a host of famous and infamous writer/performers.

An an actress, she is the recipient of two Drama-Logue Acting Awards, one for her solo play undressing new jersey (and other states of mind), and the other for her work in Chris Durang's Laughing Wild. undressing new jersey was invited to be one of four solo shows chosen for the The Sacramento Theatre Company's International Solo Festival. Currently, her latest solo show, RIPE, which played to SRO audiences in Hollywood in 2012, is ramping up for a 2013 - 2014 tour.

She is a published author You've Got Meal (Marabout Press), and has contributed essays to the anthologies What was I Thinking? (St. Martins Press), and That Time of the Month (Melanie Vara), as well as a contributor to The Huffington Post. All the stuff you need to know about her professionally can be found on either this website or www.wendyhammers.com. Anything else, just email her and ask: wendy@wendyhammers.com

Karen Aschenbach - director

Karen Aschenbach has been active on stage and screen as writer, director, actor, and producer. Her background includes theatrical work in New York, Connecticut, and Los Angeles; short films and independent features in San Francisco and Los Angeles; a video production company producing promotional media and educational products for Fortune 500 and Silicon Valley corporations and start ups. Her work has been seen around the globe on television and in festivals from Japan to Croatia and throughout the U.S. She has written many screenplays and short stories, directed for stage and screen and has been coaching other artists for the past ten years.

Her Creative Process Coaching™ business, which starts with the admonition to “jump into your art”, encourages her clients to show their true colors and to first hear then speak from the authenticity of their unique voice. Her motto is that she is an intuitive mirror to keep you true to YOUR vision.

Karen Aschenbach presents Crafting YOUR Craft™ is a seminar series that has grown out of her work with individual artists to gain essential tools that will enhance their creative process. Through her proprietary techniques Define the Spark, Build the Infrastructure, Shape the Form, she leads participants through a process that turns "trauma into drama and truth into art". Artists leave with their projects well down the road with a creative action plan in their pocket that they will be able to apply not only to their present endeavor, but also to enhance their future creative projects. For more seminar info: karenaschenbach.com.