Our Team

Our Team

Meet our Team
What makes a great experience for our students? Our teachers! All our teachers are fully qualified Drama teachers. And hold Garda clearance certificates.

At PlayAct Drama School we have to ‘learn’ each child. My tutors and I need to build on each child’s strengths and interests. For example, we might say to a talkative child – ‘today, Jenny, you’re the director. You need to think about all the things you need to make this play work. And fix any problems you see. Get a small group together to help you.’” Our classes are deliberately kept small to ensure every child gets individual attention.
Adrienne Lee
Founding Director & Teacher

Adrienne’s training includes her Master’s Degree in Drama & Performance, H. Dip in Drama, Arts and Theatre Studies, Teaching Diploma from The Irish Board of Speech & Drama, Special Needs Assistant Certificate, and Child Development and Play Certificate, Q.Q.I Level 5. She has worked as a Speech & Drama teacher and workshop facilitator for over a decade.

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Karen Stanley
Teacher
I have been doing drama since I was four years old! I loved acting out all my favourite Disney films and memorizing all the words and dances (still do!). My favourite of all is The Lion King – I used to use my couch as Pride Rock and make my mom hold me up in the air like Baby Simba (I think that’s when she decided to put me in drama!!)…I’ve stayed with it my entire life and am proud to call it my career!

I went to a performing arts high school in St. Petersburg, Florida (where I’m from), and got my BFA in Acting from Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia. I spent years performing with children’s theatres all across the United States, and doing mainstages and voice over work in the Virginia/Washington DC area until I moved to Dublin, Ireland to get my MA in Drama and Performance Studies from UCD. I’ve been teaching with Play Act for 3 and a half years now and am so happy and proud to be part of a wonderful company with such fabulous students and staff!
Leah Carruth
Teacher
I have been involved with the performing arts for as long as I can remember. When I was very young my grandmother told me I belonged on the stage and I guess it just kind of stuck with me. Growing up I was so shy I couldn’t even order a smoothie by myself but as soon as I went to drama class I became a whole different child. I strongly believe drama helped me overcome my shyness and gave me the confidence I have now as an adult.

Leah studied film and television at the New York Conservatory for Dramatics Arts for two years and graduated with an associates degree. She has appeared in many short/student films in the past few years. Leah has also worked on several stage productions including travelling Spain in 2019 with Forum Theatre and Education (TIE) working as a storyteller for young children.
Abbie Grimstad
Teacher

Since my elementary school teacher, Mrs. Grady cast me as George M Cohan in the Music Man, I’ve been obsessed with all things theatre, musical, and performance. My beginnings were in improv, in playing with space and creating the world for the audience, on a bare stage. Drama has always been a way to rediscover the joys of play, of imagination, and of living in the moment.

Having worked with several Seattle theatre companies, including Seattle Shakespeare and GreenStage Shakespeare in the Park, Abigail moved to Dublin where she earned a BA in Acting from The Lir Academy. She trained with Gary Schwartz growing up, who was taught by the mother of improvisation, Viola Spolin, and her son Paul Sills. She is also an Associate Producer with TheatreMaker.ie, a new theatre resource for Irish and International theatre makers and lovers of live performance.