Artistic Director, Founder
Amy Sawyers-Williams is a theatre artist, arts educator, and program manager who has been working in arts leadership since 2006. She received her Master’s in Applied Theatre from CUNY, where she gained experience in devising, Theatre of the Oppressed, Theatre-In-Education, and as a teaching artist in the NYC schools. Amy has co-created, devised, or directed many original shows and workshops with diverse communities that have been featured locally and nationally. She founded See Saw Projects in 2017 to spread applied theatre love around North Carolina. She is also an improv comedian at Comedy Worx on Capital City Culture Club and has 16 years of improv training and teaching experience which she infuses into See Saw Projects. Amy additionally works at Duke Arts as the manager of campus engagement.
Andrea Black
Andrea Black, She/her
Artistic Director, Sand Box, A See Saw subsidiary company
Andrea Black is the Artistic Director of The Sandbox, steering the company in transforming the theatre experience through innovative techniques and diverse art forms. Andrea is committed to developmental theatre and creative performances that challenge conventions and inspire audiences.
Andrea holds a BA in Theatre Arts and a BS in Business Administration from Appalachian State University, where she honed her skills in directing and performance. With over 10 years of experience in the theatre industry, Andrea has acted, produced, and stage-managed at numerous theatre houses in Chicago, IL. Before joining The Sandbox, she served as Assistant Director at Theatre in the Park, where she played a key role in incorporating diversity and cultural notes of the Black community in the production of The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Tremble.
Elaina Briggs-Clark, She/her
Research Analyst, Sand Box, A See Saw subsidiary company
Elaina is the Research Analyst at The Sandbox, where she plays a crucial role in gathering and analyzing data to support the theatre's strategic planning, marketing, and audience development efforts. With a strong background in research, Elaina helps The Sandbox make informed decisions that enhance its operations and reach.
Elaina earned her degree in Theatre from Meredith College in 2017. She is a passionate advocate for performing arts and a long time theatre-maker, with experience performing, playwrighting, directing. Additionally, Elaina has an educational background in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, which she aims to integrate into her work..
Prison Project Co-Director
April Storm Perry is an actress, model, comedian, singer, and fitness coach from New York City. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and has studied acting in both New York City and England… Since 2015, she worked as a teaching artist dro incarcerated youth with Drama Club NYC and later served as a Program Coordinator for the Young Women’s Initiative as Rikers Island where she helped lead classes in improvisation, storytelling, and co-direct shows for final performances. She c0-directed See Saw’s Prison classes in 2019-2020.
Teaching Artist & Collaborator
Originally from Greensboro, Ellen relocated to Durham after having spent 11 years living, learning, and working as an arts educator in NYC. She has her MA in Applied Theatre from CUNY. Ellen teaches theatre at Durham Academy, and was instrumental in the founding of See Saw Projects.