Mary Jane Pories, MAT, AEA, is an award-winning, Equity actor/improviser/writer/visual artist and former mainstage cast member of the Second City. Mary Jane holds a BA in Art and English and was Art Director/Graphic Designer for a small magazine before earning a Master’s in Teaching. She’s taught art in high school and design thinking at Kendall College of Art and Design, studied painting at Bennington College, Savannah College of Art and Design, and founded her company, Fishladder LLC in 1999. Writing credits include her nonfiction book, Yes, And! Harnessing the Power of Improvisation to Transform your Life and Work, short films, corporate shows, stand-up comedy, a one-woman show, and plays including Lakefront Property, winner of Actor’s Theatre Ben Franklin Award. Mary Jane recently published Color Me Happy: A Memoir in Poetry, Painting, and Prose. She has exhibitions scheduled through 2024. Her work is in private collections, has been exhibited in juried shows throughout the region, and was included in the first edition of Salann Magazine and in The Hopper magazine. Mary Jane lives with her wife in Grand Rapids, MI. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjpories/ Color Me Happy book: https://www.amazon.com/Color-Me-Happy-Memoir-Painting/dp/B0C1J1RKRJ