2002 Pittsburgh Magazine's
40 under 40:
Forty Young People
Who Vitalize Our Region
click here for the article

Honored as a
Woman of  Distinction in the Arts,
Girl Scouts of SWPA   2001

Gold Star Award
for Outstanding Program in the Arts
 Pittsburgh Public Council on
Education 2002
Creative Vision Program

Winifred Ward Award
for Outstanding New Children's
Theatre Company
,Prime Stage Theater
American Alliance for Theatre and
Education   2000-2001
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Erin Fleming has been an arts educator for
over twenty-five years, working with public
schools, theaters, universities, churches, art
groups, in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Louisville,
Ohio, and New York.

Erin trained with local professionals, honing
her comic timing and versatility as a character
actor with the Duquesne University Red
Masquers, graduating with a degree in English
and a minor in Theology. She was awarded the
Vira Heinz Travel Scholarship in 1988, which
provided her the opportunity to study drama in
London, Ireland and Scotland.

Her formal education in theater continued at
Miami University of Ohio, where she taught
acting, developed an improv-based creative
dramatics curriculum for grades K-6, and
performed with the Tower Players improv
comedy team. Immediately following grad
school, Erin joined the acclaimed Actors
Theater of Louisville Apprentice/Intern
Program, and became their first Community
Relations intern, serving as the company
manager for two international theater festivals.
Following that, Erin taught and directed at the
renown Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts
Camp in upstate New York.

In these places Erin found her niche as an
actress and crystalized her writer's voice with
the guidance of theater artists like Marni
Jones, Janice Dean, Andy Eninger, Sally
Kenyon, Brian Herring, Miriam Daly, and Amy
Hutchison - people whose talent and
perspective continue to inspire her. She
remembers her supervisor at ATL, the
unflappable Debbie Farmer, looking at her
across the table one night and saying "I'm
thinking of how we can get you to do a one
woman show."

Apparently all it took was moving back to
Pittsburgh and several years of
procrastination.  In 1999, Erin wrote and
performed the one woman show RANT! for
standing room only audiences at City Theater
as part of their Dark Night Series. It was
directed by her friend Sally and original sound
design was provided by her brother Scot of Big
Science.  RANT!  evolved from Erin's spiritual
journey as a singer in an African American
Roman Catholic Gospel Choir and included
her portrayal of ten characters, including
friends, family and clergy.

Several Hail Mary's and Acts of Contrition later,
she became the Education Director for Prime
Stage Theater, and initiated an award-winning
Student Matinee Series, in-school residencies,
and after-school workshops reaching 6000+
young people in Western Pennsylvania.

After directing and teaching acting as a
freelance artist for many years, Erin joined the
Pittsburgh CLO's Creative Vision Program,
becoming the Team Leader in 2000, adapting
classic musicals and creating performance
pieces which she also directed for students in
grades K-12.

Erin has been recognized by Pittsburgh
Magazine as one of Forty under Forty
mobilizing professionals and by the Girl Scouts
as a Woman of Distinction in the Arts.

Following the sad loss of her parents in 2005,
Erin moved to Chicago in 2007 to be with her
then fiance Brian. They were married in May,
2009, and live in the northwest suburbs where
Erin tutors, teaches acting, and works for
MediaTracks Communications.
If creativity grew on
trees, Erin would have
an orchard. She is a
rare person in that she
can inspire, engage,
and cultivate the
creaitve spirit in
anyone, at any age.   
Erin so honors herself
as an artist that one is
encouraged to do the
same just by being with
her."

Sally Kenyon, Chef
Orange Zest Culinary
Services
biography