Laura Smiley – is the NPP Co-chair for Region 2.  Associate Professor of Theatre at Slippery Rock University, Laura’s teaching includes focus on acting: Stanislavski, Uta Hagen & Shakespeare, directing styles, as well as, compassionate yoga practice to strengthen student wellness & resiliency. This summer Laura will complete teacher certification in Cognitive-Based Compassion Training at the Center for Contemplative Science & Compassion Ethics at Emory University. She believes that sharing this training will encourage her students, and her community to consciously practice compassion with themselves and with each other, and that with open-hearts and open-minds we can embrace each other in our truly shared human connections.

Laura was the Artistic and Executive Director, as well as a founding member of the Unseam’d Shakespeare Company which produced almost 100 plays between 1992-2015. She is a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, & the Yoga Alliance. She has been a respondent for KCACTF since 1999 and has enjoyed every minute of it! She received an MFA in Acting from the University of Pittsburgh and a BFA in Acting from the Catholic University of America. In January 2019, Laura was awarded the John F. Kennedy Gold Medallion. She is grateful for all of the knowledge and wisdom shared with her by her colleagues and by her students that led to this honor.