Drama Faculty

"I believe that the theatre can indeed help change the world. Often a thought at a time. Sometimes a person at a time. Once in a great while, a society at a time."

Tammis Doyle

Department Chair

Acting, Directing, Musical Theatre, Intro., Drama Lit  

Tammi is the chair of the Theatre Arts Department of Drama and Dance at Bellevue College.  She is past President of the New West (Northwest) Drama Conference and is very active with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.  Tammi received her BA in History from UC Berkeley and her MFA in Directing from the University of Washington.  She is the founder of Music Theatre Works (MTW) where she directed the musicals Assassins, Fahrenheit 451, S.A.T.A.N’s Guide and White Porcelain Christmas (for which she wrote the book and lyrics with music by Kim Douglass).  She has directed at Seattle Musical Theatre (formerly Civic Light Opera,) the Northwest Asian American Theatre, Renton Civic Theatre, Asst. Directed at the Seattle Rep and written and directed with Youth Theatre NW, Piccoli Children’s Theatre, and the Seattle PlayHouse (which she founded.)   She cut her theatrical eye teeth as Production Manager for the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco.  As a playwright she has been produced by MTW, Renton Civic Theatre, the 5th Avenue Theatre at the Seattle Fringe Festival, Working Theatre Collective in Portland, Bellevue College, and the Seattle School District.
Her hobbies are going to the theatre and listening to showtunes. 
She believes that everyone has a place in the theatre and that anyone can become a better actor. 
She believes that great learning, entertainment and community can come from great theatre.

E-mail: tammi.doyle@bellevuecollege.edu

Karen Jo Fairbrook

Acting, Intro, Dialect Coach
Karen Jo has been working in the theatre both on and offstage for over 30 years. She earned her MFA (Master of Fine Arts) degree in Acting from University of Washington’s prestigious Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) and has appeared in over 60 productions locally and around the country. While acting is her first love, she also has extensive experience in behind-the-scenes work, including: directing, producing, designing, playwriting, publicity/business affairs, backstage crew and front-of-house management. Having served on the Board of Directors for two Seattle theatre companies, along with a stint as Co-Founder and an Artistic Director of Golden Fish Theatre – she is well-versed in what it takes to create live theatre.
As an Acting Teacher and Dialect Coach, Karen Jo works as an Artist-In-The-Schools with kids from K-12, and with adult theatre companies in production who hire her for particular style and dialect coaching. She regularly leads Dialect Workshops and Adjudicates at the Washington State Thespian Conferences, and loves to work one-on-one as an Audition Coach with actors of all ages.

E-mail: kfairbro@bellevuecollege.edu

BRADetta Vines

Bradetta loves being part of the Bellevue College Theatre Arts team. You may have seen her around Seattle as an actress at The 5th Avenue, Village Theatre, Seattle Musical Theatre, Seattle Public Theatre, The Group, Music Theatre Works and various other companies. She has directed over 40 shows, including three at Bellevue College: Getting Out, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and Dog Sees God. She is a playwright who has written several full length and 10 minute plays. Her play Exposure was given a reading at the Seattle Rep by the Northwest Playwrights Alliance.
Bradetta trained in the Suzuki and Viewpoints acting methods with Rich Brown, Alison Roux and Shanga Parker and now has the pleasure of sharing that work with her students. In 2011 she began the process of sharing and creating the craft of “Devising” new theatre pieces with BC students and looks forward to more development and presentation at KCACTF (Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.) Bradetta was a multiple Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominee and semi-finalist at KCACTF and loves supporting the program as an Instructor.
While touring with Seattle Public Theatre she had the opportunity to teach workshops in Augustus Boal’s  “Theatre of The Oppressed” which still inspires her teaching today. 
She teaches Audition, Musical Theatre, Drama 101, Beginning and Advanced Acting - and loves every minute of it! Bradetta can be still be found acting in and around Seattle, singing in coffee shops, and giving audition advice on her blog, “Bradetta’s Audition Tips.”

E-mail: bradetta.vines@bellevuecollege.edu