Staff
Ian Bannon (he/him), Executive Director
Ian Bannon has been longtime supporter, volunteer, and performer here at Mayo Street Arts. He most recently served as the Managing Director of Celebration Barn Theater in South Paris, ME, where he honed his skills in arts administration. Ian has performed and taught puppetry in all sixteen of Maine’s counties (and beyond!) as a member of Freeport-based Figures of Speech Theatre, since 2005. His current community-based artistic endeavors focus on fostering intergenerational creative exchanges between students and residents of nearby retirement communities.
Nicole Byrne (she/they), Advancement & Communications Manager
Nicole Byrne arrived in Maine by way of Kansas, by way of Maine, by way of New Jersey. Prior to joining Mayo Street Arts, she supported Maine’s local food economy through marketing and community engagement work at the Portland Food Co-op. Nicole has earned their BFA and MFA in Creative Writing, focusing on poetry. Don’t ask them who their favorite writer is—it changes all the time. Nicole brings over a decade of writing, editing, and marketing experience gathered from positions and freelance projects in the fields of literary publishing, journalism, and teaching, just to name a few. Her work has spanned across wide and varied topics including storytelling festivals, luxury Italian yarn, and humanitarian causes. Outside of MSA, you can typically find Nicole enacting culinary experiments, messing around with indie games, or befriending neighborhood cats.
Amy Krawczyk (she/her), Puppet Festival Coordinator
Amy Krawczyk was imprinted by the colorful Yip Yips on Sesame Street in her childhood, and has been smitten with puppetry arts and object theatre ever since. A vocal enthusiast for Mayo Street Arts, it was the puppet slams that inspired her to become involved with MSA as a donor and volunteer. Amy has worked in administrative capacities for performing arts festivals including PiP’s predecessor — World Puppets Portland, as well as the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Old Port Festival, and the Virginia Arts Festival. Outside of MSA she loves riding her bicycle around town, spending winter outside on cross-country skis and snowshoes, and knitting with friends as often as she can.
Katie Page (she/her), Program Manager
Katie Page returned to her home state of Maine following an interlude in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Before joining Mayo Street Arts, she worked at Creative Portland, the local arts agency for the city, promoting Portland’s artistic talents and cultural assets. Katie brings years of experience in program planning to MSA from a previous role at Knock Knock Children’s Museum, where she oversaw the art studio, spearheaded an artist residency, and facilitated classes ranging from papermaking to cyanotype photography, and of course, puppets. Katie graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio where she studied Art History and Studio Art. She is often tinkering with new hobbies, but you may find her trying to manifest a green thumb, gilding her ceiling, or enjoying a good book.
Kemal Pohan (he/him), Community Outreach Manager
Maine has been home for Kemal Pohan ever since he was three years old. Despite stops in Hartford, Connecticut and NYC, Kemal returned to Maine to continue to build off of the vibrant music and arts community in Portland. A drummer at heart with a background in artist management, Kemal previously held positions at Marionette Management and Zildjian Cymbals, where he assisted artists with bringing their creative visions to life, helped facilitate artist’s tours, and created promotional social media content. A graduate of The Hartt School with a BA in Performing Arts Management, Kemal has also performed and recorded with a number of upcoming artists & bands such as Boxcar Bed and Breakfast, Maxlorie, 3am Headlights, Rainy Jane, and more. Outside of work you can find Kemal thumbing through records, exploring his way through a new city, or catching a show at your local venue (or a big futbol/soccer match).
David Worobec (he/him), Event Staff
Dave Worobec supports MSA’s events by running the box office, lighting, sound, and set up, but you are likely to recognize him as Portland’s premier expert and practitioner of the art of miniature theater. A classically-trained Opera singer and a talented pianist, Dave is the founder and principal artist of Tophat Productions, where he delivering visually-stunning renditions of popular stage shows on a micro scale. Everything, including dialogue, stage movements, and musical numbers are performed live, in real time. Dave graduated from The Boston Conservatory of Music in 2011 with a degree in vocal performance with Opera emphasis in the studio of Victor Jannett.