our team
Meet the Crew
Bryce Youngman
Co-Founder, CEO and Artistic Director
As a professional actor and writer, Bryce injects his passion for poetry into all PIA productions. Since his 2001 graduation from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), Bryce has worked on various productions with many widely acclaimed theatre companies including Bell Shakespeare, Griffin Theatre Company, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, La Mama, Sport For Jove, and Parramatta Riverside.
For his starring role in the one man show Death in Bowengabbie written by Caleb Lewis and directed by Matt Edgerton, Bryce received stellar reviews and a sold out season at the 2014 Melbourne Comedy Festival; a resounding success that resulted in an encore national tour in 2016.
DEE Rennie
Head of Impact and Engagement
Dee is leading national strategy across philanthropy, corporate partnerships, government engagement, and brand visibility. With over 20 years of experience across the arts, education, and health sectors, she specialises in building sustainable funding models that support long-term creative and community outcomes. Passionate about driving social impact, Dee’s career has been shaped by a deep commitment to creative and community-focused organisations. She believes collaborative relationships are key to achieving meaningful, lasting change.
Dee brings a practical and creative approach to her work, building trust and mutual respect while connecting supporters directly to the impact of their investment. She is driven by a desire to engage communities in ways that enrich lives and expand participation.
Her experience spans mainstage theatre, music festivals, film, fine art academia, and leading medical research and patient care initiatives, informing a well-rounded and strategic approach to stakeholder engagement.
Dee holds a postgraduate qualification from QUT Business School through the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies, and was awarded the inaugural Myles McGregor Lowndes Scholarship in 2017 for her potential in the sector. She completed her undergraduate studies at the Queensland College of Art.
Olivia hall-smith
Producer
Olivia is an actor, director and writer from Brisbane with a Bachelor of Performance (Stage & Screen) from the Actors Centre Australia (ACA). Whilst living in Brisbane, she worked in various capacities in film and theatre, with acting credits including Sunnytown (dir. Heather Fairbairn, La Boîte Theatre Company & Shot in the Dark Productions) and the web series Two Weeks (dir. Rachel Anderson). In 2013, she was the Queensland winner and one of the top 5 national finalists in the Australian Poetry Slam.
Whilst training at ACA, Olivia performed roles such as Viola in Twelfth Night (dir. Adam Cook) and Electra in The Oresteia (dir. Gale Edwards). She was also asked to write poetry to accompany her year’s performances in the form of prologues and companion pieces. Her time at ACA culminated in writing and vocally directing a performance poetry piece that was performed by her cohort as the opener for their graduating showcase.
In 2021 she played the role of Jenny in The Shape of Things (dir. Les Solomon, Flight Path Theatre) and in 2022 she toured Australia and New Zealand with Poetry in Action. That same year she also co-founded the independent theatre group The Company. In 2023, she performed the role of Fiona in The Removalists (dir. Harry Reid, ACA Company) and, shortly after, directed a production of Joanna Murray-Smith’s The Female of the Species. Olivia continues to be passionate about creating and supporting independent theatre and is thrilled to be back working alongside the Poetry in Action team.
TASHA O’BRIEN
Sales Manager
Tasha O’Brien is an actor/director/dramaturg based in Sydney. She graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Performance (Major: Acting).
As an actor her theatre credits include: I Hate People; or Timon of Athens (Sport for Jove), Labyrinth (Dream Plane Productions) and Playlist (PYT Fairfield and Sydney Opera House). Playlist was nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production 2019.
As a director her theatre credits include: Mums Tell Dad Jokes Too (Shopfront Arts Co-op), Hot Mess (The General Public) and The Sorry Mum Project (National Theatre of Parramatta). Hot Mess was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Sound Design and Composition of an Independent Production 2021.
In 2023 she toured nationally and internationally with Poetry in Action as part of Team Nightingale. She is a proud member of the Ninefold Ensemble.
roxy
Poetry Pup
Roxy is a Cocker Spaniel who is passionate about treats, walkies and of course, poetry. Her favourite poem is ‘A Little Dog that wags his tail’ by Emily Dickinson. Roxy hopes to one day be as famous as Lassie and to befriend as many people as she can along the way!
HAZEM SHAMMAS
Co-Founder
Following his graduation from WAAPA alongside Bryce, Hazem has appeared in some of Australia’s leading television and film productions including Underbelly (2010), (2011), Alex and Eve (2016), and his recent Logie winning performance as Ismail Al-Bayati in the 2018 series Safe Harbor.
Drawing upon the expertise developed through his widely acclaimed creative career, Hazem brings his skills as an actor, producer and writer to his role as one of PIA’s co-founders, whilst at the same time continuing to discover and pursue new creative opportunities in the Australian acting industry.
MEET OUR ARTISTS
United by a passion for bringing language to life through dynamic performances, our playwrights, creative directors, dramaturges and actors come together every year to create performances that further PIA’s artistic mission.