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Virginia Murphy
Founder and Executive Director
Virginia Murphy was born and raised in Memphis and graduated from St. Mary's Episcopal School. She earned a bachelor's degree in Special Education from Boston College and a master's in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. After 10 years of studying and performing Playback theatre in San Francisco and New York City, Virginia Murphy moved back to her hometown of Memphis and founded Playback Memphis. Her education, her experiences as a traveler, her skills as an actor and her deep sense of empathy all combine to make her an excellent “conductor” of each Playback program. Her entrepreneurial mindset and determination combined with her love of Memphis and its people have propelled Playback from an idea to a vibrant enterprise engaged in transformative work. Email Virginia at [email protected]. -
Maggie Liu
Director of Operations
Maggie Liu is the Director of Operations as well as a strategy and operations enthusiast. In her role at Playback Memphis, she is focused on standardizing operations, project management, staff and artist development, and monitoring and evaluation. Maggie humbly started her career as a U.S. Peace Corps youth and community development volunteer in the West Indies. She continued her public service work with over a decade of programmatic experience across do-good organizations, including the New York City Dept. of Small Business Services, United Cerebral Palsy Heartland, and United Nations Foundation. As a self-proclaimed Jane-of-All-Trades, she also has experience in fundraising campaigns, grant writing, program development, and Salesforce consulting. True to form, she is also an adventurer. Maggie is an accomplished world traveler with cumulatively ~11 months of solo and group backpacking trips under her belt. As a Tennessee transplant, she enjoys exploring Memphis, hitting the trails with her pups, and riding her motorcycle. She can also be spotted roller blading at Shelby Farms and completing yet another 1,000-piece puzzle! Email Maggie at [email protected]. -
Ozge Kovarik
Director of Finance
Ozge is a tri-lingual Turkish-American citizen with BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, Marmara University of Istanbul as well as a professional MBA, University of Memphis. She was hired as a Management Trainee at Bayer Corporation in Istanbul Turkey before she and her husband moved to Memphis. There she joined the staff of the local TV station WHBQ FOX13 and fulfilled many different positions in her ten years of service including Research Director and Digital Sales Manager. Ozge entered into the non-profit world with Playback Memphis as a Development Coordinator in 2015 and shifted towards the finance side of operations since then. Email Ozge at [email protected]. -
Adriane Hall
Director of Development and Communications
Adriane Hall is a Memphian who has left a few times but keeps returning to her beloved hometown. She received a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Webster University in St. Louis and spent 10 years 13 years working for newspapers before making the switch to marketing. Adriane served as the Director of Digital Marketing at the Orpheum Theatre Group in Memphis for seven years and as Program Coordinator focused on public information at Memphis City Beautiful. She is thrilled to be back in the Memphis arts community and part of Playback Memphis’ story. In addition to her love of the arts, Adriane is an avid environmentalist (don't get her started on the benefits of composting!), tries to be a painter, and loves spending time with her family and friends. Email Adriane at [email protected]. -
Giovanna “Gio” López
Director of Training and Applied Playback
Gio is a native Peruvian, and a Costa Rican and Memphian by heart. Gio has studied theatre and has been practicing this profession for 20 years. In 2006, she founded the Bilingual Theatre group Cazateatro in Memphis, where she also had a weekly radio show on Radio Ambiente, a local Hispanic radio station. Gio was a co-founder of the Latino Cultural Center of Memphis, and for five consecutive years, she directed the Vagina Monologues in Spanish. She has a passion for social justice and has worked for eight years at the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center as the Training Director, where she facilitated hundreds of training sessions and as a board member of both Workers Interfaith Network and Comunidades Unidas en una Voz. Gio has been a professional ensemble member of Playback Memphis since 2010. Email Gio at [email protected]. -
Ann Wallace
Director of Memphis Matters and Community Matters
Ann Perry Wallace is an actor, writer and proud company member of Playback Memphis. Ann has written several short stories, plays, a children’s book and is currently working on a one-woman show. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre from UT Chattanooga. Ann’s other theatre credits include No Niggers No Jews No Dogs, The Trial of One Short Sighted Black Woman vs. Mamie Louise and Safreeta Mae, Blues for an Alabama Sky, From the Mississippi Delta, The Death of the Last Black Man in the Entire World, and Women in Shakespeare. Ann can also be seen in the independent films 100 Lives and The Romance of Loneliness. Email Ann at [email protected].
