Heather is an LA based award-winning actor, director, teaching artist, and coach. She spent 30 years working in theater and the performing arts in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest after touring the country with the Missoula Children’s Theater in the early 90’s. Her acting work has been seen at Seattle Public Theater, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Wooden O, Village Theater, Arts West, Taproot Theater, Mirror Stage, Intiman, ACT, 14/48 Productions , and Book-It Theater. Heather is a featured player on Sandbox Radio-LIVE as well as their podcast.  She is also the recipient of several Seattle Times Footlight Awards for excellence in acting and was nominated for a best actress Gregory Award for her work as Corrine in “Gideon’s Knot” at Seattle Public Theater. Heather also works on-camera with a resume of commercials, corporate videos, and independent films. Most recently she can be seen in the short films- “Friday Night Dinner” and “The Bonsai”. She is a proud member of SAG/AFTRA.

As an independent teaching artist she spent 25 years directing plays and musicals for several Seattle area schools as well as teaching residencies in creative drama and Shakespeare. She has developed curriculum and taught for Seattle Rep, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theater, Studio East, and Youth Theater Northwest. Heather created an innovative fifth grade Shakespeare residency that culminates in hour long musical versions of Shakespeare’s comedies that has been funded by and awarded recognition by the Washington State Arts Commission, 4 -Culture, and the Seattle Arts Commission. When not teaching kids, Heather also teaches teachers how to incorporate theater and Shakespeare and music into their classrooms.

Heather maintains a private coaching studio where she works with kids, teenagers, and young adults on monologues, acting,  auditioning, and mindfulness. Heather is also Mom to two young adults- Duncan Weinland -a BFA acting graduate of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Tessa Weinland -a BFA Acting graduate of Carnegie Mellon. She has been married to musician and video game and theater sound designer- Jay Weinland for 30 years. Heather graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory. She has also studied at the British American Drama Academy as well as Freehold Studios and Mighty Tripod Studios.