Meet the Partners

Brian E. Sweis (Program Director) is a founding member of Partners That Heal and forever a kid at heart. Brian loves making people laugh, and while he believes a good dose of laughter is priceless, what’s most important is being involved with projects that simply make people “feel”- whether it be through the playback theatre work he does with at-risk youth as an ensemble member of Essential Theatre, or as a vocalist in the longest running Christmas Cabaret in the valley during the holidays. Brian has performed on stage with more than 10 theatres across the valley, including The Phoenix Theatre Company. Aside from theatre, he occasionally plays the role of host, MC, announcer, or production manager for live events, and also assists in the training of medical students as a standardized patient for the University of Arizona School of Medicine. He can often be found in the studio doing voiceovers for clients such as Pearson, Amazon, and the University of Phoenix.

Sally Jo Bannow is an actor, improviser, singer, director, teacher, and mom. She has been a massage therapist and yoga instructor for many years as an avocation. Her love of animals brought three adorable Wheaten Terriers into her family. Sally Jo loves being a professional actor, and she also has a strong need to be in service to others. That’s why she’s a perfect fit for The Phoenix Theatre Company’s Partners That Heal. She also works with Essential Theatre Company, which does not perform, but rather offers a drama technique that invites the participants into greater compassion and connection with each other. Sally Jo has many creative outlets: drawing, playing piano and violin (and learning ukulele) and painting.

Trisha Ditsworth is thrilled to be a part of Partners That Heal. She is a local musical theatre artist, teacher and director. She has worked for The Phoenix Theatre Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Broadway Theatre, Childsplay and more. After living in New York and Chicago, she now calls Phoenix home. By day, Trisha teaches private voice and acting lessons and also enjoys painting. She loves ping-pong and puzzles. She is thankful to be part of this wonderful group of humans, working to bring light to others. What a gift!

Marshall Glass is an Arizona native who has been acting since he was a wee 10-year-old boy.  Being a descendant of a long line of doctors and scientists, he has found that laughter and kindness can have a great impact and change lives for the better.  Marshall has taught acting/theater in many capacities. He was a high school drama and poetry teacher, and a teaching artist at Arizona Actors Academy. He currently is a standardized Patient for the medical students at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. You can also catch him on most weekends as an event coordinator for the beautiful Wright House in Mesa, AZ. Marshall is ecstatic to be returning to Partners that Heal and loves working with this wonderful group of artists. 

Mike Lawler has shared his talents far and wide with theatrical credits including The Importance Of Being Earnest, To Kill A Mockingbird, Two Gentlemen of Verona, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Arizona Theatre Company); Pippin, Our Town, Noises Off, Company, Will Rogers Follies, Cabaret (Arizoni Award), Beauty And The Beast, Gypsy (The Phoenix Theatre Company); A Christmas Carol, Burning In The Night- A Hobo’s Song (World Premiere, Theater Works); Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Actors Theatre); The Fever (Lannan Foundation); Talley’s Folly (Canyon Moon Theatre); Last Night Of Ballyhoo, The Immigrant, Vilna’s Got a Golem (Arizona Jewish Theatre Co.) Television credits include a co-leading role in the BBC mini-series Spies, Lies, And The Superbomb as well as the Lifetime mini-series Maneater. Mike was a visiting instructor of theatre at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Co. where he directed productions of Our Town and Fortinbras.

Kim Manning is proud of a long-acting career that has taken her from The Ice Capades, to dance, theater, film, television, and back, touring through North and South America and much of Europe. She lived in Spain for 24 years. Some of her favorite gigs there include The Cheetah Girls 2 for The Disney Channel (directed by Kenny Ortega), various shows on Spanish television including Un Dos Tres and Manos a la Obra (nine seasons each), an invitation to perform in the Edinburgh International Festival and three one-woman shows. She also co-owns a beautiful restaurant in Madrid! Kim moved back to Phoenix in 2008 to be near family and has since worked on stage with The Phoenix Theatre Company, Childsplay, and Rising Youth Theatre. Her heart beats stronger and faster when she works with Partners That Heal. She's a founding member of the group and has been entertaining the kids at Phoenix Children's Hospital and other health care facilities since 2008.