Originally from New York, Wendy holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Education from Arizona State University and a M.A. in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. A member of both the American Alliance for Theatre and Education and Americans for the Arts, she has presented her work nationally in Chicago, Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Canada. Wendy was nominated for a 2005 BRICK Award, honoring pioneers in youth service. The following year Ms. Maples co-founded Step UP Theatre, in which she also served as artistic director, continuing her commitment to provide children with an early exposure to the performing arts. Step UP Theatre ran for 9 seasons, proudly performing original works for elementary school audiences throughout San Diego. In 2009, she was one of thirty directors selected nationally to attend the Directors Lab West in Pasadena, California. On stage she has appeared in ‘Steel Magnolias’, ‘Proof’, the latter for which she earned a 2023 San Diego Theatre Critics Craig Noel Award nomination for best featured actor in a play, (Backyard Renaissance Theatre Company) ‘For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls’, (Roustabouts Theatre Co.) ‘Dog Sees God’, (InnerMISSION Productions) ‘Fair Use’, ‘Pippin’, (Diversionary Theatre) ‘Orange Julius’, (world premiere) ‘Dance Nation’, and ‘ROE’ (MOXIE Theatre.) Wendy is proud to be a founding teacher at High Tech Middle Chula Vista, teaching theatre in a Project Based Learning environment to students in grades 6-8. Concurrently, Wendy directs and teaches at the Theatre Arts School of San Diego, where she serves as a CoLABorative Mentor and leads devising workshops with young writers. Her play ‘Pandora and the Jar of Hope’, co-written with TAS+SD Artistic Director Courtney Corey, was featured in La Jolla Playhouse’s 2019 Without Walls (WOW) Festival. Her newest work, ‘BRAT’, was produced by Bocón and toured Military bases and communities in April of 2024. Wendy is currently a director, actor, playwright, puppeteer and theatre teacher in San Diego, California.