Chris joined Portland Center Stage as artistic director in May 2000. Before coming to Portland, he was artistic director at Actor's Express in Atlanta, a company he co-founded in 1988. Coleman has directed at theaters across the country, including Actors Theater of Louisville, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, ACT Theatre, the Alliance, Dallas Theatre Center, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, and Center Stage in Baltimore. He currently chairs the Creative Advocacy Network board, and serves on boards for the Cultural Advocacy Coalition and the Institute for Metropolitan Studies. Coleman served as a Center management panelist in 2012.