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Theatre Arts Center prides
itself in the professional quality of the teaching staff
for all classes and the summer Performing Arts Workshops
in NYC & Bucks County.
Below is a partial list of artists who are
CURRENTLY
on our roster OR worked for us in seasons past.
Selected BIO'S
Karen
Mason
 Karen
Mason has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, and recording:
and "has few peers when it comes to ripping the roof off with her
amazing voice that knows no bounds!" She is currently
appearing on Broadway in HAIRSPRAY as Velma. Karen is
a
nine time MAC Award winner and has won the MAC Award for Major Female
Vocalist of the Year for six consecutive years. She has also won the
2006 Nightlife Award for Major Female Vocalist and three Bistro Awards.
Ms. Mason originated the role of Tanya
on Broadway in Abba's MAMMA MIA!,
and was awarded a 2002 Drama Desk nomination as Best Actress. Her other
leading roles include Norma Desmond in SUNSET
BOULEVARD, which she performed
to critical acclaim and standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles
for three years; Mazeppa in JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY;
Rosalie in CARNIVAL
(another Drama Desk nomination); plus featured roles in Broadway's TORCH
SONG TRILOGY; and PLAY
ME A COUNTRY SONG. Karen
won the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in AND
THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, and
starred Off-Broadway in her own show KAREN MASON SINGS
BROADWAY, BEATLES AND BRIAN. Her
television appearances include the hit dramas ED
and LAW & ORDER: SVU.
Film credits include SLEEPING DOGS LIE and A CHORUS LINE. Karen
has headlined Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center,
Feinstein's at The Regency, Rainbow & Stars, the Algonquin, Arci'
Place, The Supper Club and The Ballroom in NYC; The Cinegrill and the
UCLA/ASCAP Concert Series in Los Angeles; The Plush Room in San
Francisco; and Davenport's in Chicago.
She has shared concert stages with Luciano Pavarotti, Rosemary Clooney,
Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Jerry Herman, and John Kander &
Fred Ebb, among others. Karen has given concerts in the United Kingdom,
Sweden, Brazil, Scotland, Tokyo and Osaka. Her starring symphonic
performances include The New York Pops with Skitch Henderson, The
Oklahoma Philharmonic with Joel Levine, the premier performance of The
Chicagoland Pops, The Indianapolis Philharmonic, and the St. Louis
Symphony with John McDaniel. Karen will be the featured Guest
Artist for the New Teen Cabaret Workshop in our 2007 workshop in Queens
and for the Ensemble and Jr. Ensemble in Bucks County.
Carlos L. Encinias
Carlos
is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He studied Theatre,
Dance, and Voice at both Brigham Young University and the University of
New Mexico. He has danced with the New Mexico Ballet Company, the Utah
Contemporary Dance Company, kicked it up at The Grand Ole Opry, rubbed
shoulders with Mickey while working for Disney, and been able to work
with the likes of Maureen McGovern and Christopher Lloyd while singing
in the mountains of Robert Redford's gorgeous Sundance Theatre in Utah!!
Since moving to New York six years ago, he made his Broadway debut in
MAMMA MIA! After jamming out to Abba disco music, he left to be in GOOD
VIBRATIONS, the Beach Boys Broadway show, and ALTAR BOYZ, the
award winning off-Broadway hit. Television appearances include 2003 Tony
Awards on CBS, Today Show, Broadway on Broadway ABC, and the Macys Day
Parade on NBC. He has taught dance and theatre at Brigham Young, for
Open Jar Productions in NYC, Camp Broadway, Theatre Arts Center and at
studios around the country.
Angelo Fraboni
Angelo recently completed an Off Broadway run and
national tour with Bebe Neuworth in Here's Jenny. He originated the role of Teddy Slaughter in the
Broadway hit, THE FULL MONTY.
On Broadway, he also appeared in Victor/Victoria
(Blake Edwards,
Director), Jerome Robbins' Broadway (Jerome Robbins,
Director), Cats (Trevor Nunn, Director), and
Dream (Wayne Cilento, Director). Other
New York appearances include three productions with
the renowned Encore Series at City Center, and
the National Tour of Spirit. In regional
theatre he has appeared at Cleveland Playhouse, Berkshire
Theatre Festival, Papermill Playhouse, and in the National
and European tour of West Side Story, to name a
few. Film
& TV roles include The Cosby Mysteries, Mighty
Aphrodite, Thomas Crown Affair, Another
World, Loving, and Guiding Light.
He is currently General Manager of the Off Broadway play, Burly Grimes,
opening in the Spring of 2006 at the Dodgers Stages. His daughter,
Mia, is a long-time student at Theatre Arts Center, NYC.
Paul
Canaan
 Paul
is currently in the Pre-Broadway tour of the new musical Legally
Blonde. It is scheduled for a Broadway opening this spring.
His other Broadway credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, La
Cage Aux Folles, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Miss Saigon. He also
performed at Radio City in the Christmas Spectacular and went on the
National Tour of Annie Get Your Gun. Regionally he's worked at Paper
Mill Playhouse, Ford's Theater in DC, and Robert Redfords Sundance
Theater. His film credits
include Across the Universe (directed by Julie Taymor), Book of Daniel
(ABC), and the 2005 Tony Awards. Paul's
currently working on the upcoming Broadway musical "Legally
Blonde" set for New York next season.
He loves teaching young artists because they continually inspire
and motivate him.
Alisa
Klein
 Alisa
is currently on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, with the show for a
second time. Past shows includes the original Broadway cast of Thoroughly
Modern Millie (Alice/Miss Flannery understudy), Grease!,
(Frenchy), and the original cast of Disney's Beauty And
The Beast (Silly Girl/Babette understudy) Off-Broadway she
was seen as Sharon in Even Steven. Regional and Stock
credits include Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street (Theatre-By-The-Sea),
Judy in A Chorus Line (Stages St. Louis), Her/Barb
in Romance/Romance (Fulton Opera House), as well as productions
at Goodspeed Opera House, Paper Mill Playhouse, Music Theatre Wichita
and Prince Music Theatre. She is a graduate of the Cincinnati
Conservatory Of Music in Musical Theatre and a lyricist in the BMI
Musical Theatre Workshop. Alisa is pictured here choreographing a
number from Chess for the 2006 Senior Company.
Gary John La Rosa
Gary's extensive performance resume includes Fiddler
on the Roof on Broadway. Summer 2007 he will
be directing at the MUNY in St. Louis. 2006
shows he directed include Aida at Sacramento
Music Circus, Grease at the Fulton Opera House in
Lancaster, PA, and Always Patsy Cline and Beehive for
Prather Productions in Arizona, Pennsylvania &
Florida. He has been Resident
director/choreographer at Montclair Musical Theatre
in NJ. Productions include: Man of La Mancha,
Meet Me in St. Louis, Forum, Grease,
The King and I, The Secret Garden, &
Crazy For You. Recent: Bye Bye
Birdie and Superstar in Albuquerque;
And the World Goes 'Round at Arundel Barn Playhouse
(ME); Caddie Woodlawn for ArtsPower National
Touring Theatre; I Love You, You're Perfect, Now
Change and Peter Pan at Seacoast Repertory
Theatre (NH); Camelot and La Cage aux Folles
at Westchester Broadway Theatre and a Samsung Electronics
"industrial" in Vegas. Favorites: Marry
Me A Little (with Sally Mayes/Brent Barrett) at
Queens Theatre in the Park, Fiddler on the Roof
at Maine State Music Theatre. Assisted: Strike
Up the Band (Lynn Redgrave) and On a Clear Day.
for Encores! (NYC), and many summer seasons at
Hampton Playhouse (NH) and NJ's Surflight Theatre.
Nominated: LA's Robby, a R.E.C.T. and two NJ A.C.T.
Awards. Recipient: two Loewe Fellowships, the
Phoenix and a Clifton Webb Award. He is a graduate
of UCLA and dedicated member of SSD. He is
pictured here with Jayne Atkinson when they were both
honored at the Connecticut Council on the Arts
Awards. Ms. Atkinson was nominated for a Tony
for Best Actress for Enchanted April.
Amy
F. Karlein
 Amy
Karlein has been dancing since the age of 5. She is recently
completed the National Tour of Spamalot. She was in the
original Broadway revival company of 42nd Street, and performed as a
Radio City Rockette in their Holiday Show in 2004 and 2005.
She can be heard on Rocket Science Records. Born
in Erie, Pennsylvania she took tap, ballet, jazz, acrobatics, and
adagio. At the age of 19 Amy moved to Philadelphia to attend The
University of the Arts, where she spent 3 years and attained a Bachelor
of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. From Philadelphia, Amy moved to
New York City to pursue her dance career. She loves performing,
but also loves teaching and is so happy and eager to work with the
students of The Theatre Arts Center
Neal Tracy
(Music & Co-Artistic
Director/Bucks Summer Workshop)
Dr. Tracy is a professional teacher, singer and composer.
He curretently has students on Broadway in Lion King,
Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, and Three Penny Opera. A master of vocal pedagogy-with successful students
in New York City, on scholarship at major colleges &
on the faculty of music schools throughout the U.S-he
is on staff at The University of The Arts in Philadelphia.
Dr. Tracy has directed 14 operas and 12 musicals including
Menotti's Help!--Help! & The Globolinksl
for PBS. He has performed 45 leading operatic roles
from Figaro to Rigoletto & 20 musical
theatre roles from Conrad Birdie to El Gallo.
Dr. Tracy has received awards from the Chicago Lyric
Opera & Metropolitan Opera.
Russell
Ochocki
Russell
began his stage career at the age of 10 as "Winthrop" in The
Music Man With Forrest Tucker. He has appeared in over 60
productions including the National Tours of Can Can as
"Boris," "Sohovik" in Damn Yankees, and
"Barnaby" in Hello Dolly!. Regional productions
include "Og" in Finian's Rainbow, "Hysterium"
in ...Forum, and "Nathan" in Guys and Dolls,
NY Premiers of: Pictures at an Exhibition, The
Ventriloquist, and Roadside by Tom Jones and Harvey
Schmidt. Russell also toured the world as "Garfield the Cat"
and has written and directed shows for the famous feline at theme parks,
National Tours, and other special events. His song "Discovering
America" was used as a National Commercial for Embassy Suite
hotels. Russell has served as a consultant for the National Symphony
League and the Literacy in America Foundation for Family and Youth
Projects. As a casting director he has consulted for several NY
agencies. As a director and teacher he has conducted audition workshops
and Musical Theatre performance workshops for young performers across
the USA and Canada. Mr. Ochocki has directed over 100 productions for
both youth and professional theater including Moby Dick the Musical
for Cameron Mackintosh and Disney's Aladdin Junior For MTI's
Broadway Junior Collection as well as the Garfield Family Concert
show. He will be directing the 2006 Bucks County Musical
Theatre Ensemble in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE.
Jen
Nails
Jen
is an actress with a specialty for Comdey Improv.
Comedy
and Improvisation credits include Late Night with Conan O’Brien,
Saturday Night Live, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater (NYC)< Peoples
Improv Theater (NYC), Upright Citizens Brigade, P.S. 122, Bowery Poetry
Club, PSNBC - Broad Comedy, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Harare
International Festival of Arts (Zimbabwe), Uno Solo Performance Festival
(Victoria, BC, Canada), Amsterdam International Improv Festival, Chicago
Improv Festival. Off-Broadway
/ Regional Credits include Meteor Girl, Paula, La MaMa ETC, Mananas
de Abril y Mayo (Clara), National Theatre Tour of Midsummer Night’s
Dream (Mustardseed), CO Shakespeare Festival’s Othello (Bianca).
She has been honored with the 2004 "Emerging Comics of New
York" Award, the 2003 New York Magazine "Best Improv Lessons
in NYC", and the 2002 Time Out New York "Critic’s Pick
performer."
She
studied at HB Studios with Alfred Molina & Austin Pendleton, and at
the Upright Citizens Brigade with Armando Diaz, Amy Poehler, Ian
Roberts, Matt Walsh. She
received her BA in Music and BFA in Theatre - University of Colorado at
Boulder.
John
O'Hara
John
is a Philadelphia based actor and director. His credits include work at
the Wilma Theatre,
Walnut Street Theatre, Prince Music Theatre, Pennsylvania
Shakespeare Festival and a Barrymore
nominated performance in ACT II Playhouse's production of HARRY
CHAPIN: REMEMBER WHEN THE MUSIC. He can currently be seen, on
billboards and commercials, as `Ralph', the face of Tunica Resorts
Casino in Mississippi. He has been the resident playwright for TAC for
eleven years--creating over twenty two original scripts for a company of young
actors that never fail to inspire him.
Parker
Esse
Mr.
Esse Danced on Broadway with Ben Vereen, Bebe Neuwirth, & Ann
Reinking in Fosse, which was taped for PBS’s Great Performances.
It later was released on VHS & DVD.
After closing Fosse on Broadway, Parker joined the 2nd national
tour of Fosse & traveled the country. Mr. Esse has performed
regionally in A Chorus Line at Paper Mill Playhouse & TUTS; The
Music Man, Sweet Charity, Crazy For You, & How To Succeed In
Business Without Really Trying at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse; Will Rogers
Follies at Sacramento Music Circus; Swing! at North Shore Music Theatre
& Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre.
Mr.
Esse has also had the opportunity to be assistant choreographer along
side theatre legend Baayork Lee.
Together they worked on Animal Crackers, South Pacific, Camelot,
& Damn Yankees at Arena Stage (where he also held the positions of
Dance Captain/Performer) & were honored with a Helen Hayes
nomination for best Choreography on South Pacific.
Recently, they choreographed Mack And Mabel at the Shaw Festival
in Canada.
Parker assisted Choreographer Karma Camp for the international
cell phone commercial Auna/Amena, & Choreographer Ray Skinner for
Goodspeed’s production of Babes And Arms.
Mr.
Esse has taught master classes in Musical Theatre dance for the past
five years & has been on faculty at New York University’s Cap 21
Musical Theatre Conservatory.
He has also taught classes for The Marktoberdorf Summer Intensive
Workshop for Professional European Actors in Marktoberdorf, Germany;
Theatre Arts Center, Lamar University College of Fine Arts’ Dance
Department in Beaumont, TX; The Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance
Education in Rochester, NY; The High School for the Performing &
Visual Arts in Houston, TX; Learning on Location in New York City as
well as many local dance studios in Chicago, IL, Connecticut & New
York.
Mr.
Esse assisted Choreographer Warren Carlyle (associate choreographer of
The Producers: Broadway/Film) on The Kennedy Center’s production of
Mame. They also worked together on Pirates of Penzance at Goodspeed
Opera House &
Paper Mill Playhouse, & ENCORES! presentation of Stairway To Paradise.
Parker choreographed the world premier of Katie Couric’s The
Br& New Kid at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theatre.
Upcoming projects include: choreographing The
Secret Garden, the world premier of A
Christmas Carol 1941 at Arena
Stage, & assisting on Tale
Of Two Cities.
Mr.
Esse received his BFA in Drama from New York University’s Tisch School
of the Arts where he studied at the Cap 21 Musical Conservatory.
Jason
Anderson
Jason's
fresh moves and acrobatic stunts make him one of the hottest Hip Hop
instructors around. Training monthly in Hip-Hop and Street Jazz
choreography in either L.A. or N.Y.C., this former UCA instructor has
had the opportunity to work with the top choreographers in the
entertainment industry, working with entertainers who choreograph for
Britney Spears, N-SYNC, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and much more.
Jason is the owner of Jason's Jym, a tumbling and dance school in
Texas for children and adults. As a Planet Funk dancer, Jason has
had the chance to dance for NBA Houston Rockets and WNBA Houston Comets.
Also, Jason has performed on numerous Debra Duncan shows, for Cirque Du
Soleil's "Dralion" opening night party, at the Mayor's Christmas
Tree lighting, and at the Houston's Children Festival.
Last season, he was chosen as an elite member of the 2001 Kohler Tour in
Chicago and Atlanta. Jason's innovative ideas will definitely
keep you coming back for more.
Eric
C. Dente
 Eric
is the founder of The Watermark Ensemble and a member of First Look
Theatre Company at Tisch/NYU. Eric served as the Associate Artistic
Director of The Denver Civic Theatre and for Compass Theatre Company.
Directing Credits include: Julius Caesar, 1984, Waiting For Godot,
Othello, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Three Men in Search of a Pair
of Shoes, Apartment X, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Family For Sale
and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He directed the The 2005
& 2006 NYC
Theatre Arts Center Acting Ensemble in his adaptations of two
Shakespeare comedies, A Midsummer
Night's Dream and Comedy of Errors. He will be returning in
2007 to direct the Company
once again.
James
Vincent (Stage
Make Up)
ACTING
ENSEMBLE & MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANIES
A
native of Rhode Island, James Vincent started his makeup career as a
student studying Theater and Women'
Studies at Rhode Island College and Brown University. Over the years his
passion for the art of makeup expanded to include training and product
development positions for such companies as MAC, Urban Decay and Stila.
James is the co-founder of the hip, niche makeup line Pretty Pretty and
now focuses his career on the development of the line while working
internationally in fashion, film, theater and editorial. His work has
been seen on the cover of Paper and Atomic and in magazines including
ID, Index, Prudence and Surface. His resume includes clients as diverse
as designers Christopher Deane and Ben Sherman and celebrities Gina
Gershon, Liv Tyler and Jane Fonda. He has been featured on numerous
television shows as a beauty expert such as NBC Universal's Home
Delivery and NBC's The Today Show.
Nylon magazine and WWD have named James as a "makeup artist
to watch".
Dirk Lumbard
Dirk played Frankie Fact on Broadway in Nora Ephron's
Imaginary Friends. Prior to that he stood-by for
Harold Hill in the Broadway production of The Music
Man. Other Broadway credits include On Your Toes
(with Natalia Makarove & Kitty Carlisle Hart), Barnum
(With Glen Close and Jim Dale), and Sugar Babies (With
Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller). Off-Broadway credits
include Flora, the Red Menace, Dames at Sea, and She
Loves Me. He did the National Tour of The Wizard
of Oz with Mickey Rooney and Ertha Kitt, for which he
won the coveted Jefferson Award for his portrayal of
The Tin Man. He has appeared in theatre through
the U.S. and at the internationally renowned Stratford
Festival in Canada in many musical and classical roles. His directing and choreography credits are extensive
and include the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Barnum
at Papermill Playhouse, the Cape Fear Theatre (N.C.),
Stratford Theatre (Canada) and Off-Broadway. He
directed/choreographed on the ABC hit television show,
Home Improvement. He assisted Agnes de Mille on
her last ballet, The Informer and on four of her productions
of Rodeo.
He has taught at Broadway Dance Center, CAP 21 at NYU,
Les Groupe International des Huite (Paris) and numerous
workshops around the county.
Michael
DeVellis
While
Michael has become legendary in North America and Canada for keeping
people looking beautiful and hiring the world's top make up artists to
represent international cosmetic lines, he also has major ties to
theater & Broadway. He
launched his own company, THE POWDER GROUP (www.thepowdergroup.com),
which arranges for international celebrity make-up artists to give
master classes on their art--many of these artists are currently working
backstage on Broadway in shows such as Hairspray.
THE POWDER GROUP's schedule includes workshops in Miami, Los
Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis and other cities around North America.
In addition to stage make-up, Michael has conducted Marketing
Your Acting Career to Theatre Arts Center students in both New York
& Pennsylvania.
Connor Gallagher
Connor appeared on
Broadway in the final company of Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast. A graduate of The
University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of
Music holding a BFA in musical theatre, Connor is
happy to be working with the Theatre Arts Center this
year. Most recently he served as assistant
choreographer to Denis Jones on BCEFA’s annual
“Broadway Bares”. He has also assisted
choreographer Christopher Gattelli, and is
working with him on a Broadway adaptation of the movie
“9 to 5”. Other projects as a choreographer: Side
Show, Elizabeth I, Sinners & Saints,
Luxxotica Inc., and The Pirates of Penzance (for which
he received the Lehman Engel Award.) Connor can be
found online at connorgallagher.com
David DeBesse
Fight Direction credits include: Wonder of the World
at Manhattan Theatre Club, (with Sarah Jessica Parker);
Temporary Help at the Revelation Theater; The Phantom
Lady, Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing
at The Pearl Theatre; Pericles at the Red Bull Theatre;
the U.S. premiere of Lovers and Executioners at Arena
Stage; Wait Until Dark at the Cape Playhouse; Oliver
at North Shore Music Theatre; Imperfect Love at New
York Performance Works; Heights at E.S.T., Deathtrap
at the Monomoy Theatre; Twelfth Night at NY Classical
Theatre; Forever Free at Theatre Works; Extremities
at the American Academy of Dramatic Art. David has assisted
Rick Sordelet on many productions, including Scarlet
Pimpernel and Tom Sawyer on Broadway, The Prince and
the Pauper at the Lamb's Theatre, Hamlet at NJ Shakespeare
Festival (w/Jared Harris and Lili Taylor), Coriolanus
and Hamlet at the Shakespeare Theatre and the film version
of Hamlet starring and co-directed by Campbell Scott
(and Eric Simonson). David also works as a stunt
coordinator for Guiding Light, and has directed and/or
co-directed many fights for shows in which he acted.
He has also taught stage combat at various institutions,
including the Atlantic Theatre Acting School, the William
Esper Studio, Long Island University at C.W. Post, and
the School for Film & Television, the Neighborhood
Playhouse and Yale University.
Some acting credit's include: New York: Broadway: Ensemble
in Macbeth (starring Christopher Plummer and Glenda
Jackson); The Acting Company: various roles in Romeo
& Juliet; Off-Broadway: American Globe Theatre:
Lysander in Midsummer Night's Dream. Regional:
Virginia Stage: Clifford in Deathtrap, Guildenstern
in Hamlet; The Shakespeare Theatre: King of France in
King Lear; Walnut Street Theatre: Sebastian in Twelfth
Night; Caldwell Theatre: Yank in The Hasty Heart. Other:
Film: Francisco in Hamlet (Campbell Scott as Hamlet).
David attended the University of Washington's Professional
Actor Training Program under the direction of Bob Hobbs
Steven Smeltzer
Steven is a director, choreographer,
teacher and performer.
He is directing and choreographing the 2008
National Tour of The Great American Trailer Park
Musical. He recently returned from Ireland where
he was directly and choreographing the Hot Mikado.
In New York he directed and choreographed
revivals of Hair and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the
later which was hailed by the composer Rupert Holmes
who said it was his favorite Drood in over a decade
and one of the top three productions ever.
For Theatre Arts Center in Bucks County he
directed the 2007 world premier of Willie Wonka JR
(Music Theatre International National Test Site
Production). In
Europe he directed long running productions of Hair,
The Golden Musical of Broadway (with Jennifer Lopez),
and the Best of Broadway.
In Sweden he is a regular Guest Artist at Folk
University in their Musical Theatre Program, where he
has choreographed such productions as Godspell,
Grease, Hair, Once on the Island, Jerome Robbins
Broadway, Drood, and Michael Bennet—The Legend.
He has also taught musical theatre at NYU’s
CAP21, Theatre Arts Center, Emory, Henry and Virginia
Intermont College.
He is a Resident Director for Pucci
Productions, mounting revues and industrials for
Altlantic City Casinos, and industrials such as
Bristol/Myers and KFC.
Other directing and choreography credits
include Bucks County Playhouse, Alhambra Dinner
Theatre, Surflight Theatre, Gallery Players, Michigan
Ensemble Theatre and several theatres in Sweden.
Steven has a BFA from Florida State University
and a graduate of the Burt Reynolds Institute for
Theatre Training.
Jovon Lewis
Jovone has danced with Def Jam, Swoop, and Natale Cole.
Music videos include Changing Faces (Atlantic Records),
Jay-Z (Interscope Records), Ghost Face Killah (Sony
Records), Mona Lisa (Island Black Music). On TV she
has appeared on Soul Train, B.E.T. Live, MTV Music Awards,
Apollo Live, & Jenny Jones. Film roles include
Center Stage, He Got Game, and Dance With
Me. She trained at Dance Theatre of Harlem &
Broadway Dance CTR. She has worked for many choreographers
including SWOOP, DFIERCE, SHERRY, APRIL T., MARILYN,
FREE, & JAMALE GRAVES. She teaches for
Theatre Arts Center during the year and in the summer
workshops.
Ed Ferron
Ed is a veteran of more than 30 years activity in various
areas of show business. As
he pursued his acting training with Uta Hagen at HB
Studios in New York City, he performed in regional theatres
up and down the East Coast and Off-Broadway.
(He shared the stage with Kristine
Lewis in the first New York production of "Feiffer's
People.") Ed found a successful
niche as a spokesman at trade shows for corporations
like RCA, Ticketron and Mergenthaler Linotype.
He also has performed in corporate videos and
commercial video training films, including a popular
series on high school math for Video Tutorial Services.
An accomplished lyricist, he's had a number of his collaborations
recorded, and a musical he co-wrote was produced in
Los Angeles. For the past 17
years, he has been on the staff New York's Weist-Barron
School of Film and Television, teaching commercial performance
skills and privately coaching actors for performance
in television and film.
Michael Freeman
Michael is an accomplished mime, mask, and clown artist.
He has performed with Martha Graham Junior Company,
Dance Theatre of Harlem, Chautauqua Ballet, The Joyce
Theatre, and the Richard Shepard Mime
Company. He recently completed a residency in
Canada studying mask work with an international master
teacher. Throughout his career he has performed
and choreographed and currently directs his own company
of performance artists in Manhattan. His mime
training is in the Lecoq school. He is a graduate
of The Ultimate Clown School (NYC) and the Philippe
Gaulier Workshop (NYC). He holds a BA in dance
from University of the Arts in Philadelphia and is a
recipient of the Bessie Schonberg Dance Theatre Workshop
Scholarship.
Paula Matthews
Paula has worked with Theatre Arts Center teaching and
choreographing since 1988. She
is a regular choreographer for Midnight productions,
where she has choreographed such shows as Annie,
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,
and Jesus Christ Superstar. Her work has been
seen at the Bucks County Playhouse, Keswick Theatre
outside Philadelphia, Bristol Riverside Theatre,
Sellersville Theatre, Pearl
S. Buck Foundation, Villa Victoria, and First Night
Celebrations in Doylestown. She conducts Tap
classes year round at TAC and her unique choreography
has graced our shows for many years.
Kenneth Still
As a choreographer, Kenneth has worked with such artists
as: Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Joe, Sting, the Rolling
Stones, Will Smith Claudia Shiffer, Jennifer Lopez,
En Vogue, Whitney Houston, and Vanessa Williams.
He was Toni Braxton's personal choreographer for Disney's
Beauty & The Beast on Broadway. As
a dancer, he has exhibited his talent in videos &
tours for many award winning recording artists and appeared
on top rated TV shows such as: Saturday Night Live,
Oprah, MTV, the Billboard Awards, American Music Awards,
BET, the Today Show, and Disney. He appeared on
PBS's Dance In America, Everybody Dance Now documentary.
Edmond Kresley
Edmond began his Broadway career as one of the Jerome
Robbins Dancers in West Side Story. His
second show, Bye Bye Birdie, began his association
with Gower Champion that led to assisting him on the
legendary Hello Dolly. As an Associate
Director of The American Dance Machine, he recreated
many Broadway dance classics. His choreography
is seen in several major MTV videos, the movie Rappin
and the Hot Shoe Show, on BBC-TV, & Dash
on London's West End. He has directed musical
theatre throughout the U.S., England, Italy, Japan,
and Israel. In France he also conducted Theatre-Dance
seminars at the Bridge Festival in Beziers, with Alan
Jay Lerner, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Phyliss Newman,
and Honi Coles. He received raves for his choreography
for the Tommy Tune production of Bye Bye Birdie.
He was a featured soloist in The Best of Broadway with
Chita Rivera.
Jacquie
Bird
Jacquie Bird hails from Brooklyn, NY. She holds a
B.F.A.
in dance from the Leonard Davis Center for the Performing
Arts at City College and
graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is a singer, dancer,
actress, choreographer, & dance instructor. Her
extensive career includes- Broadway: Play On!;
Oh Kay!. Film: School Daze- Spike Lee,
director; Cotton Club-Francis Ford Coppola, director.
Stage: Sophisticated Ladies- bus & truck,
national, and Japan tours; Dreamgirls; The
Hot Mikado. TV: The Academy Awards; The
Roseanne Show; The Guiding Light; etc.
As an instructor/choreographer, she has been a guest
teacher for: The Tokyo School of Music, The Masashi
Mishiro Jazz Dance Co. in Nagoya, Japan.
Jackie has assisted and is an interim sub for
Frank Hatchett; sub for Sue Samuels at the Broadway
Dance Center in NYC; on the interim staff at Steps On
Broadway; conducted master classes for Dance Olympus,
Dance Masters, Dance Educators, Showstopper, Performers
On Parade; choreography for Star Search Junior Champion
Craig Salstein; ABC Saturday morning promo and many
other project
Jonathan
Cantor
Most
recently, Jon played Raoul in the NJ premiere of Lee
Blessing's Whores
at NJ Rep/Playwrights Theatre of NJ. Recent NY credits
include L. Ron Hubbard in Moonchild
(NY International Fringe Festival) and Mrs.Warren's
Profession
(Looking Glass Theatre). He was also a company member
of the Jean Cocteau Rep (3 seasons) where he performed
L'aiglon,
Philoctetes, Cymbeline,
to name a few. Other regional work includes the title
role in Uncle Vanya (ELT/Chicago), House
Of The Seven Gables, The Legacy, Far East
(New Theatre), Our
Country's Good
(City Theatre Co.), Television: Innocent
Until Proven Guilty, Miller's Court.
Numerous commercials and industrials. Director: Three
Rivers Shakespeare, Kohler Center , Attic Ensemble. A
theatre professor as well, he is currently on the
faculties of Adelphi and Hofstra.
Our
Guest Artist and Teaching staff are working professionals and maintain
performing and directing commitments throughout the world. Their
participation at the Theatre Arts Center is always subject to change due
to their busy schedules.
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