Featured Faculty

Faculty Directory


Barbara Rubin
A seasoned stage director, Barbara began her career at the renowned Market Theatre in her native Johannesburg, South Africa. She relocated to the US in 2000 to assist Athol Fugard on Sorrows and Rejoicings at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ and at Second Stage in NY. Barbara made her Off Broadway directorial debut at The Women's Project in 2004. She was recently the Associate Director of Girl from The North Country on Broadway and she resumes this role for the upcoming US national tour. Previous Broadway credits include Streetcar Named DesireThe Elephant Man and The Dance of Death. Her favorite international directing credit was in Antwerp, Belgium, at the invitation of an Academy graduate!
 
Barbara is also a dialect coach for TV, film and stage. She’s coached such luminaries as Julia Garner (most recently for Inventing Anna – Netflix), Daniel Radcliffe, Samira Wiley, Jennifer Hudson, Hilary Swank, Adam Bakri, Terrence Howard and Anna Chlumsky. Barbara was the dialect coach to Rosemary Harris and Carla Gugino on Fugard's The Road to Mecca on Broadway (2011). She coached all seven productions of Fugard's residency at The Signature Theatre (2012 to 2019): The Blood Knot; My Children! My Africa!; The Train Driver; The Painted Rocks at Revolver Creek; Master Harold…and the Boys; &  Boesman and Lena. Recent stage credits include Lynn Nottage’s Mlima’s Tale at The Rep in St. Louis, The Rolling Stone at LCT and two shows in the Williamstown Theater Festival’s Audible seasonThe Chonburi International Hotel & Butterfly Club and Photograph 51

Degrees and Studies
BA, Dramatic Art (Hons), University of The Witwatersrand, South Africa; Associate Teaching Diploma, Speech and Drama, Trinity College, UK; Studied with Uta Hagen, Carol Rosenberg, Patsy Rodenberg, Kristin Linklater and David Harryman; Member of Lincoln Center Directors' Lab.
 
Barbara is the Company Director for The Academy's New York Company.
Degrees and Studies
BFA, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU; Studied acting at Circle in the Square and The Classical Studio under Louis Scheeder; Studied voice/text with Robert Neff Williams and Catherine Fitzmaurice; Former member of Resident Acting Company at Obie and Pearl Theatre Company, appeared in 40+ Off-Broadway productions; Received Actors’ Equity Bayfield Award; Taught at The Pearl Conservatory and NYC high schools; Award-winning audio book narrator
 
Bottrell began his career in New York as an actor and playwright at such prominent theatres as the Second Stage, the Public Theatre, La MaMa, the Long Wharf, Studio Arena and the Actors Theatre of Louisville.  In addition to acting, he has written screenplays for 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures and Disney Feature Animation. His script, Kingdom Come was made into a successful feature film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Jada Pinkett Smith and LL Cool J. He is probably best known for playing the creepy, homicidal "Lincoln Meyer" on season three of Boston Legal.  His recent guest star and recurring roles include such shows as Modern Family, The Blacklist, SVU, Longmire, Rectify, Mad Men, True Blood, Justified, Criminal Minds, NCIS, CSI, Castle, Bones and Days of Our Lives.  Bottrell is the creator of the acclaimed Sci-Fest LA: The Los Angeles Science Fiction One-Act Play Festival and has won over 17 awards for his directing work.  He has taught scene study, camera acting and audition technique for the New York and Los Angeles campuses of AADA as well as the UCLA Professional Screen Acting Program, the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory, and the SAG-AFTRA Continuing Education Program.
 
Degrees and Studies
Studied Meisner Technique with William Esper. Experienced performer and playwright. TV guest star roles include Modern Family, The Blacklist, Boston Legal, Mad Men, Criminal Minds and True Blood. Screenwriter for 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, MTV Films, Paramount Pictures and Disney.

 
Degrees and Studies
BA, Oberlin College; MFA, ART/MXAT Institute at Harvard University; Studied with Scott Ziegler, Marcus Stern, Nancy Houfek, Roman Kodak, Andrei Droznin, David Hammond, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Saul Kotzubel, Ilse Pfeifer, Andrew Bolsher and Nancy Houfek; Certified Teacher in Fitzmaurice Voicework; Actor and Voice & Speech Specialist; Former faculty of Montclair State University, Manhattanville College, Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art, and Studio New York
 
BA, Theatre Arts, Minnesota State University, Moorhead; MFA, Performance, University of Maryland; Designated Linklater Voice Teacher; Artistic Director, Shakespeare on the Fly; Studied Meisner Technique with Fred Kareman; Senior Faculty/Former Associate Director of Training, Shakespeare & Company; Artistic Director, Stark Raving Theatre, 1990-2000; Directing credits include As You Like It (Tennessee Shakespeare Co.), Richard III, (Purdue), Measure for Measure (Shakespeare & Co.), The Visit (Stark Raving Theatre); Acting credits include Waiting for Godot (Tennessee Shakespeare Co.), The Dick and The Rose (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Beijing, China); Taught voice for National Theatre of Ghana
 
Degrees and Studies
BA, SUNY Albany; MFA, UCLA; Interdisciplinary theatre artist; Performed at Kennedy Center, Saratoga Shakespeare Company and Off-Broadway at Mint Theater; Directed at NYU, Theater for the New City, the cell, and Culture Project; Past Artistic Director of Hive; Professional costume artisan for X-Men, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Charlie’s Angels
 
Christopher Halladay is a professional actor and teacher, based out of New York City. 
TV credits: Law & Order: SVU (multiple), FBI, Ray Donovan, God Friended Me, The Blacklist, Mr. Robot, Gotham, Limitless, The Unusuals, All my Children and Guiding Light
Film credits: The Volunteers, Stella’s Last Weekend, Movie Night, February, A Guy Named Rick, Jason’s Big Problem, Forged and Hourly Rates
Theatre credits: In Masks Outrageous and Austere (world premiere) at The Culture Project, The Actors Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Abingdon Theatre, Urban Stages, Luna Stage NJ, Palm Beach Dramaworks, South Coast Repertory, A Noise Within, Pasadena Playhouse, Shakespeare Orange County, Mile Square Theater and Montréal Fringe Festival
 
Degrees and Studies
MFA, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University; BA, George Washington University; AA, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts; British-American Drama Academy graduate, Upright Citizens Brigade
George Heslin

For over ten years George has served as Artistic Director for New York based Origin Theatre Company, the company launches the work of European playwrights in America. George is also Artistic Director of 1st Irish, New York's annual festival of Irish theatre. He has directed numerous projects in New York, Boston, Ireland and Brussels. Served as adjunct professor at Nassau Community College and Lehman College.

As an actor he has played across America, Ireland and London's Westend. He is a graduate of Samuel Beckett Centre Trinity College, Dublin and The Abbey Theatre Dublin Directors Program. He has directed fourteen productions at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Degrees and Studies
Studied with Uta Hagen at HB Studio; Graduate of Samuel Beckett Centre Trinity College Dublin and Abbey Theatre Dublin Directors Program; Extensive acting and directing career in EU and US; Artistic Director for Origin Theatre Company and 1st Irish Theatre Festival and has received numerous awards for his dedication to culture from New York City among others

Yvette Heyliger started out in the theatre as an actor studying with acclaimed teacher of the Meisner Technique, the late William Esper. Soon after graduating, she landed a role on The Cosby Show. Yvette went on to become a playwright, director, producing artist, activist and educator. Author of What a Piece of Work is Man! Full-Length Plays for Leading Women, she has contributed to many theatrical anthologies, as well as penning many theatre industry-related articles in magazines, blog posts, textbooks, and a scholarly journal. Yvette is recipient of the AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theatre’s August Wilson Playwright Award, as well as their Dramatic Production of the Year Award; an NAACP’s Annual Theatre Award Best Playwright nomination; the National Black Theatre Festival’s Emerging Producer Award; and a Resolution from the City of Los Angeles, among others. Yvette’s plays, including her one-woman show, have been presented in theatre festivals in New York and Los Angeles, as well as at the prestigious National Black Theatre Festival, the Billie Holiday Theatre, and Glouster Stage Company. Memberships: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, SDC, and Dramatists Guild. Service: AADA General Education Committee and Diversity Scene Search Committee, Dramatist Guild Equity Diversity Inclusion Committee, Honor Roll! Executive Committee, and League of Professional Theatre Women.   

 

Degrees and Studies 

William Esper, William Esper Studios, New York University (BA & MA – Acting), Queens College (MFA – Playwrighting), Hunter College (MA – Theatre Education) and guest artist at many colleges and universities. 

Maggie Low has originated roles in Catholic School Girls by Casey Kurtti, at the Douglas Fairbanks Theater, Times of War by Eric Lane, at the Adirondack Theatre Festival, The Man Who Shot the Man Who Shot Jesse James at the Manhattan Punchline, Candle in the Window by Tom Gilroy, directed by Michael Imperioli, Venus' Diary by Lynne McCullough, directed by Tom O’Horgan, The Big Vig by Jason Furlani and Kerry and Angie (Critics Choice Award at the Samuel French Festival) by Gerry Sheridan. She won the 2018 Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Actress in a Lead Role for Chickens in the Yard with Adjusted Realists. Favorite roles include Gertrude in Hamlet, with Jared Harris at the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and for eight years, Dixie Lily on the Bernie Fleshkin Rock ‘n’ Roll Dance Party, WBAI. Feature films and television include: The Cold Lands, Postcards from America, NOC, Deborah Sampson, a guest lead on Law & Order, The Blacklist, Bull and Release. Maggie currently teaches at Maggie Low Studio and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She taught at NYU/Tisch Playwrights Horizons Theater School from 1998-2013. AEA, SAG-AFTRA. She is a Lifetime Member of the Actors Studio. 

Degrees and Studies
William Esper, Wynn Handman, and Tim Phillips
 
MFA-UNC Greensboro; BA-UNC Chapel Hill; BA-Hunter College; Film and TV Credits-Tell Me Lies (Hulu); The Evening Hour (Sundance Premier); House of Cards (Netflix); Revolution (NBC); Off-Broadway-The New York Theatre Workshop. 

Erin O’Leary is an actor, a member of Actor’s Equity Association, the National Alliance of Acting Teachers and an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher. Additional teaching includes: Juilliard- Drama Division, The O’Neill Center/ National Theater Institute, The Wooster Group, Univ of TN Opera and private coaching in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

 

Degrees and Studies

MFA- University of Tennessee/ Clarence Brown Theatre; Knoxville, TN, BFA (cum laude)- DePaul University, Chicago IL; Alexander Certification (AmSAT)- ATNYC  Additional training includes: Naropa University, Boulder, CO; SITI Company, NYC; Magdalena Festival Brisbane, AU; European Association for TheatreCulture, Berlin & Moscow

Susan Pilar has performed in New York with Lincoln Center (Broadway), Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theatre (NYSF), Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Raw Space (Actor's Studio). Her regional credits include; the Guthrie Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, The Shakespeare Theatre (The Folger), Passage Theatre and the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Her TV and Film credits include: Law & Order, The Cosby Show, One Life to Live, Guiding Light and the independent movie, The Waiting Room. Susan moved to New York where she continues to work and live. When not performing, Susan is busy teaching, directing and coaching privately. She is also proud to be a core faculty instructor at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she has been teaching and directing for the past 14 years. Susan also teaches acting and audition technique at the T. Schreiber studio. Currently she co-created The FUSE with casting director Scott Wojcik, which is in its 7th successful year.

Degrees and Studies
MFA, American Conservatory Theatre; BFA, University of Southern California; Fellowship, The Shakespeare Theatre–The Folger: Performance credits include Lincoln Center–Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public–NYSF, The Guthrie, Ensemble Studio Theatre; Founder of Reel Intentions, a production company that creates actor demo reels
Janis Powell has trained, directed and coached hundreds of actors, directors, writers and producers working On and Off Broadway, in regional and international theatre and film and television. She has served at The Academy since 1979 as a member of the Core Faculty since its inception, as Director of Instruction of the evening program for 23 years and of the full-time program for three years. Janis has directed more than 50 main-stage productions in New York City, including Off-Broadway's Bartenders, nominated for an Outer Circle Critics Award, Sylvia and Dancing at Lughnasa for The Snarks Ltd., Bedroom Farce at The Gloria Maddux Theatre and An Inspector Calls for the Amateur Comedy Club. She directed 20 productions for The Academy Company, most recently Suddenly Last Summer and Becoming Memories. Janis has taught and directed in many venues including HB Studio, T. Schreiber Studio, The Neighborhood Playhouse, The John Houseman Theater, The University of Texas at Austin and Lexington for the Performing Arts. She is the founder and artistic director of NYC non-profit theatre company Spiral, Inc. and teaches professional acting workshops for Janis Powell Studio in Manhattan.

Degrees and Studies
BFA, Theatre, University of Texas; Trained at Hollins University; Studied acting with William Esper, Herbert Berghof, Gene Frankel and Circle in the Square; Directed and coached hundreds of actors, directors, writers and producers in theatre, film and TV; Founder and Artistic Director of Spiral, Inc. and Janis Powell Studio
Degrees and Studies
MA, Voice Studies, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London; BS, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Worcester State University; Worked at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (MA/MFA Voice Studies), Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Performance Preparation Academy and College of Staten Island; Professional voice and accent/dialect coach
Degrees and Studies
BA, Drama/Film, University of California, Irvine; Trained at Grotowski Workshop and Circle in the Square; Studied with Robert Cohen, Moni Yakim, Jonah Emsig, Terese Hayden, Jacqueline Brookes, among others; and Combat with B.H. Barry; Extensive experience includes stunt coordinator for TV series and fight coach at Metropolitan Opera 
Degrees and Studies
AOS, American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Stage, film and television actor: Stratford Shakespeare Festival, New York Shakespeare Festival, Theatre for a New Audience, The Public Theater, Hartford Stage Company, Seattle Rep, St. Louis Rep and ABC’s One Life to Live
MM and BM, Vocal Performance, University of Minnesota and New England Conservatory; AmSAT Certified; Faculty of Manhattan School of Music, Respiro Opera and Riverside Initiative for the Alexander Technique; Trained in Jessica Wolf’s Art of Breathing and Betsy Polatin’s The Actor’s Secret Methods; Led Alexander Technique Masterclasses for University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program, University of Illinois-Chicago Theatre Program, National Opera Association’s Eastern Regional Conference, Music Educators Association of NYC/United Federation of Teachers, Freedom to Act and Freedom to Make Music Conferences, American Society for the Alexander Technique Annual Conference and Brooklyn Opera Works’ Summer Vocal Arts Institute
          
 
Degrees and Studies
MFA, Lecoq-based Actor Created Theatre, London International School of Performing Arts and Naropa University; BA, St. Lawrence University; Founding member, Split Knuckle Theatre Company; Teacher, Shakespeare & Company’s Professional Training Program; Actor, fight choreographer and director at Shakespeare & Company
Robert has performed in World Tours with A Chorus Line (Bobby), 42nd Street, and The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow). Robert has also performed at the Kennedy Center. His appearances include the 35th anniversary celebration (with Angela Landsbury and Celebrate Broadway, with Linda Eder and John Lithgow). Guest Teaching Artist: Stephens Collage, Princeton Dance Theatre, US Performing Arts Camps, The Harkness Center and the Alvin Ailey Extension.
 
Robert’s Choreography credits include: Cats, Evita, Wonderful Town, Carousel, Les Miserables, A Funny thing happened on the way to the Forum and Deborah Gibson live in concert. He assisted choreographed for the feature film The Master of Disguise (with Dana Carvey). He had the opportunity to speak with Academy alumni Florence Henderson after her performance in Off-Broadway's Singular Sensations.  When asked if she had any advice for his students, she said "A teacher at the Academy said something to me that has stayed with me my entire career... Keep a cool head and a warm heart.” Robert most recently filmed an episode for Tru TV’s Caught Red Handed, which will air this fall.
 
Degrees and Studies
Graduate, American Musical and Dramatic Academy; Studied acting with Larry Singer and Randolf Pearson; Dance with Phil Black, Mark Esposito and Casey Colgan; Voice with Meg Bussert and Camille Wiendorn; Experience includes world tours with A Chorus Line (Bobby), 42nd Street and The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow); Appearances in Secret Lives of Stepford Wives (Jonathan Nyce), “Duck Sauce” music video for Radio Stereo and in The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer, starring Julia Roberts, produced by Brad Pitt
Degrees and Studies
BA, Acting, Columbia College Chicago; Cal State, Northridge; Studied with David Woolley (Society of American Fight Directors); Acting with Sheldon Patinkin and Michael Shurtleff; 20+ years as stage combat coordinator, teacher and performer; Fencing studio instructor in NY, Boston and LA; Built fight projects, shows and scenes for The Group Rep, New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, Oak Park Shakespeare Festival, The Academy, as well as feature film, TV and stage projects and A-list actors; Member of Sword Fights, Inc.
 
Cheryl has been in the entertainment business for over 30 years working in theater, commercials, film and television. She started her career as an assistant choreographer to Gene Kelly and Kenny Ortega in Coppola's film, One from the Heart and went on to work with Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her. She can be seen in over 20 films including Xanadu, Tap, Pennies from Heaven, 500 Days of Summer, and the new Muppet Movie. Cheryl has danced beside such legends as Gregory Hines, Sammy Davis Jr., The Nicholas Brothers and Donald O'Connor. Some of her favorite television credits are Glee, General Hospital, the Academy and Golden Globe Awards, How I Met Your Mother, 2 Broke Girls, and Mike and Molly. Theater performances include the Los Angeles and First National companies of Cats and 42nd Street and over 10 companies of Sophisticated Ladies including the live telecast from Broadway. She has directed and choreographed theater productions nationally and internationally for Sesame Street Live, Universal Studios and Disney, and has been teaching movement to actors at The Academy for many years.

Degrees and Studies
30+ years’ experience in theatre, film and television; Studied at University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University; Assistant Choreographer to Gene Kelly and Kenny Ortega; Studied acting with Beverly Sanders
Beck has been a member of the faculty for 20 years; the last 8 as a Core member, Brenda also serves as Events Coordinator, directs student examination plays and coaches student productions. She works as a professional voice, speech and dialects coach in film, television and theatre, having coached over 100 theatrical productions, including the world premiere of the musical Great Expectations, Bent, and Please Do Not Touch the Indians. She has coached for dialect in films such as Chasing Indigo and If and for television, most recently for the new Orbit Gum campaign. She also coaches and directs actors and singers in voice, speech, dialects, Shakespeare, and text/scene analysis. As a performer she has appeared in film, television, and predominantly theatre, touring around the world, including for the USO/DOD. Favorite roles include Katharina, Olivia, Lady M, Betty/Ellen in Cloud Nine, and the Marquise in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. She was a founding member of Plays On Words Theatre Company, an award-winning Los Angeles-based company. She particularly loves Sondheim, Shakespeare, and the plays of Pinter, Stoppard and Ayckbourn. Member of AEA, SAG, VASTA, AAUP.

Degrees and Studies
MFA, Acting, University of Southern California; BA (with honors), University of Nevada; Coached 100+ theatrical productions; Studied with Tad Danielewski and others; Studied voice and speech with Patsy Rodenburg, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Kristin Linklater and Rocco Dal Vera
Mary Bleier
Ms. Bleier is dedicated to linking the arts with activism and healing. With a background in psychology and bodywork, she integrates the mind/body connection into her approach as an acting teacher. Over the past twenty years, she has collaborated on original theatrical pieces in Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Los Angeles through venues such as Highways, the 18th Street Arts Center, Santa Barbara’s Access Theatre, LunaSea Theatre and the Celebration Theatre. As a writer, she has created work through the Writing as a Healing Art Program at the Los Angeles LGBT Center and developed new plays and projects with the Women's Playwright Outreach Project, Wicked Women's Writes and Writers at Work. Bleier taught drama and directed at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences for many years, and she began teaching at The Academy in 2002. Along with being a proud core faculty member at The Academy, she is also the faculty coordinator for Drama Educator Workshops, and director of many Exam Plays, One Acts and Company productions. 

Degrees and Studies
BA, Antioch University; AA, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Studied acting with Betty Karlen, Maria Gobetti and Craig Ng; Studied mind/body connection at Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing

Brennan has been a member of the Academy faculty for 24 years. Her film and TV credits are extensive and include American PieThe Scorpion KingSonnyThat's Life (CBS), The Hughleys (UPN), and For the People (Lifetime). Besides individual voice and dialect coaching, she has numerous production theatre coaching credits which include Streetcar Named Desire (South Coast Rep), The Crimson Thread (Pasadena Playhouse), Arms and the Man (A Noise Within), Old Times (El Portal Center for the Arts), The Nibroc Trilogy (Actor's Co-Op), and Susannah (Opera Pacific). Brennan has presented at the ATHE (The American Theatre in Higher Education) yearly conferences on various topics, including Take the Valley Out of the Girl! She is a member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainer's Association). Her article, T's and Sympathy: Adventures in the Hollywood Dialect's Tradeappears in the VASTA Journal, Essays on Voice and Speech. Linda is a member of SAG/AFTRA and the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Degrees and Studies
PhD, Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute; MFA, Acting, Brandeis University; MA, Psychology, Antioch University; BA, Theatre, California State University; AA, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Alba Emoting certified; Studied with Rocco Dal Vera, Catherine Fitzmaurice, Kristin Linklater and others; Extensive coaching credits

BFA, University of North Carolina School of the Arts; Studied acting with Eric Morris; Dance with Ernestine Stodelle; Taught at Wesleyan University (Connecticut) and LA’s Windward School; Performed, directed and produced theatre in Connecticut, San Francisco and Los Angeles 25+ years; Credits include co-directing The Runaways, directing original adaptation of Radclyffe Hall's Well of Loneliness and projects with Marin Theatre’s Playwright Workshop; Former AAD/Founding Member of Mojo Ensemble, directed and/or produced 40+ plays; Currently works in production for BET-TV's Comic View and TV-1's Belles

 
Adam Chambers graduated from The American Academy in 2003 and then he did the Third-Year Company Program. He got an agent from the Company showcase and started working right away. He has been seen on TV shows like NCIS, Married, CSI: Miami, Cold Case, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, ER, Threshold, Good Luck Charlie, Zeke and Luther, Days of Our Lives, Young and the Restless, and many more. He is most known for his work in Disneys "Girl vs Monster" and the series he did "i <3 Vampires," "My Alibi," and "The Adam Chambers Show." He has starred in many features films and done many commercials as well. He is also the Artistic Director of LOFT Ensemble theatre in the downtown LA arts district. Where he produces 6-7 mainstage shows a year along with monthly stand up, improv, and music shows. Adam is also the lead singer of the musical comedy band "The SHOW." They are looking at going on tour this year after playing all over LA last year.
Jane Fleiss trained with Stella Adler at NYU School of the Arts and began her career on the NBC Daytime drama The Doctors. She subsequently appeared onstage, in feature films and on television both in New York and Los Angeles. TV credits include guest starring appearances in Grey’s Anatomy, ER, Without A Trace, Crossing Jordan and The Guardian. Broadway: Leading roles in Fifth of July, Crimes of the Heart, Strange Interlude, I'm Not Rappaport, Of Mice and Men, Getting Married, Search and Destroy, My Thing of Love, and An Inspector Calls (Joseph Jefferson nomination). Regional Theatre appearances include: Nora, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, The Seagull, Twelfth Night , A Midsummer Nights Dream, Keeley and Du, and LA Drama-Logue Awards for Molly Sweeney (Mark Taper Forum), Ghost in the Machine (South Coast Repertory) and Springtime for Henry (Globe Theatre). Ms. Fleiss is also on the faculty of The Art of Acting Studio/Los Angeles where she teaches Acting Technique and Scene Study. In addition to her work with Stella Adler, Ms. Fleiss studied with Uta Hagen, John Barton and Cicely Berry (Royal Shakespeare Co.) and is a member of the Actors Studio. 

Degrees and Studies
BFA, New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Studied acting with Stella Adler, Uta Hagen, Sondra Lee, John Barton, and Cicely Berry.
Garcia has been part of the directing team at the Los Angeles campus for 15 years. He directs both First and Second-Year plays as well as Third-Y ear Company plays. Originally hailing from Houston, Texas, he has worked as an actor in film, television and theaters all across the nation for over thirty years. Garcia is a multiple Dramalogue, BackStage West and L.A. Ovation award winner. Some of his television credits include: The Gilmore Girls, The Practice, Malcolm in the Middle, E.R., and Beverly Hills 90210. Film credits include: The Man in the Iron Mask and Daredevil.

Degrees and Studies
AA, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts; 30+ years’ acting experience for film, television and theatres across the US; Recipient of multiple Drama-Logue, Backstage West and Ovation Awards
Gossett has been at The Academy for 20 years teaching acting and directing exam and Company plays. She has been a founding member and administrator of four theatre companies: Actors Entrance Conservatorium, Las Vegas Lil'l Theatre; 55th St. Playhouse, NYC; Eric Morris Acting Workshops and American New Theatre, Los Angeles; and Mojo Ensemble Theatre Company, in Hollywood. There she honed her acting and directing skills. At the Mojo Ensemble she was the Artistic Director and Co-Managing Director and she also began teaching workshops.

Degrees and Studies
Studied with Uta Hagen (HB Studio), Warren Robertson, Wynn Handman and Eric Morris; Founding member of four theatre companies including Mojo Ensemble, where she was Artistic and Co-Managing Director
Since 1998, Rob has coached actors and business professionals in dialect work and accent reduction. He has coached hundreds of actors and over 50 theatrical productions. From Shakespeare to Mamet, Rob has coached more than 25 dialects, from British to Yiddish to Filipino to West African. He has also provided coaching for film and television, such as British coaching for Omid Abtahi in the Showtime series, Sleeper Cell. Rob has also worked with Dominic Bowden, host of New Zealand Idol and a number of other television projects. Most recently, Rob was on the set of ABC's Revenge, providing dialect coaching to Emily VanCamp. Rob writes and performs comedy and continues to audition. He has appeared in a number of commercials, theatre productions and films.

Degrees and Studies
MFA, California State University; BFA, Acting, Conservatory of Theatre Arts, Webster University; Coached and provided dialect coaching for hundreds of actors for film and television and 50+ theatrical productions in 25+ dialects; Writes and performs comedy
Hart has been with The Academy for almost 20 years; as an accompanist, music director and vocal production teacher. At the same time he was the vocal coach and vocal arranger for Holland American Line under directors John Charron, Mark Knowles, Carla Kama, Patti Colombo and Tommy Tune for 14 years. Hart is a musical director for professional, locally-produced musicals, such as Baby, The All Night Strut (winning him best musical direction from the L.A. Drama Critics' Circle), Night Club Confidential, Blues in the Night (winning him a Dramalogue Award of Excellence and the NAACP's Award nomination for best Musical Direction), The Joni Mitchell Project, and At Long Last Cole starring Carol Burnett. He has performed in several national tours, including one with Debbie Reynolds. For television he was music director for the Emmy nominated Glenn Miller Band Reunion for PBS. He has long performed concert and night club work, either solo or with his jazz trio, String of Pearls. Since 1966 he has been the choral assistant for the Brentwood Presbyterian Church.

Degrees and Studies
Music Major, Voice, UCLA—Men’s Glee Club; 20 years’ experience teaching at The Academy; Vocal coach/arranger for Holland America with directors John Charron, Patti Colombo and Tommy Tune; Recipient of LA Drama Critics’ Circle Award, a Drama-Logue Award and NAACP’s nomination for Best Musical Direction

Amir Korangy is a seasoned director, actor and educator with over thirty years’ experience working in the U.K and U.S. He attended George Washington University, studied directing at Catholic University and holds an MA with Merit from Middlesex University, London. 

He has produced and directed over a hundred plays ranging from classics to contemporary in the U.K. and U.S. In addition to his extensive stage work, his acting credits include the lead in Breath of Life which received a BAFTA nomination as well as guest starring roles for BBC, HBO, Channel Four U.K., London Weekend Television, Thames Television, Granada, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, CBS and ABC. His most recent credits include guest starring roles in NCIS Los Angeles, recurring role in Scorpion, the lead role in the feature film Stepping High, as well as roles in Night at the Museum 3, Silicon Valley and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Mr. Korangy has worked as a visiting professor at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, E 15 Acting School, University of Essex, Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, The School of Science of Acting, and was the professor of Theatre History for the London Program at Pepperdine UniversityDuring his tenure as the Head of MA and BA in Performance Program at Mountview |Academy of Theatre Arts in London, Dame Judi Dench became the President of the Academy and the Performance programs received the Michael Elliot Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Drama Training. He was a major contributor to the Standing Conference of University Drama Departments on Teaching Stanislavski in the U.K., co-directed the BAFTA newcomers Los Angeles Showcase and has been directing the Drama U.K. Los Angeles Showcase for the past three years.
 
He is thrilled to have been a faculty member and Guest Director at The Academy for the past 5 years.
 
Degrees and Studies
MA (merit), Middlesex University; BA, George Washington University; Seasoned educator, director and actor; Directed 80+ plays from classic to modern; As Director of Acting Program at Mountview Academy, London, received the Michael Elliot Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Drama Training; Worked for CBS, ABC, BBC, HBO, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, including lead in BAFTA-nominated Breath of Life; Visiting Professor in U.S. and U.K.

Fields of Study
Acting, Theatre History, Directing

Mr. Landfield is a Core Faculty member at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and coordinates the Internship Program as well as the Academy’s Conservatory for Young Actors (ACYA).  He teaches Acting, Theatre History, and Shakespeare,   He has also directed over 60 productions at The Academy, including Baby With The Bathwater, Loose Knit, As You Like ItTartuffe, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Othello, The Shape Of Things, Blue Surge, The Lady From Dubuque, and The Marriage Of Bette And Boo.  Outside of The Academy Tim directed a production of Much Ado About Nothing at The Old Zoo in Griffith Park, A Maiden’s Prayer at the Raven Playhouse, and a production of Twelfth Night at Vista Hermosa Park near downtown Los Angeles.
 
In the summer of 2010, Mr. Landfield presented two symposiums at ATHE, the national conference for theatre educators.  One presentation was titled “The Actor’s Journey As Sacred Story Teller” and the other was a presentation of The American Academy of Dramatic Art’s grading rubric for assessing actors.
 
Mr. Landfield is also a professional actor whose Broadway credits include Tartuffe, The Crucifer Of Blood, Arsenic And Old Lace, Wild Honey, Rumors, Company, and The Sound Of Music. He was also in the original production of Christopher Durang’s Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You. and The Actor's Nightmare. Film credits include Cheetah, Masquerade, and The Cooler with Alec Baldwin and W.H. Macy. He has also guest starred in numerous television shows. He regularly performs at South Coast Repertory Theatre in Costa Mesa, California.
 
Mr. Landfield runs a private acting program in Hollywood, The Acting Gym, where he teaches and coaches professionals, advanced students, and directors.

Degrees and Studies
BA (with honors), Hampshire College; Studied at The Neighborhood Playhouse; Studied with Larry Moss; Member, The Shakespeare Workshop, New York; Professional actor, director and veteran of seven Broadway shows with numerous regional theatre appearances; Guest starred in 30+ TV shows and several feature films 
Martin is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, as well as SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity. Having received an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University (when it was still called Carnegie Tech), he has - in addition to 150 recorded books - over 200 stage productions to his credit. He has worked Off-Broadway, Summer Stock and LORT theaters. In Los Angeles he has served as Dialogue Coach for Warner Brothers and has appeared in several episodes of Alien Nation. In addition to The Academy, he has taught acting and directed productions at the California Institute of the Arts School of Theater and at the Los Angeles City College Theater Arts Academy. He is also a member of LA’s acclaimed Open Fist Theater Company.

Degrees and Studies
MFA, Stage Directing, Carnegie Mellon University; BA, CUNY, Queens College; Studied with Lewis Palter, Charles Werner Moore and Edith Skinner; Member of Open Fist Theatre Company; Credited with 200+ stage productions, 150 recorded books and several film and TV movies; Served as dialogue coach for Warner Brothers
Massie performed with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and an Off Broadway one woman show called Virtuosa. She has had 25 years acting in regional theatres, LA-Pasadena Shakespeare Co., and The Grove Theatre. She directs at Long Beach City College, Pasadena City College and Academy exam plays. She has taught at NYU Conservatory, AMDA NYC, Cal State University, Long Beach, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum Theatre, Pasadena City College, and Long Beach City College. She is a member of SAG/AFTRA/AEA, VASTA, ATHE, and NADT. She coaches voice, speech, & dialects for film, television, theatre, and private clients.

Degrees and Studies
MA, Theatre and MFA, Acting/Directing, California State University; MA, Antioch University; Drama Therapy, British American Drama Academy; London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art; Studied with Uta Hagen and Tim Phillips; Teacher training in Michael Chekhov Technique; Studied Fitzmaurice, Linklater and Rodenburg voice techniques
Mark is a 1985 American Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate. He began his acting career immediately after leaving The Academy with shows Off Broadway. Tapped for the Florida Shakespeare Festival in 1986, he re-located to Miami, cutting his professional teeth on commercials, TV and film. There he discovered his greatest passion: improvisation, soon after becoming a member of the local improv comedy sensation, Mental Floss. Years later he left Florida to tour as a stand-up comic and eventually re-located to Los Angeles, where he continued his comedy improv work with ACME Comedy Theater, Comedy Sportz and Impro Theatre. Utilizing another passion for monsters and special effects, Mark has also appeared in several features and television shows. He is currently performing comedy improv full time at Universal Studios Hollywood. He is grateful for this opportunity to give back at the locus of where his fires for creativity and performing were first stoked.

Degrees and Studies
BA, UNC-Greensboro; AB, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York City. Studied at the ACME Comedy Theater-LA, Groundlings-LA, Impro-LA, iOWest, and Comedy Sportz-LA.
 
 
Jamie Nichols is technically articulate teacher critically acclaimed for eloquence of her dancing and choreography. She is the recipient of 6 Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement and honored by the Dance Resource Center with the “Furthering the Visibility of Dance Award”. Her career has crossed over commercial dance choreographing art films and music videos and appearing as a dancer in several films. As a prolific choreographer and producer, Artistic Director of Fast Feet, a contemporary dance company (1980-2003).

In the professional dance community: adjudicator for the Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, the McCallum Theatre Institute’s Choreography Festival and Open Call in Palm Desert, Executive Production Committee for the Los Angeles Dance Invitational, Board of Directors of Jazz Dance L.A. Foundation, Board of Directors of Dance Resource Center of LA and panelist for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department Grants.

As a producer: Co-Producer of The Los Angeles Dance Invitational (nine years), Co-Producer Bethune Theatredanse/Ray Bradbury’s Frost & Fire, produced modern dance icon Marion Scott’s Spirit Dances at Highways and Executive Producer of the 16th Annual Lester Horton Dance Awards. As the Executive Producer/Founder Celebrate Dance, she has produced over 70 professional dance companies at the historic Alex Theatre since 2006. She is also the founder of the educational program in conjunction with Celebrate Dance; “Bringing Professional Dance Into The Classroom” and outreach program for young underserved dancers. www.celebratedance.org

Degrees and Studies
Producer of numerous professional dance events in Los Angeles; founder and executive producer of Celebrate Dance; Master teacher and adjudicator of professional dance; Served on multiple art organization boards; Recipient of six Lester Horton Dance Awards for Outstanding Achievement and Dance Resource Center’s Furthering the Visibility of Dance Award; Studied with Jaime Rogers, Eugene Loring, Stefan Wenta, Elle Johnson, Joe Tremaine, Hama and others
As director for stage and television, Reiniger has worked with thousands of actors including Ryan Phillippe, Bruce Davison, Jean Smart, Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Dan Ackroyd, Ed Asner, Holland Taylor and Bill Macy.
 
He guided the development of 50 new works for the stage including the Pulitzer Prize Winner, The Kentucky Cycle and mounted over 20 productions at major U.S. theatres including The Mark Taper Forum. His television credits total 200 episodes on USA Cable, E! Entertainment Television, Discovery Network and plays for television for Tri Tel Inc.
 
Acting credits on stage, in film and television include starring in the original George A. Romero Dawn of the Dead.

Degrees and Studies
BA, Theatre, Rollins College; Advanced training at Circle Repertory, American Conservatory Theatre, The Actor’s Studio and American Stanislavski Theatre/Sonia Moore; Studied film and TV at UCLA and AFI; playwriting/screenwriting at Truby's Writers Studio; Guided development of 50 stage works and 20 productions; Director credits include 200 TV episodes
Kate Roth is an actor, voice-over artist, dancer, and singer. Originally from Northern California, she received degrees in Musical Theatre and Education at the University of Southern California, and now splits her time between LA and NYC. Kate has appeared in numerous commercials, voice-overs, feature films, music videos and musicals. She currently voices multiple reoccurring characters on two Netflix series, and can be seen acting on TV in a City Furniture commercial and as a featured dancer in two music videos for Joyner Lucas.  Kate's career began in musical theatre and commercial dance, and quickly expanded, creating her to be the diverse performance artist she is today. In addition to performing, Kate loves to share her passion for the arts through directing, choreographing, teaching, judging, and the creation of original works.
Degrees and Studies
Graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts; Film/TV experience includes work with CBS, ABC, Discovery, SPIKE, VH1, Comedy Central, Lionsgate, Mark Burnett, Al Roker Entertainment, Gurin Co, and others