Patrice Bailey
Dean of Theater
305-237-3541
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Patrice Bailey holds an MFA in Directing from Florida State University and a M.A. in Oral Interpretation of Literature and Speech Communication from Indiana State University. She has been with the Theater Division for the 17 years serving as Dean for 9 years and a faculty member for eight years, teaching Acting, Scene Study, Voice and Diction, and Directing. Ms. Bailey has directed over 50 productions including three seasons with City Theatre. Some of her directing credits include Sondheim's A Little Night Music and Company; Rogers and Hammerstein's Carousel, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and Sophie Treadwell's Machinal with scenic design by Alexander Okun. Her direction of New World Rep's production of Faith Healer won a Carbonell Award for Best Production of a Play. Ms. Bailey has conducted master classes in acting for The Music Hall Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia, Florida Theater conferences, the Florida Association for Theater Educators and lectured at the National Arts Learning Network conference in London. Previously Ms. Bailey taught at Florida International University for the Theater and Dance Department and she continues to work as a consulate to the Executive MBA, Evening MBA and International MBA programs in the College of Business. In addition to teaching, Ms. Bailey has also worked extensively in television production, specifically as a talent coordinator for the Tony Awards.

Ahymara Gonzalez
Assistant to the Dean
305-237-7066
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sanchia (Sandy) Gopie
Division Secretary
305-237-3541
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gail Solari Garrisan
Acting, Directing, Scene Study
305-237-3547
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Gail Solari Garrisan joined New World as a fulltime faculty member in 2007. She is the founding Artistic Director of City Theatre in Miami, FL, which produces the award winning Summer Shorts Festival. During her nine years with City Theatre, she was also the Director of Education. She conducted acting and writing workshops, directed short plays for High School students and mentored participants in the Young Playwrights Festival. She has worked extensively with the education departments of The Kravis Center, The Caldwell Theater, and Coconut Grove Playhouse. Ms. Garrisan has directed professional productions at numerous venues throughout the country, and at local theaters such as Coconut Grove Playhouse, Florida Stage and New Theater. Her workshops on Audition Techniques, Breath and Body Exploration and Monologue Building have been presented nationally. She has taught graduate and undergraduate acting at Florida Atlantic University and Broward Community College and has had a private coaching practice for professional actors for over 25 years. She studied acting at T. Schreiber Studio and HB Studio in New York City where she worked as actress, director and writer. She was a member of the Circle Repertory Directors Lab for ten years. She holds a BA in Dramatic Literature and an MFA in Directing. Ms. Garrisan is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers, Theatre Communications Group, The Florida Cultural Alliance, The Florida Professional Theater Association, The Theatre League of South Florida, and The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Her children's activity book Perfectly Yours debuted in 2009.

Matthew Glass
Acting, Scene Study, Speech
305-237-3778
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Matthew Glass is an actor, director, vocal coach and writer who is a member of Miami's Camposition, A Miami Dance/Theatre Company where he was previously seen in several world premiers as a writer and a performer. Recently Matthew appeared as Bernard in GableStage's Romance (Best Supporting Actor, Best Of Miami 2007; Miami New Times and Best Comic Performance 2007; Miami's Sun Post.) Regionally he has worked at The American Living Room Theatre Festival, Coffee Clutch Playwriting Workshop(NYC), The Playground Theatre, The New World Repertory Company, Miami Children's Theatre, The Rude Mechanicals, City Theatre, Area Stage Company, Acme Acting Company, and the Florida Shakespeare Festival. He is a member of The American Dramatists Guild, VASTA and The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. He periodically teaches at NOVA Southeastern University, Universal Academy, Miami-Dade College's North and Kendall Campuses and Florida International University.

Jeff Hess
Music Director, Music Theater Workshop, Music Theory, Vocal Ensemble
305-237-7243
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jeff Hess is an Associate Professor at New World School of the Arts. He has been music director/pianist for professional productions at venues that include the Indiana Repertory Theater, Beef and Boards Dinner Theater, Meadow Brooke Theater, Hollywood Playhouse, the Mosaic Theater, Broward Stage Door, City Theatre, and Actor's Playhouse. He has also been music director for Jean Ann Ryan Productions and Kings Productions for their industrial shows. Playing piano professionally for 30 years, Mr. Hess has played in cabaret venues, in classical recitals and at Carnegie Hall for the National Choral Festival. Mr. Hess is a member of Music Theater Educator's Alliance. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Butler University and graduated summa cum laude. He is listed in Who's Who Among American Teachers.

David Kwiat
Acting, Acting for the Camera, Senior Project, Senior Research
305-237-3075
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

David Kwiat has been a professor in the Theater Division at New World School of the Arts for the past twenty years. He is the recipient of an Endowed Teaching Chair and his many performances in South Florida have earned him two Carbonell Awards. His performance in QED received the "Best Actor" and he received "Best Supporting Actor" for his work in Dirty Blonde, both at GableStage. He is also the recipient of the New Times Best Actor Award - Best Supporting Actor and the Carbonell "Bill Hindman Award for long term career achievement in the South Florida Arts Community." Professor Kwiat came to NWSA with an extensive background in professional theater. He has performed at the Guthrie Theater, Arizona Theater Company, Asolo State Theatre of Florida, Actors Theatre of St. Paul, GableStage, Actors' Playhouse, New Theatre, New Classic Theatre and the Minnesota Festival Theatre. He authored John Barrymore: Confessions of an Actor, which he has performed at the Edinburgh International Theater Festival, The King's Head Theater in London and throughout the United States. His collection of poetry: Travelers in Residence was performed at the New Theatre's Miami in the Millennium Play Festival. David has also been included in the Millennium Edition of Who's Who in America. He earned his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Acting from Florida State University where he trained with the Asolo Conservatory. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota where he graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa and received the Outstanding Actor Award.

Andy Noble
Actors' Workshop, Introduction to Theatre, Mask Characterization, Theatre Appreciation
305-237-3047
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

"Andy" Noble is a British actor, director, and teacher, now a U.S. citizen. He trained as teacher and actor at the University of Birmingham College of Education and the East 15 Acting School (in the methodology of Joan Littlewood) in England where he founded The Orchard Theatre Company, under the aegis of the Dartington Hall Trust/Beaford Centre, which became a model for peripathetic theatre in Europe. He was awarded a Director's Bursary by the Arts Council of Great Britain and served on the Theatre Panel, South West Arts Association. Subsequently, he became Artistic /Managing Director of The Plough Arts Centre, programming independent and mainstream cinema, theatre (including Royal Shakespeare Company), and art exhibitions. Fulfilling a wish to combine theatre and travel, he joined the theatre faculty of the University of Miami, co-founded SEAT, an alternative theatre company and was Assistant Director in the Education Department at Coconut Grove Playhouse. Following his appointment as Director of Te Kura Toi Whakaari (The New Zealand Drama School) in Wellington, New Zealand, he returned to Miami as a freelance actor/director before joining the NWSA Theatre Division where he is currently a Professor. Named Best Actor in a Play by The New Times for the title role in Brian Friel's The Faith Healer, he has acted in many local professional theatres.

Dorset Noble
Stagecraft Technical Direction
305-237-3650
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dorset Noble holds a degree in Theatre from Auburn University and has been Technical Director for the Academy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia State University, North Shore Music Theatre in Boston, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse and Barry University in Miami. He was Production Manager for Georgia Shakespeare Festival and Production Stage Manager for Actors' Playhouse. He has designed sets for more than 100 productions at theatres such as the Alliance Theatre, Seven Stages, and Showcase/Atlanta, and was twice nominated for Best Set Design by the Atlanta Circle of Drama Critics. He has designed for several theatres in Miami, and was nominated for the Carbonell award for Best Set design for West Side Story at Actors' Playhouse. He has also directed over 40 productions, including the Atlanta premiere of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd, for theatres such as Atlanta Shakespeare, Shoestring Opera, and Phoenix Theatre.

Jeff Quinn
Production Design, Scenic and Lighting Design
305-237-3330
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jeff Quinn has created over 500 live productions. He received his MFA from Penn State University, and studied subsequently with Josef Svoboda. Mr. Quinn is member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829, I.A.T.S.E. and the U.S. Institute for Theatre Technology. His works have appeared at the Fulton Opera House, Pennsylvania Festival Theatre, the Hilton Head Playhouse, GableStage, Actors Playhouse, Coconut Grove Playhouse, New Theatre, the New World Repertory Company, Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, and many others. He has also designed lighting for the New World Symphony, the FIU Music Festival, Maximum Dance, Ballet Blue Ridge, Ballet Theatre of Miami, Momentum Dance, Ballet Espanol Rosita Segovia, Duende Ballet Espanol, Freddick Bratcher and Company, and many others. Mr. Quinn has won two Carbonell Awards and three Curtain Up Awards.

James Randolph
Acting, Directing, Movement, Speech
305-237-3542
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

James Randolph has been teaching since 1983 at the University of Florida where he taught Speech, Oral Interpretation and Performance as an adjunct Professor. He has been part of a team who trained Metro-Dade County police officers for undercover police work to stop the citywide assault on tourists and the elderly. He has given seminars in presentation and deportment to law students at the University of Florida. He holds a B.F.A degree from the University of Miami and an M.F.A degree from the University of Florida. Both degrees are in Theater with an emphasis on Acting and Directing. He has attended seminars and conferences in theatre including the International Conference on Arts and Humanities annually held in Hawaii. He has also taught at The University of Miami, trained professional actors as a consultant for the Theatre League of South Florida, and the Acting Studio and was also an Associate Professor of Theatre at Barry University. As an actor over the past 34 years has appeared in over 100 plays, commercials, television shows and feature films and is a member of Actors Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. James won a Carbonell Award for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the dual roles of Mr. Lies/Belize in Tony Kushner's epic play, Angels in America, and was also recognized by the New Times as Best Actor in a Comedy for his work as a finicky feline in the inaugural season for City Theatre's series of short plays, Summer Shorts. He has directed over 60 plays and musicals. Some of his directorial credits include Porgy & Bess for the Florida Arts Celebration; I have Before me a Remarkable Document by a Young Lady From Rwanda At New Theatre, Miss Saigon at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts and several seasons directing for City Theatre's Summer Shorts. James has also participated in a series of master classes with internationally acclaimed playwrights Edward Albee, Marie Irene Fornes, Arthur Kopit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Auburn as part of special workshops through The Theater League of South Florida and the Division of Cultural Affairs. James continues to perform in regional theatres throughout the South Florida Area.

Kareen Pauld Camargo
Ballet, Jazz

Kareen Pauld Camargo was born in Haiti and came to the United States at the age of 2. She grew up in New York where she trained at The H.S. of Performing Arts, American Ballet Theater School, School of American Ballet and The Dance Theatre of Harlem Workshop Ensemble. She later went on to dance with The Dance Theatre of Harlem Company for several years before joining Miami City Ballet in 1990. She taught for many years at The Miami City Ballet School and later joined Miami Contemporary Dance Company in 2007. This is her first year at NWSA teaching ballet in the Musical Theater Division.

Jett Canary
Scene Study

Jett Canary holds a BA in Theatre from the University of Kentucky, and an MFA in Acting from Florida Atlantic University. He has taught at Barry University as an Assistant Professor of Theatre, Florida Atlantic University, Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre, and John Robert Powers Talent Agency. He currently teaches and directs plays and musicals at Nova Southeastern University, and Broward College, where he just completed one year as a fulltime interim Theatre Professor. Companies Jett has worked at include American Theatre for Actors, Second Stage Theatre, New Perspectives Theatre, Glimmerglass Opera, Open Stage Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Seaside Music Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Actors Playhouse, City Theatre, Disney, ABC, and Kentucky Kingdom. He has been a member of Actors Equity Association for over 20 years, and has worked in film and television as well.

La Vonne Canfield
Acting, Voice

La Vonne Canfield is an actor, director, writer, expressive arts facilitator, and adjunct faculty in the Theatre Division of New World School of the Arts. Ms. Canfield has been involved in the theatre for 23 years. A graduate of NWSA herself, she holds a BFA from Florida International University in Theatre and is currently completing her graduate work in Interdisciplinary Arts. In addition to teaching at the Conservatory she has been an Expressive Arts Facilitator with ArtSpring, Inc. for the past 6 years bringing Interdisciplinary Arts Workshops to incarcerated women in South Florida. Her acting credits include Fraulein Schnieder in Cabaret, June in Marisol, Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Queen Coral in City Beneath the Sea, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, and Aileen Wuornos in The Last Resort which she also wrote. Some of her directing credits include No, No, Nanette, Wait Until Dark, You Can't Take It With You, Waiting for Godot, The Nina Variations, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Suessical, Elektra, and Rent. She has also been the Festival Coordinator the New Playwrights Festival at NWSA for the last three years.

Alexis Caputo
Playwrighting

Alexis Caputo is a Florida and New York based Multidiscipline Performance Artist, Poet and Writer. Her artistic portfolio began in performance studies and educational theatre. Upon personal exploration, looking at the historical context of women's contributions in the arts and her contribution to the educational community where her instruction was received, she identified these experiences as chief in her emergence. The interest and strengthening endorsements of her work by theatre scholars Dr. Nancy Putnam-Smithner, Dr. Lowell Swortzell and Playwright, Karen Malpede, all whom she studied under, were instrumental and pivotal references. To this, she has steadily increased her voice beyond the university level as a writer and performance artist creating notable works for theatre. Her course to augment the women's movement in the arts is evident in her portfolio. Her work includes poetry, spoken word, narratives/texts, audio/media, dance (movement) and visuals (iconic symbols). She has created an impressive and distinct body of originally written and performance work, addressing human rights issues, political, cultural, gender, racial, class and social differences. These landscape issues have influenced her processes and expressive modalities. A significant focus in her work reflects the complex challenge of negotiating cultures. This has enhanced her cultural awareness while entertaining, educating, sharing history and life-affirming work. She has created work over a sustained period and demonstrated an ability to create strong artistic projects with a trajectory that expands the notion of self and what being a woman means.

Graham Fandrei
Private Voice

Educated at New World School of the Arts, the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School, baritone Graham Fandrei has performed in venues across the United States, Europe and Asia. Recently, he has performed with Seraphic Fire, Miami's Professional Chamber Choir and with Florida Grand Opera's production of La Traviata and Madame Butterfly. Mr. Fandrei performed both Marcello and Schaunard in director Baz Luhrmann's (Moulin Rouge, Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet) production of Puccini's La Boheme on Broadway. In 2003, he made his European debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic in Rotterdam, Holland. While in Holland, Mr. Fandrei performed in a two-week Leonard Bernstein Festival singing in pop concerts, recitals and performances in the roles of Maximilian and the Captain in Candide. Mr. Fandrei has performed over 20 different operatic roles throughout the U.S. including the title role in Mozart's Don Giovanni, both Demetrius and Starveling in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Apollo in Cavalli's L'Egisto and Mr. Peachum in Weil's Threepenny Opera.

Elena Maria Garcia
Acting, Improvisation

Elena Maria Garcia holds a BFA degree from the University of Florida and an MFA degree from Florida Atlantic University in Theater with an emphasis on Acting and Directing. She is member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity. She is the Educational Director of Bluedog Acting School for Kids where the emphasis is on helping young actors find their gifts and strengths. She is also the founder of Underdog Productions, producer of critically acclaimed productions, Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train, and The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. She is a member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity and is a winner and two-time best supporting actor nominee for the prestigious Carbonell award for City Theatre's Summer Shorts Theatre Festival. Elena has taught improvisation and acting for over twenty years and trained at Second City in Chicago and at the Magnet Theatre Company in New York. She is the founder of improv troupes Separate Checks (Orlando Fringe Festival Umbrella Award for Best Theatre Group), Quien Sigue A Quien, (the first Spanish speaking improv troupe in the US), and the first all-female improv troupe on the east coast, Big Purse and Matching Shoes. She has appeared in numerous national commercials ( Ford, Mr. Clean, DiGiorno, McDonald's, Wendy's, Home Depot, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Scott's Lawn, Bounty, Florida Citrus, Florida Lotto), feature films (Bart Got A Room, Out of Time, There's Something About Mary, Promises) and television (CSI Miami and Showtime's Dexter). She adapted the book, Give A Boy A Gun into a critically acclaimed play and has worked closely with Broadway actors Aimee Garcia, Steve Davis, Melissa Hart, Mark Kudisch, and Malcolm Gets. Elena continues to perform professionally in theatre, improv, and film.

Ron Headrick
Intro to Music Theater, Music Theater Workshop, Connection Director
305-237-3856
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ron Headrick has directed and/or choreographed more than 250 musicals in stock and regional theaters. He appeared on Broadway in Funny Girl and Wonderful Town and produced major night club shows in Las Vegas, Mexico City and Atlantic City as well as all over the Caribbean. For years he produced shows for the Fountainbleau, Eden Roc and other major Miami Beach Hotels. In 1995, he journeyed to Russia, where he taught American Musical Theater and produced a piece of Chekov's The Three Sisters, covered by both Moscow and Kiev television. His local credits include Hollywood Playhouse, Shores Theater, Royal Palm Dinner Theater and Gablestage (Carbonell Nomination, The Adding Machine). He is honored to be the director of the Golddiggers Show, a local charity that has raised over a million dollars for Leukemia and AIDS research. He has been a master teacher for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and has been selected to appear in Who's Who of American Teachers more than a dozen times. He recently received the Film Recording Entertainment Council (FREC) Special Acknowledgement Award for his contribution to the early development of the Miami Beach Tourist and Entertainment Industry. In the summer, he is a Director at the prestigious Frenchwoods Festival of the Performing Arts in New York, training hundreds of serious theater students from all over the world.

Felicia Kurtz
Private Voice, Vocal Ensemble
305-237-3099
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Felicia Kurtz is a graduate of the University of Michigan holding degrees in Voice Performance and Music Education. Her performance experience ranges from opera to musical theater, including both cabaret and jazz venues. She has performed leading roles in over twenty opera and musical productions both here in the United States and abroad. Ms. Kurtz has appeared in the Las Palmas Opera Festival under the direction of Tito Capobianco and Theo Alcantara. In addition to her many international performances, she has also appeared nationally with Gustav Meier, Ralph Herbert and others. She was also the understudy for Cleo Laine, performing in Kurt Weill's 'Seven Deadly Sins'. Ms. Kurtz is a much sought after clinician, educator, director and adjudicator and is a college consultant holding master classes and audition workshops as well as recitals across the country. Ms. Kurtz is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and has maintained a private voice studio since 1980. She has been a member of the adjunct faculty at New World since 2000 teaching private voice and music theory. Ms. Kurtz is also a facilitator at the University of Miami Frost School of Music Young Musician's Camp holding master classes in vocal technique and audition technique as well as director of musical theater workshops.

Diana Lozano
Self-Expression

Rafael Maldonado
Ballet, Jazz, Movement

Elizabeth Malm
Ballet, Jazz

Elizabeth Malm is a native Miamian. She graduated from New World School of the Arts where she was featured as a soloist in a work by guest choreographer Michael Uthoff of the Arizona Ballet. She has danced with companies such as Momentum Dance and Karen Peterson and Dancers and is currently a company member with Ballet Theater of Miami. This has been her fifth year performing in the Florida Dance Festival and the International Ballet Festival. She has choreographed many music videos, danced, and toured with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin, Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, Beastie Boys, Lil' Romeo, Jay-Z, Baha Men, Carlos Ponce, Jaime Camil, Tito Puente, Sam Beam and Kevens. She has also choreographed many commercials and television shows for Samsung, Lays, Herbal Essence, Pollo Tropical, "Truth", MTV, BET, CBS, Telemundo and Univision.

Michael M^cKeever
Acting

With wit, insight and a healthy dose of his quirky sense of humor, Michael McKeever continues to entertain audiences throughout America and Europe. Incorporating a wide variety of styles and subject matter, McKeever's plays explore every aspect of the human condition. From deep-rooted prejudices of small town America to the delicate dysfuntion of society's wealthiest homes, McKeever creates stories that entertain and enlighten. He has been honored with an NEA Residency Grant (New Theatre, Miami) and has been a 3-time finalist for Humana Fest's nationally renowned Heideman Award. He is the proud recipient of three Carbonell Awards; four Curtain Up Awards; and two Florida Individual Artist Fellowships. He has been a finalist several times at both the Key West Theatre Festival and the Sarasota Festival of New Plays. He is also an award-winning actor and designer. He resides in South Florida and is a member of the Dramatists Guild and Actors' Equity.

Stuart Meltzer
Acting

Stuart Meltzer is the Producing Artistic Director of Zoetic Stage in Miami. For two years, Meltzer was the Artistic Director of City Theatre in Miami, where he oversaw and expanded the Summer Shorts Festival. New York credits include Romulus Linney's Gint, Harold Pinter's One for the Road, Aristaphanes' Lysistrata, Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls... as well as Morzek's Striptease. Upon his return to South Florida, where Stuart was raised, he was Head of Theatre at Gulliver Preparatory and then part of the Full Time Faculty at New World School of the Arts for two years. At New World, Stuart directed Brecht/Weill's The Threepenny Opera, Weiss' Marat/Sade and Tony Kushner's Angels in America staged at The Colony Theatre. South Florida directing credits include Kiss of the Spider Woman, Painted Alice, Barefoot Boy With Shoes On, Everything Will be Different and A Brief History of Helen of Troy at Mad Cat Theatre and in the Winter of 2010, Melt at the Miracle Theatre in Coral Gables. He received his M.F.A. in Directing from the Actors Studio/New School in 2002 and B.F.A. from the New World School of the Arts in Miami.

Aaron Merritt
Vocal Ensemble

Aaron Merritt has been Adjunct Professor Music Theory since 2009 and Adjunct Professor of Cello at New World School of the Arts since 2006. In addition to being an alumnus of the NWSA High School, Mr. Merritt was a fellow of the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He received is Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University where he studied with Helga Winold, Emilio Colón and Janos Starker and his Master of Music degree from Rice University where he was a student of Lynn Harrell. In addition to his teaching duties at NWSA, Mr. Merritt is a member of the Miami Music Project, Florida Grand Opera orchestra and the Firebird Chamber Orchestra. He has won competitions held by the New World Symphony, Florida Philharmonic and Boca Raton Symphonic Pops, has performed at festivals in Austria and Holland, and was a recipient of the National Federation of Music Club's award to study at the Aspen Music Festival. Mr. Merritt has taught at the Point CounterPoint Chamber Music Camp in Vermont, and is a performing member of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder.

Sandra L. Portal-Andreu
Ballet, Jazz, Movement, Tap

Sandra L. Portal-Andreu is a Miami native who began her dance experience at the Mirochnik Ballet Institute under the direction of Madelyn Alfonso. Later, she trained intensively in the Vaganova Technique with Ballet Master Vladimir Issaev. She received her A.A. from New World School of the Arts, a B.F.A. in Dance from Florida State University, and a M.S. in Movement Sciences from Barry University. Additionally, Mrs. Portal-Andreu has trained with Fernando Bujones, Suzanne Farrell, Michael Foley, Gerri Houlihan, and Ronald K. Brown. Additional dance experience includes Arts Ballet Theater of So. Florida, Momentum Dance Company, Ballet Theater of Miami, Next Step Dance, Florida Grand Opera's "AIDA", Miami City Ballet's "Lounge 2200", and Camposition's "Accelerate". Also, she is a certified trainer in GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS®. Sandra has held faculty positions at Barry University and Miami City Ballet School and was guest faculty for Vladimir Issaev's Classical Ballet Russian Seminar. Also, she was a guest artist in the FSUdanceSARASOTA and taught master classes throughout the community. Her choreography has been presented in Florida, Texas, and the Bahamas. She has choreographed work for The Naked Stage Theater Company in their presentation of "Nerve", NWSA's Summer Arts Academy and UM's Young Musicians Camp. Additionally, she has danced for Carlos Ponce, Iron and Wine, the SuperBowl, and Sabado Gigante and has appeared in local and regional commercials including Mervyn's, Eastern Financial Bank, Bealls, and Pax TV.

Edward Rozinsky
Stage Combat

Edward Rozinsky obtained both his BFA and MFA degrees from the prestigious Leningrad Institute of Theatre, Music, and Cinematography (Soviet Union). Invited to teach at the Institute, Mr. Rozinsky did so until 1979 when he immigrated to the United States. During his work in the Soviet Union, Edward directed and produced numerous plays and TV shows as well as established and lead a Mime/Clown Company "LITZEDEI" that later became an internationally acclaimed group. At the Leningrad Institute, Edward taught Acting, Stage Movement and was instrumental in starting the first program in Russia to teach professional mime actors at university level. Since in the United States, Mr. Rozinsky taught Stage Movement and Acting at University of Miami, Florida International University, New World School of the Arts, and Barry University. He directed and produced plays at University of Miami and at the Chamber Theatre, a theatre for children in Coral Gables that he established and lead for two years. Mr. Rozinsky is the author of a book "Silent Art" published in Russia and of numerous articles published in Russia, the US, England and Poland. Several plays written by E. Rozinsky have been produced in Russia and the U.S., and recently a ballet "Tlep and Sarykyz" by Mr. Rozinsky's libretto was staged in Kazakhstan. Edward Rozinsky just finished developing an on-line course in Essential Stage Movement that is offered to students all over the world via the internet.

Chesne Ryman
Private Voice

Chesne Ryman was born in Sydney, Australia of a Scandinavian family. After studies at the Conservatorium of Music, she joined the Elizabethan Trust Opera, the forerunner to the Australian Opera Company. After four years at the opera and Williamson's Music Theatre Company, she moved to London, England. She continued studying and performing in England, Austria, Germany, Switzerland before returning to Australia to sing at the Royal Performance opening of the Sydney Opera House, performing the role of the "Queen of the Night" in The Magic Flute. She returned to Europe and Scandinavia to continue her opera and concert performances which took her to Israel, Italy, Finland, among other places. She was head of the Vocal and Opera department at Nordic Music Conservatorium in Stockholm for 10 years before she was recruited by John De Lancy, then dean of music at the New World School of the Arts in 1988, where she taught voice in both the Music Division and the Music Theater program in the Theater Division. She was also vocal coach, music director, and conductor for various performances. Ms. Ryman held this position for 11 years and has now returned as an adjunct voice teacher. Chesne still visits Sweden each year to sing and teach master classes.

Barbara Sloan
Physical Theater

Barbara Sloan has worked as a professional dancer, choreographer, actress and teacher for over 30 years. Her studies have included Ballet, Modern Dance (Limon and Graham), Contact Improvisation, Yoga (certifications in Sivananda, Kundalini, and Hot), Action Theatre, Acting and Camera. Ms. Sloan has also been the Director of the Dance Department at The University Center for the Performing Arts for twenty years, where she teaches Dance and Physical Theatre. As the founder, director, and choreographer of Body and Soul Dance Theatre she performed with the company throughout South Florida, NY and South America. She also toured with Mary Street Dance Theatre, under the direction of Dale Andree, and founded Duo DaDa, a performance art project that received two grants from the Miami Light Project to develop pieces based on the first two Chakras. As an actress, Barbara has worked with many outstanding directors and theatres throughout South Florida, and has been nominated five times for a Carbonell Award for best actress in a Drama. She also has worked for many years in films, commercials, and in the voice over industry. Ms Sloan has also taught Physical Theatre in Miami Dade High Schools in workshops funded by The Miami Light Project.

Jennifer Toohey
Dialects, Scene Study, Speech

Jennifer Toohey holds a BFA from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, and an MFA from Florida Atlantic University. Ms. Toohey also trained in singing at the prestigious Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She has taught acting, acting for the classical theatre, dramatic literature, theatre appreciation, musical theatre and voice and speech for the past four years. Her special focus is voice and speech, and she has trained extensively in both Linklater Voicework, and Fitzmaurice Voicework. Jennifer is a candidate for Fitzmaurice Voicework certification in 2010, and is an active member of VASTA (Voice and Speech Trainers Association). Ms. Toohey is also a professional Canadian Actor's Equity Association member and company member of The Alliance Theatre Lab where she has appeared as Roberta in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and Martha in Strange Snow. Her professional acting credits include Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Laurie in Oklahoma!, Gerda in The Hollow (FAU Summer Rep), Lady Saphir in Patience (Drayton Entertainment), Miss Hannigan in Annie (St. Lawrence Stage Co.) and Meg Brockie in Brigadoon (Sunshine Festival Theatre). Jennifer has also worked as a dialect and speech coach and director at various South Florida colleges.

Estela Vrancovich
Costume Designer, Stage Makeup, Costume Stagecraft
305-237-3864

Estela Vrancovich has been in South Florida for the past ten years. Originally from Argentina, she has worked internationally as a designer and technician designing for professional theater productions as a well as independent dance, circus and acrobatic companies.She has received several Carbonell nominations, a Curtain Up award for Ruthless in 2002 at the Hollywood Playhouse and the Sustained Artistic Achievement Award from the New Theater in 2005. In 2006, she joined the Theater Department at NWSA as Costume Designer for their main stage productions and as Make Up and Stage Craft teacher.

Scott Wilson
Scene Study, Playwrighting, Dialects

Scott Douglas Wilson, a native of Columbus, Ohio, is an award-winning actor, writer, teacher and director. Currently based in South Florida, he has lived and worked professionally in New York City, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. In 2009, he graduated with an M.F.A. in Acting from the Ohio State University, and holds a B.F.A. in Acting from Otterbein College. Scott has performed with several national touring companies, appeared in the award-winning film "Glass City" (Best Actor, 2009 Naperville Independent Film Festival), founded the NYC-based sketch comedy troupe, the Scallywags, and co-founded the Columbus-based Whistling in the Dark Theatre Co. Since arriving in South Florida, Scott has worked as an actor and educator with numerous theatre companies and serves on the faculty of the Acting School of South Florida.

Control Booth
305-237-3355

Box Office
305-237-7020