While the principles of great acting don't change, the realities of the film and TV business do - continuously. So actors and teachers who don't stay current are quickly left behind. As a student at NYCDA, you learn in a dynamic, intimate setting from faculty who are more than just knowledgeable and passionate mentors; they're also working professionals - pros who bring their up-to-the-minute knowledge, experience and connections to you in class, every day.

Overall direction flows from seven master teachers who work both as department heads and class instructors. They work closely with the adjunct faculty, whose expertise in specific disciplines transcends acting to include dance, directing, casting and producing. All are available to students, inside and outside the classroom, for personal advice and direction. Because part of our mission is to expose you to the diverse realities of our industry, we also regularly bring in accomplished guest instructors to give seminars. You will have opportunities to meet and learn from industry leaders, including directors, talent agents, casting directors, managers, producers and cinematographers, as well as actors. Recent guest lecturers have included Academy Award winners Alan Ball and Olympia Dukakis.

Administration

Joan See

Artistic Director

Joan graduated from Hofstra University with degrees in English, speech and theatre. Professionally trained by Sanford Meisner, Joan started her acting career over 30 years ago and has appeared in over 300 commercials. She has had the pleasure of working with such distinguished actors as Julia Roberts, Paul Newman and Eva Gabor. Other credits include professional theatre productions on and Off Broadway and daytime drama. Joan has had the honor of serving as Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild in NYC. In 1980 she founded Actors in Advertising, which grew into the School for Film and Television. She also founded Three of Us Studios, which is the largest and most successful casting facility on the East Coast. She is the author of Acting in Commercials, a Guide to Auditioning and Performing On-camera. Esquire magazine quote: “Joan See is the Stanislavski of the 30-second spot.”

Richard Omar

Director of Education

Richard Omar received his training at Hofstra University and from Uta Hagen and Bobby Lewis in NYC. New York theatre credits include Dracula in Dance with Me, Harker (New York International Fringe Festival), Rick in the world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s The First Day, Wes in the NYC premiere of Beth Henley’s Lost (Theatre 4). Richard Loeb in Never the Sinner (The Directors Company), Bunny in The Secret History (The Directors Company), Hastings in Richard III with Austin Pendleton, Sherwood in Fruit Bat Safari Camp with Sally Mayes and Julie Halston. Richard was featured in The Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret’s tribute to Wendy Wasserstein (Wendy’s Words) at the Laurie Beechman Theater. As a ballroom dancer, he appeared on film with Leslie Caron, Patrick Stewart and Jennifer Beals. He has taught at the New Actors Work-shop for Mike Nichols and George Morrison, SUNY Purchase and Hofstra University.

Jay R. Goldenberg

Director of Film and Television Performance Program

Jay Goldenberg received his master’s of fine arts in acting from New York University School of the Arts and has worked as an actor, teacher and director. Mr. Goldenberg has coached on the sets of features, mini-series, sitcoms and daytime drama. Some of the projects Mr. Goldenberg has worked on are Say Anything with John Cusack and Ione Skye, the mini-series Elvis and Me, the TV series Moonlighting with Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, and the daytime drama General Hospital. Some of Mr. Goldenberg’s private clients have included Salma Hayek, Cybill Shepherd, Alicia Silverstone, Estelle Getty, Michael Chiklis, Charles Kimbrough, Beth Howland, Ione Skye, Mary Wilson, Eric Close, Allyce Beasley, Trevor St. John, Nicollette Sheridan and several other actors working as principals in both film and television.

Eileen Connolly

Director of Theater, Film and Television Performance Program

Eileen Connolly is the founder and Artistic Director of Wallis Knot Theatre, where she
creates, designs and directs original multimedia productions, including Late to the
Republique (NYCDA), Dance with Me, Harker (New York International Fringe Festival)
and Seeing Andre Gide (New Actors Workshop). As an actress she has worked Off
Broadway and at the Meadow Brook and Birmingham theaters in Detroit, the Royal
George in Chicago and the Walnut Street Theatre and Painted Bride Art Center in
Philadelphia. As a director, she was honored to assist Betty Comden and Adolph Green
their revival of A Doll’s Life (York Theatre). She recently created the movement and
combat for Irish Repertory Theatre’s production of Beowulf. For the University of
Vermont, she was commissioned to co-author an adaptation of Aristophanes’ The Birds
and Don Marquis’ Archy and Mehitabel. She has an MFA in acting from the University of
Minnesota, and a BA in theater and dance from DeSales University.

David Palmer

Chief Executive

David Palmer has degrees in psychobiology and music from Drew University and has been with NYCDA since 1985. Before coming to NYCDA he worked for IBM in their product centers in the fledgling days of the PC. He facilitated the move of NYCDA into its current space in 1986 and then managed and grew the casting facility, Three of Us Studios. In 1990 he assumed the role of General Manager and ran the day-to-day operations of the organization. This expanded into strategic management of the school as it prepared for and was approved for accreditation in 1994. Since then he has led and directed the administration of the school to provide the highest-quality infrastructure and operational support systems and services, which enables the faculty, students and staff to achieve their academic and artistic goals and objectives.

James Melis

Chief Financial Officer

James Melis has fifteen years of financial experience in four of the most difficult and heavily regulated industries: banking, health services, hospitality and education. As Controller at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, which owns over 20 satellite hospitals, nursing homes and clinics, he was a visionary thinker who set up long-term strategies so that the hospital and its subsidiaries could run seamlessly and meet the standards of federal, state and city regulators. As Controller at Deutsche Bank, he facilitated getting the bank listed on the NYSE. As Controller at Park Avenue Bank, his innovative practices improved the bank’s OCC rating to the top 20% in the United States. At Generale Bank, his resourceful direction increased the bank’s efficiency by cutting costs and streamlining the financial reporting process to regulators. As Accounting Manager at Bank of America, he structured and managed the consolidation process during the merger with Continental Bank.

Faculty

ALAN RACKHAM

Born on Prince Edward Island, Robert Alan Rackham moved to New York City to pursue a career in the theater. After working professionally as an actor, Alan attended Columbia University, lived in Europe and then attended NYU, changing his focus to behind the camera as a director. While at NYU, Alan wrote and directed two short films, both of which have been shown at film festivals all over the world and have won him directing
awards. Alan is currently in post-production on Chicken, a short film that serves as the thesis component of his master’s of fine arts degree from NYU.

AMY MARCS

As an actress Amy has appeared at many regional theaters across the country. Most recently she was seen as Gorgeous Teitelbaum in The School House Theater's production of The Sisters Rosensweig. Other credits include featured roles in Gemini, Kingdom of Earth, The Star Spangled Girl, And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little. She has performed in the independent film The Waiting Game. Her voice can be heard on numerous national network television and radio commercials. She played the role of Peg the Pig in the animated feature film Impy's Island, recently premiering at The Tribeca Film Festival. Amy is a long time student of Fred Kareman.

BARRY MCNABB

Barry McNabb earned a bachelor of science degree in dance/theatre in 1981. His professional debut was for Bob Fosse as featured soloist and dance captain in Dancin’. Other highlights of his career include being an original Broadway cast member: The Phantom of the Opera and Me and My Girl; and as director and/or choreographer: Broadway (Touch of a Poet, Easter Bonnet Competitions); Off Broadway (Irish Rep, CSC, Lincoln Center, the Public, Circle Rep, etc.); International (Madrid, Barcelona, Seoul, Monte Carlo, etc.); regional (Pittsburgh Public, GEVA, Alley, Seattle 5th, etc.). His work on television includes Late Night with Conan O’Brien (thirteen years), Saturday Night Live (five years), The Howard Stern Show (five years). Awards: Premio (Spain). Nominations: NY Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Connecticut Critic Circle, MAC, Bistro, Barrymore, Emmy, etc.

BECKY LONDON

Becky London holds an MFA in acting from Yale School of Drama and a BA, magna cum laude, in English language and literature from Yale University. Television credits include
Conviction, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Third Watch, Quantum Leap, Guiding Light and All My Children. Films include United 93, Changing Lanes, El Camino, Never Forever and A Very Serious Person. Becky has worked on Broadway in Marlene, at Lincoln Center in Ubu, and Off Broadway in Isn’t It Romantic at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Othello with TFANA, Last of the Red Hot Lovers at American Jewish Theatre and Jewtopia at the Westside Arts. She is a member of Charles Busch’s Off-Broadway Theatre-in-Limbo Company, with which she has appeared in Shanghai Moon, Psycho Beach Party, Pardon My Inquisition and in New York and Tokyo in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. Regional work includes the Old Globe, Yale Repertory Theatre, Trinity Rep, Cincinnati Playhouse, Provincetown Playhouse, Capital Rep, Portland Stage, Caldwell Playhouse and many others. Becky was a founding member of UNYYC, the Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret In the company’s award-winning first season, she directed Separating the Men from the Bulls by Neal Lerner and Michael Heintzman, and in the second season she adapted and starred in Wendy’s Words, a tribute to the late Wendy Wasserstein, adapted from her short stories and magazine articles.

BRAD BARNES

Brad Barnes has taught at The New School, Columbia University and the Ne w York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. He wrote and directed Engine Trouble, starring Christopher Walken, a short which premiered on Showtime in 2003. His other films include We Todd Did (Sundance ’04) and Choked (Sundance ’05). His music videos have appeared on CBS, MTV, CMT and the Sundance Channel. His recent documentary Peace Queer premiered in Nashville in 2009. Brad received his BA from Middlebury College, his MA from Manchester University (UK) and his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Brad’s feature film Homewrecker won the “Best of NEXT” award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

BRAD LEMONS

Brad Lemons has worked on and Off Broadway, on television, film and in the opera. He has worked with the Westport County Playhouse, Theatre for a New Audience, Metropolitan Opera House and several other regional theaters. His work has been seen on ABC’s All My Children and The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien as well as in productions of Hamlet, Othello, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Evil Dead: The Musical, Romeo & Juliet, White Noise, Carmen and many others. He has taught at Circle in the Square Theatre School, Cornell University, Columbia University, Lafayette College, the Martina Arroyo Foundation and Broadway Classroom.

CAROL KASTENDIECK

Carol Kastendieck has directed over 100 plays, musicals and operas around the country. Most recently she directed Austin Pendleton in Richard III at the New Perspectives Theatre Company and When the World Was Green for the Michael Chekhov Theatre Company’s Sam Shepard Festival, both in NYC. Ms. Kastendieck has taught at Juilliard, Hofstra University, Carnegie Mellon University, Miami University, and the Riverside Shakespeare Company School. She holds an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University and has studied under Stella Adler, Robert Benedetti, John Houseman, Sonia Moore and Ted Pugh. She is a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and Actors Equity Association.

CHARLES MINTZ

Charles Mintz has been a voice-over actor for over 20 years, appearing in more than 10,000 commercials. He has been heard as the signature voice in dozens of long-running campaigns for America’s best-known corporations. Charles has appeared as a featured performer in thousands of other commercials for familiar brands from Air Canada to Xerox. He also has narrated hundreds of corporate and educational programs, documentaries and children’s books. Charles has a BS in design, and an MA in speech from the University of Michigan, and for some years prior to performing wrote advertising copy at several advertising agencies, rising to the level of Creative Director.

CONNIE ROTUNDA

Connie Rotunda, a guild-certified Feldenkrais® practitioner works as the training program practitioner of the NYC Feldenkrais Professional Training Program. She holds an MFA from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory. A professional actor and director, she has worked regionally and Off Broadway, created and performed sketch comedy with Alarm Dog Rep, as well as performed and taught as a guest artist. She is currently a company member of Wallis Knot and a rogue artist with The Anthropologists. Along with Feldenkrais, she has trained in the Viewpoints with Anne Bogart. She has taught actor movement workshops at the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, the Metro Playhouse, the Northeast Theatre Conservatory and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

JOE DEGUISE

Joe De Gise II is a performer and writer and the codirector of New York’s longest-running comedy review, Chicago City Limits. He co-founded the improvisational group Unexpected Company (which held regular runs Off Broadway) and the sketch comedy group Bitter Harmless People. He has also been featured at both the Aspen and
Toyota Comedy festivals. His film and television credits include Hacks (with Jim Gaffigan), Live! With Regis and Kelly, Daily Download, and Cut to the Chase. Joe has been in
several commercials and also played guitar with the acoustic rock group The Hillary Step. As a teacher, Joe has traveled around the country, teaching improvisation, creativity, team building and other workshops for actors.

RACHEL OAKES

Rachel Oakes is a graduate of the two-year conservatory program at New Actors Workshop, where she studied under Paul Sills and Kathy Hendrickson, among others.
She has studied at Upright Citizens Brigade with Sean Conroy and has worked with such improvisation troupes as God Freedom Fantastic and the critically acclaimed
transformational improvisation company Present Elevation. Rachel recently worked as Manager of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where she taught adult classes, children’s classes and camps. She was a teaching artist in the Write-a-Play
program, which conducts in-school workshops using improvisational tools to teach children about playwriting. While in Florida, Rachel performed weekly with FST Improv in the 109-seat Goldstein Cabaret, playing mostly to sold-out audiences.

JOE PERCE

Joe Perce was the 1987 CLIO Award Winner as Best Male Actor in a Commercial (Pontiac’s Trans Am). He has appeared in dozens of commercials. Joe’s credits include improvisational comedy with such groups as The First Amendment, Chicago City Limits, Comedy Mind Spill, and producing his own comedy troupe, Assorted Nuts. He was voted Best Improvisational Comic of 1989 by Backstage magazine and has been involved with such movies as Black Rain, The Hidden, Bum Rap, B-movie classic Don’t Mess with My Sister and the Sundance award-winning short Kings Day Out. TV credits include the ABC pilot The Bodyguards with rappers Kid & Play, Law & Order, The Equalizer, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, The David Susskind Show and ABC’s After-School Special.

JOHN TYRRELL

John Tyrrell is a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse, where he studied with Sanford Meisner. His Broadway credits include Equus, The Merchant and Stephen Porter’s production of The Miser. John appeared in the national company of The Elephant Man as well as regional theatres: Bell Book and Candle (S.J.R.T.), You Touched Me (John Drew Theatre) and, most recently, Conversations with My Father at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. John has appeared on television in Loving and Guiding Light.

JUDITH SEARCY

Judith Searcy has written, directed and performed sketch comedy and improvisation for over 20 years in NYC and nationally in a variety of venues, including live and video
projects for American Express, ESPN, Mercedes, British Airways and many others. She was a principal member of Chicago City Limits, New York’s longest-running comic revue, for 10 years, played the title role in the awardwinning comedy short Marge and has been seen on PBS, CBS, NBC’s Today show, NPR and Comedy Central. She holds a BA in speech/theater (Arizona State University) and an MFA in acting (University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and has continued her studies at NYU, Columbia and the University of London.

MAGGIE SUROVELL

Maggie Surovell has performed Off Broadway at Cherry Lane Theatre, Saint Anne’s Warehouse and The Public Theater. Her original plays have been performed at
Cherry Lane Theatre, The Brick and IRT Theater. She is a dialect and voice coach and has taught voice and speech in the graduate program at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, Yale School of Drama Summer Program, Sarah Lawrence College, Wagner College and the University of Georgia. She is a certified Fitzmaurice voice teacher with an MFA in acting from the University of Georgia and a BA in theater from Temple University.

MARCY MCGUIGAN

Marcy McGuigan earned a BFA in Theatre Arts at Penn State University and an MFA in Acting at the University of Michigan. Her New York credits include Wendy's Words The Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret's tribute to Wendy Wasserstein; A Wonderful Life (Shubert Theatre); Shanghai Moon (Drama Department); It's Not My Fault (NY International Fringe Festival); Meet Me In St. Louis (Irish Rep); Infinite Cages (Common Ground Co); The Big Fat Naked Truth (Pulse Ensemble); Box Office of the Damned (CSC) and Swingtime Canteen (The Blue Angel. She is a member of Charles Busch Matinee Classics Company with which she has appeared in Times Square Angel, A Doll's House and Hedda Gabler. She played Dorothy Brock in the National Tour of 42nd Street for which she was nominated for a Carbonelle Award. Regional work includes Westport Country Playhouse, Walnut Street Theatre, Florida Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, The Asolo, Bay Street Theatre, Barrington Stage Company, Gateway Playhouse, Flat Rock Playhouse and many others. Television/Film credits include Grand Theft Auto 4, Ghost Stories, A Very Serious Person, The Centenarian, Truth and Beauty, The Today Show, Good Morning America and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Marcy has taught at Adelphi University, The University of Michigan, The School for Film and Television Professional Division and Trollwood Arts Academy.

MARY ELAINE MONTI

Mary Elaine Monti’s career has been most diverse; from Shakespeare at Lincoln Center to guest roles on Law & Order to selling Lysol in a TV commercial. She leads a working actor’s life, with credits in film, theater, television, animation, improvisation and commercials, both on-camera and voice-over. She received her Meisner training from William Esper.

MAURY GINSBERG

Maury Ginsberg is very active in theater, film and television. Most recent work includes the feature film Greta, starring opposite Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn, as well as Richard Loncraine’s My One and Only, starring Renée Zellweger and Kevin Bacon. Other films include 2007 Sundance winner Rocket Science, directed by Academy Award nominee Jeffrey Blitz; David Auburn’s The Girl in the Park with Sigourney Weaver; David Mamet’s Lansky with Richard Dreyfuss; and DreamWorks’ The Ring with Naomi Watts. Television includes recurring work on Law & Order, Friends and Two Guys and a Girl. Guest leads
include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Kidnapped, New Amsterdam, Without a Trace, Joan of Arcadia, NYPD Blue, Star Trek: Voyager, Just Shoot Me, Arli$$, Murder One and Melrose Place, among others. His theater credits include a 20-year working relationship with mentor and friend Olympia Dukakis. Shows with
Olympia have included Mother Courage, The Seagull and The Cherry Orchard, to name a few.

MICHAEL LAIBSON

Michael Laibson is an Emmy winning Producer of daytime dramas. Over the past 20 years, he has led the creative teams at All My Children, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Another World. He is a Director for the Garage Theatre Group in Teaneck, New Jersey, and directed the award winning production of The Savior of Fenway at the New York International Fringe Festival and in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Education - UCLA, BA in Theatre Arts, teaching at Montclair State University, NYFA, and New Actors Workshop.

MOLLIE O’MARA

Mollie O’Mara, a founding member of the critically acclaimed and award-winning downtown theatre company Cucaracha, originated roles in over 35 productions while directing and designing over ten, most notably Crowbar (The Old Victory Theater) on 42nd Street, which won the New York Outer Critics Circle and OBIE awards. Also in NYC she appeared in productions with the Public Theater, New Georges and SOHO Rep. Mollie appeared in a recurring role on All My Children for over thirteen years. Other TV credits include One Life to Live, Another World, Guiding Light, Law & Order, The Jon Stewart Show, and Help 911. Film includes work with Hal Hartley, Merchant Ivory, Vestron and Sony. She received her BFA from CUA in Washington, D.C.

NEAL LERNER

Neal Lerner’s television guest appearances include Lipstick Jungle, Reba, The War at Home, Ed, Frasier, all the Law & Orders, Ally McBeal, Seinfeld, Caroline in the City,
NewsRadio, Married with Children, Murphy Brown, Cheers and a recurring role on All My Children. Film credits include The Visitor, Boiler Room, Batman Returns and Demolition Man. He performed Off Broadway in Stuff Happens (directed by Daniel Sullivan at the Public Theater), Julius Caesar (New York Shakespeare Festival), Fuddy Meers (MTC), Hurrah at Last (Roundabout Theatre Company) and Carol Churchill’s Serious Money (Public Theater). Regional theaters include an acclaimed recent production of Social Security at Cape May Stage, and performances at Yale Rep, Mark Taper Forum, Actors Theatre of Louisville and George Street Playhouse. Neal has an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.

PETER MATTALIANO

Peter Mattaliano has a master’s degree in theater from Villanova University. As an actor and founding member of the Philadelphia Company, he originated the roles of Big
Al Royce in David Rabe’s In the Boom Boom Room, and Billy in Rabe’s Streamers. Other roles include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Caliban in The Tempest, the
Leader Player in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Morty in Steambath and the title role in Euripides’ Orestes. He has taught at NYU, the Philadelphia Company, the
National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped, Hofstra University and Villanova University. He wrote and directed the musicals The Jack the Ripper Revue, Moll
Flanders, The Birds and Mickey Colossus and was commissioned to write and direct an adaptation of Dorothy Parker’s Big Blonde for the Art & Work Ensemble. He received the American College Theatre Festival’s Excellence in Directing Award for his production of Moll Flanders at Villanova University. He has coached and/or directed multiple Tony winner Donna Murphy, Kerry Butler and Jill Clayburgh. He is currently the private coach
for Broadway star Matthew Morrison, who plays Will Schuester in the TV series Glee.

QUINN CASSAVALE

Quinn Cassavale is the Managing Director of The Schoolhouse Theater, an Equity theater in Northern Westchester. As an actress, she has appeared in many regional theaters, starred in several independent feature films as well as having worked on all the New York soaps. In addition, she has appeared in numerous national on-camera commercials. Quinn attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating with a BFA in theater, she studied extensively with Fred Kareman.

RAWLEIGH MORELAND

Rawleigh Moreland has worked extensively in New York City in theater, film, television and commercials. Theater credits include The Gingerbread House and Last Trace of the
Dinosaurs (Playwrights Horizons), A Family of Five (Theatre for a New Audience) and Birdbath (West Side Arts). Regionally, he has performed at the Shakespeare
Festival of Cincinnati, Showboat Majestic, Seven Stages, Theatrical Outfit, South Georgia Rep., Peanut Butter Children’s Theatre and The Lost Colony. Film and television credits include New York Stories, Mighty Aphrodite, Wolf, Another World, The Equalizer,Texas and Law & Order, to name a few. He has produced a SAG feature film for Suncrest Cinema. Rawleigh holds an MFA in directing from the University of Cincinnati. Rawleigh also works as a producer/director and session director for Stark Naked Productions and Dreamcatcher Casting.

RAY IANNICELLI

Ray Iannicelli is a veteran of some 40 Off-Off and Off-Broadway productions. He has also played the provinces with On the Waterfront, Conversations with My Father, Boy Meets Girl and Breaking Legs. Ray has done practically all the New York TV shows, including Law & Order, Remember WENN (guest star) and Oz (recurring role). Some of his movies include The Yards, Rounders, Safe Men, Spike of Bensonhurst and Prizzi’s Honor. Ray has also shot over 75 commercials.

RICHARD LARSON

Richard Larson was a singer/dancer on the original Carol Burnett Show and the Julie Andrews Hour. He traveled extensively as the national spokesperson for Chevrolet, GMC Trucks, DuPont, BorgWarner Chemical and IBM. His Broadway debut was in Woman of the Year with Lauren Bacall. He also appeared as Zack in A Chorus Line. Richard’s commercials include Dr. Pepper, Honda, Volvo and Norwegian Cruise Lines.

REBECCA LINGAFELTER

Rebecca Lingafelter received her MFA in acting from Columbia University, where she worked with Anne Bogart, Kristin Linklater and Andrei Serban. She has taught at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Classic Stage Company and The Public Theater. New York acting credits include work with Target Margin Theater, Classic Stage Company, Peculiar Works, Vortex Theater Company and the Metropolitan Opera. She has performed internationally in Italy, Edinburgh, Germany and South Korea. Commercialwork includes national commercials for Pepsi and Dawn She is co-artistic director of Performance Lab 115, a NYC-based theater ensemble. She is a proud member of SAG and AEA.

RICK CROM

Rick Crom has been part of the New York entertainment community for over 25 years as a comedian, actor and songwriter. As a stand-up comic he’s appeared on Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Caroline’s Comedy Hour, MTV Comedy Half-Hour, Showtime and Comedy Central. He performs regularly in Manhattan, Las Vegas and Atlanti City. He’s appeared on Broadway in the musicals Urinetown, The Goodbye Girl and Footloose; Off Broadway in Merrily We Roll Along, Das Barbecue, Encore’s Fiorello, Li’l Abner and Carnegie Hall’s Louisiana Purchase; on television in Ed, The Chris Rock Show, Chappelle’s Show; on film in Bad Dog and Caesar Salad. He is the composer/lyricist for several Off-Broadway and cabaret revues, including Oh Fine, RSVP, The Subject Was Neurosis and NEWSical, which ran at Studio 54 and garnered him two Drama

RUTH NERKEN

Ruth Nerken received her training from William Esper and the American Conservatory Theatre and has a BA from Yale University. She has guest starred on Law & Order, Kate & Allie and Too Close for Comfort. She’s performed Off Broadway, in regional theatre and in the national touring company of Grease as Frenchy. Ruth also has appeared in over 200 television commercials. She has been a guest speaker at AFTRA, SAG and Yale University.

STEVE PERLMUTTER

Steve Perlmutter is an actor and acting instructor. He has performed at regional theatres throughout the country, including Philadelphia's famed Walnut Street Theatre. He has appeared in numerous radio and television commercials for products such as Nestea, Jell-O, Volvo, Norwest Bank, Bell South, Tony Roma's restaurants, and Staples. In addition to NYCDA, Steve currently teaches at Rutgers University and NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Steve studied extensively with Fred Kareman and Larry Moss and is a graduate of Northwestern University.

SUZANNE HEVNER

Suzanne Hevner’s New York theater credits include the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of The Music Man, Balancing Act, Kiss Me Quickly Before the Lava Reaches the Village, The Trio (Ensemble Studio Theatre) and Chicago City Limits (comedy/improvisation). She was a founding member of the comedy group The Heartless Floozies, performing downtown at Moonworks, the Luna Lounge, Stella at the Fez and PSNBC. Regionally, she has worked at The Denver Center, Syracuse Stage, Lake Placid Center for the Arts and the Oklahoma Lyric. Film credits include Doubt, Broken Flowers, Meet Joe Black and Changing Lanes, and on television The Sopranos, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Stella (Comedy Central).

TODD BARNES

Todd Barnes is a filmmaker whose films have screened in competition at Cannes, Sundance, London and other major film festivals worldwide. Todd serves as Producer of
Spare Key Productions, Inc., a full-service production company creating commercials, music videos and branded entertainment. Work by Spare Key has appeared on Showtime, CBS, NBC, MTV and CMT, among others. Todd earned his BA from Middlebury College and his JD from Boston College Law School. He is licensed to practice law in New York and Connecticut but prefers cameras and editing suites. Todd’s feature film Homewrecker won the “Best of NEXT” award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.