The Adaptive Actor Workshops

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Faculty Archive
Todd Bruno  •  Michael Gioia  •  Miriam Kulick  •  Sara Rogers  •  Kim St. Leon  •  Paul Tei  

Regina Pasquarello  • Judith Coffman  • Lorena Diaz  • Leisha Dillard  • Wayne LeGette  • Dustin Sharpe  • Scott Douglas Wilson

Working Professionals Present First Hand Knowledge and Experience.
The Acting School's Team Philosophy of Component Training offers the Actor an Adaptable Approach to learning Process and Technique.

The Acting School's affiliated faculty are independent contractors and may not be reached at the school.  To contact faculty via email,  click on names or pictures.

Todd Bruno • Acting for Film, Improv           Back to Top            

Mr. Bruno is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse with a Theater Degree from Vanderbilt University. Over the past 20 years, he has performed in, written and directed more than 50 productions for the stage and screen. He is the Co-founder of L.A. based comedy troupe Thwank and served as director, writer and performer with the company appearing at Upfront Comedy Club, Theater at the Improv and in Comic Relief’s American Comedy Festival . Mr. Bruno's play, Three Man, has been produced twice in Los Angeles and is currently being developed into a screenplay. He can be seen in the indie film Tell (Triune Films), to be released 2009, and he is currently shooting a film called Callous for Graystreet Productions. Mr. Bruno and his company TB Consulting serve as acting coach on set for local film production companies. On stage, he has performed in South Florida at Broward Stage Door and extensively at Sol Theatre Project, last appearing in Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll. Other venues include; Matrix Theater (L.A.), Black Dahlia Theatre (L.A.), C.A.S.T. Theatre (L.A.), Firefly Theater (L.A.), Stella Adler Theater (L.A.), Asylum Theater (L.A.), Neighborhood Playhouse (NY), and Neely Theater (TN). He can currently be seen in Knish Alley at the Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. Mr. Bruno talking about his work at Film Riot on Revision3

Michael Gioia • Acting, Monologue, Executive Director           Back to Top            

Mr. Gioia, Owner and Executive Director of The Acting School of South Florida, holds an M.F.A. from the University of Florida and is a member of the SAG/AFTRA.  He has been a private coach and group instructor for 30 years,  teaching at various studio and educational venues, including The Acting Studio, The Actors' Conservatory, The Ruth Foreman Theatre, Ensemble Stage Company, University of Florida, Barry University and University of Miami.  Mr. Gioia has worked as an actor or director for over 80 productions in theatre and film.  In addition to directing annual Conservatory Showcases, other directing credits include; It's The Family, Stupid! SRO Productions and Stage V Productions, Born Yesterday at Hollywood Playhouse, Talley's Folly at New Theatre, Picnic at Barry University, The Speed of Darkness at Ensemble Stage Co., The Dumb Waiter as part of "Pinter - Beckett" at Area Stage, Othello at Public Theatre, Orphans at White/Willis and Danny and the Deep Blue Sea [AEA Project Code].  Local acting credits include; Earthquake with Mad Cat Theatre Company, Undo and Brooklyn Boy for Parade Productions at the Studio at Mizner Park, Chinese Coffee, Death and the Maiden and Private Lives at GableStage/Florida Shakespeare, London Suite and Conversations With My Father at OB E. 26th Street, Down The Road at Area Stage, The Nerd at Actors' Playhouse and Social Security at Ruth Foreman Theatre.  Mr. Gioia has served as a preliminary judge for The National Foundation For Advancement In The Arts, as a respondent for KC/ACTF [region IV] and as a member of the Graduate Auditions Committee of the Southeastern Theatre Conference.

Approach to the Process:
Mr. Gioia's process is a Stanislavski based, eclectic approach to the acting process.  He uses exercises which lead to an understanding of actions and "polar" actions through an improvisational exploration of given, imaginary circumstances.  His "Adaptive Acting" process focuses fundamentally on reacting to perceived stimuli.  Secondary emphasis is on research, analysis, character development and actor transformation.  Mr. Gioia studied with David Shelton, Saundra Lane Daniel, Susan Mauer and Michael Shurtleff.   Other influences are Sanford Meisner, Michael Chekhov, and Stella Adler.

Miriam Kulick • Acting, Movement          Back to Top

Ms. Kulick, who began her performing career as a modern dancer, later began studying and working as an actor in New York City.   She toured the East coast with The Mettawee River Company directed by Ralph Lee,  a founding member of the Open Theatre.  She studied acting technique extensively with Terry Schreiber, Gloria Maddox and Nancy Gabor.  Her vocal training was with Lynn Singer and David Farkus.  Since moving to South Florida several years ago, Ms. Kulick has worked in film and television,  as well as theatre. She has performed for various local companies such as Area Stage, Acme Acting Co., New Theatre, GableStage, Shores Theatre, Mosaic Theatre, Hollywood Boulevard Theatre, and The Key West Theatre Festival, among others.  Ms. Kulick was a faculty member The Acting Studio,  and her additional teaching background includes private coaching, creative movement workshops and body alignment workshops in the U.S. and Europe.

Sara Rogers • Acting, Cold Reading, Audition for Camera       Back to Top             

Ms. Rogers has worked in and around the South Florida Film and Stage Industry for more than 20 years in numerous capacities including; teaching, coaching, casting, writing, stage management and talent. She created stage and camera programs for new and seasoned actors including; “Step One - On Camera Workshop” (a program for beginning actors to learn learn basic on camera techniques as well as the as how to approach the industry from a business prospective.) and “Step Two - On Camera Workshop” for more advanced camera techniques that include on camera copy and scene exercises. Ms. Rogers spent more than 5 ½ years as an instructor with Hollywood Playhouse where she created and taught monologue and scene study classes for beginning, advanced and intermediate theatre students. Ms. Rogers has worked as a casting assistant to NY Casting Director Louis DiGiaimo, locally with Dee Miller, Kim Houston, Ellen Jacoby, Lori Wyman, Unique Casting and others. You may have seen some of her work on local and national commercials including Bacardi Rum, Crest, Publix and Hertz. Her work as voice over artist includes productions with, Broadcast Video, The Miami Herald, Channel 4, The Puppet Theatre, the NY production of 'Leaf Meats" and many others. Her television work includes roles in, Extra Large, 21 Jump Street and Miami Vice. Ms. Rogers' writing credits include work for, Don Beret-Broadcast Video, Stage and Screen Newspaper and Marquee Magazine.

Kim St. Leon • Acting, Cold Reading, Audition for Camera       Back to Top             

Ms. St. Leon has been working in various aspects of the entertainment field for over 25 years. Most recently she was a member of the faculty at The Acting Studio and served as Artistic Director for the Acting Studio Stage Company, where she directed productions of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune, Apartment 3A, Zombie Prom and Apron Strings [in association with Hollywood Playhouse] and This Is Where We Came In. Recently she directed for City Theatre’s 2004 Summer Shorts at the Ring Theatre and the Broward Center and is City Theatre's Education Director and will direct Short Cuts. She also will be returning this year to be one of the directors for 2005 Summer Shorts. She is now directing The Memory Of Water for Mosaic Theatre. Ms. St. Leon's teaching background also includes; private coaching, University of Miami Law School, coaching third year law students in presentation skills. One of her early experiences was a stint as a "Glee Girl" on the Jackie Gleason television special. She has appeared in many theatrical productions, regional and national TV commercials, television and feature films. Bob Fosse, Dustin Hoffman, Edward James Olmos, James Belushi, Eric Roberts, and Mariel Hemingway are some of the actors she has worked with. In addition, Ms. St. Leon has also been active behind the camera. he has cast a feature film, assisted in casting two other features, associate produced "Sunday Morning" and co-produced the award-winning short film, "The Best Man." She is currently working on producing her first feature.

Approach to the Process:
Ms. St. Leon’s main inspiration, both in performing and teaching has been the inimitable Michael Shurtleff,  who had been a friend,  teacher and mentor for over 20 years. She also studied at the Strasberg Institute with Ned Mandarino,  as well as Rick Walters,  one of the top acting coaches in Los Angeles.

Paul Tei • Acting, Monologue, Cold Reading, Audition for Camera        Back to Top            

Mr. Tei has an M.F.A. degree in directing from The Theatre School at DePaul University, founded as The Goodman School of Drama in 1925, and has a B.A. in Theatre form Barry University.  Mr. Tei has been teaching since 1998 at New World School of the Arts in both the high school and college divisions and is a former instructor at The Acting Studio.  He is the Artistic director of Mad Cat Theatre Company where he has directed the world premieres of : Tin Box Boomerang, Shoot, Portrait (Curtain Up Award for Best Director), Here in My Car (co-scripted), Shepard's Pie (co-scripted), Helluva Halloween (co-scripted) and the Florida premiere of Seventy Scenes of Halloween.  Mr. Tei has also directed for Area Stage, New Theatre, Juggerknot and the Ensemble Stage Company.  As an actor, he has been in over forty stage productions, receiving the Carbonell Award for Best Actor, The New Times Best Actor Award and The New Times Best Supporting Actor Award and has appeared in numerous commercials and television programs.

Regina Pasquarello • Acting, Monologue,  Audition for Camera        Back to Top

Ms. Pasquarello has been involved in the acting community since 1996. During this time she has worked both in front of and behind the camera. She has worked with and/or assisted several casting directors including, Slater Casting in Los Angeles and Lori Wyman Casting and Unique Casting in Florida. She has also worked for ActorsInfoBooth, The Acting Studio, The Actors' Conservatory, and Fionte Productions coordinating curriculum and registration advisement, student service and career counseling. Ms. Pasquarello is a graduate of the two year Conservatory Training Program at The Acting Studio and has, in addition, taken workshops taught by Ray Forchion, Tom Logan, Lori Wyman, Paul Weber and Tara Ann Johnson. She is still auditioning and working in the industry having appeared in several independent films and over a dozen commercials.  Ms. Pasquarello is a a Reiki Master, a Spiritual Intuitive Healer and Facilitator and is the founder of LivingYourIntegrity.com offering workshops emphasizing positive thinking and personal soul coaching sessions.

Scott Douglas Wilson • Acting, Speech, Voice & Movement        Back to Top            

Judith Coffman   •   Lorena Diaz   •   Leisha Dillard   •   Wayne LeGette   •   Dustin Sharpe