Faculty
Joy Zinoman (Director of The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory) is the founder of The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory and The Studio Theatre where she serves as Founding Artistic Director. She has been teaching and directing for over 40 years in the U.S. and abroad. Under her leadership, The Studio Theatre—where she has directed over 62 productions—has received over 200 Helen Hayes Awards nominations. As director of the Acting Conservatory and creator of its core curriculum, Joy has guided its development for the past 35 years. She attended Northwestern University, Radcliffe College and American University.
Roma Rogers is the Director of Education. Since 1997, she has held various positions at The Studio Theatre and has performed at The Kennedy Center, The Studio Theatre, Washington Shakespeare Theatre, The Studio 2ndstage, and Actors Theatre of Washington. She also has television and film credits and has worked as a print model. Roma received her training from Penn State University and from The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Meade Andrews has served on the faculty of the Acting Conservatory for over 17 years. A certified teacher of the Alexander Technique and former director of the dance program at American University, Meade has choreographed, performed and directed in the theatre program, and has served as movement consultant on many productions at The Studio Theatre. She also teaches in the graduate acting program at Florida Atlantic University, and throughout the US and abroad.
Carol Arthur has performed locally at The Studio Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Studio 2ndstage, The Source Theatre, Longacre Lea Productions, Adventure Theatre and Tsunami Theatre. She plays steel pan as a member of the DC area band Little Red & the Renegades. Carol received her training from Oberlin College and The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Diana Bradley has been an AmSat-certified Alexander Technique teacher since 1979. She has been teaching in the DC area for over 25 years and has taught at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Arena Stage and the University of Maryland. Diana teaches around the United States and internationally. She is on the faculty at the Barstow Alexander Technique Institute, and on the faculty of the Alexander Technique Teacher Training program at CBAS. She also has a 10-year background in modern dance and holds a third degree black belt in Aikido.
Madeleine Burke, a Helen Hayes award nominee, has performed at The Studio Theatre and The Studio 2ndStage and at many other DC theatres, including the Folger Shakespeare Library, The Keegan Theatre and Solas Nua. Madeleine teaches and directs youth theatre at Imagination Stage, and has also taught numerous workshops at area universities. She completed her MFA in acting at Catholic University and also trained at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Kate Davis was one of the Conservatory's first students 33 years ago. She has since established herself as a professional actress, director and educator. Kate has performed locally at the Studio Theatre, Arena Stage and The Shakespeare Theatre. In Memphis, TN, she was an Associate Director with Playhouse on the Square and founded the Playhouse Theatre School. She received additional theatre training at Catholic University and with Uta Hagen at H.B. Studios in New York.
Kate Debelack has been seen in many productions at both The Studio Theatre and The Studio 2ndStage. She has worked with a number of DC companies including The Shakespeare Theatre, Forum Theatre, Solas Nua, Longacre Lea, MetroStage, and was a company member with Cherry Red Productions. Regional credits include the New York International Fringe Festival and Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre. Kate trained at Western Washington University, the Cabaret Conference at Yale and The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Veronica del Cerro has been performing and teaching in the DC area for over 9 years. She has been seen in many local theatres including The Studio Theatre and The Studio 2ndstage, Theatre J, Round House Theatre and Forum Theatre. Veronica holds a BS in Psychology from Virginia Tech, RYT Yoga Certification from F.L.Yoga International and has also trained at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Denise Diggs has taught voice for over 25 years at the Baltimore School for the Arts. In addition, she has taught at Towson University, Duke Ellington School of the Arts and privately for media professionals. She brings over 35 years of professional acting experience in both stage and film to her work. She has appeared at Arena Stage, The Studio Theatre, Center Stage, Olney Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, Round House Theatre, Theatre of the First Amendment and Everyman Theatre.
Catherine Eliot is a Laban Certified Movement Analyst and has a Masters in Kinesiology/Motor Development. She has lectured at Columbia Teachers College and at The University of Maryland. Catherine has worked as a Movement Therapist and has taught dance in the Washington, DC area since 1991.
George Fulginiti-Shakar works professionally as a music director, conductor, and vocal coach, and was chosen for the TCG Artists Bulletin for Music Directors, Composers and Arrangers in Washington, DC. He is a Helen Hayes Award winner for Music Direction, and has worked at Arena Stage, The Studio Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth, Signature Theatre and Round House Theatre. George leads Master Classes at American University, Catholic University and the University of Maryland. He is a founding member of the Alliance for New-Music Theatre and President of the Board of the Cabaret Network.
Charlotte Graham holds a MA in Voice Studies from The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She is trained in the coaching methods of Cicely Berry, Kristin Linklater, Arthur Lessac and Catherine Fitzmaurice. She has taught BA Acting classes at CSSD and is Training Director for Simply Speaking Ltd, a voice-coaching firm in London. Charlotte is also a television producer whose programs have aired on the three major networks, PBS, HBO and Discovery. She received additional voice and drama training at H.B. Studios in New York and master classes with Patsy Rodenburg. Charlotte specializes in accent reduction, standard American English and various British accents.
K. Clare Johnson has performed locally with the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Washington Shakespeare Company, Studio Theatre 2ndstage, Solas Nua, Constellation Theatre Company, Open Circle Theatre and Longacre Lea productions, among others. She is a proud founding company member of The Mighty Theatre NYC. She holds a BA from New York University and an MFA in performance from York University Toronto and has received training from The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Sandra Kammann is a director, choreographer, performing artist, anthropologist and ritualist concerned with issues of human expression and vision. Creating multi-art performance projects since 1978, she is Artistic Director of the dance/theatre troupe Sisters of One Eye (founded 1986). She is Founding Director of Fertile Ground, a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the arts as ritual, and their impact on individual and communal consciousness. Sandra holds an MA in Cultural Anthropology: Performance of Myth and Ritual, graduating with honors from The George Washington University.
Nancy Paris has been associated with the Acting Conservatory since its founding 35 years ago. A graduate of Smith College, she received additional training at Georgetown University and George Washington University. A veteran DC actress, she has appeared at Arena Stage, Georgetown Shakespeare Theatre, Source Theatre, The Actors Theatre of Washington and numerous productions on all four stages of The Studio Theatre. Nancy is a two-time nominee for the Helen Hayes Award.
Elizabeth Richards has performed locally at The Studio Theatre, The Studio 2ndstage, Catalyst Theatre Company, Theater J and Washington Shakespeare Company. She is a graduate of The University of Maryland, with a degree in Theatre and has trained at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Serge Seiden is the Studio Theatre's Associate Producing Artistic Director. Since 1990, he has held various positions at The Studio Theatre including Director of Production, Literary Manager, Casting Director and Stage Manager. He regularly directs for both The Studio Theatre and The Studio 2ndStage, and has received numerous Helen Hayes Award nominations for both directing and performing, including a 2008 nomination for Outstanding Director of a Resident Play (Souvenir). Serge received his training at Swarthmore College and The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Cassie Tietgen has appeared at The Kennedy Center, The Studio Theatre, The Studio 2ndstage, The Source Theatre and the H Street Playhouse. She is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in Liberal Arts and received her training at The Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory.
Colette Yglesias Silver has taught dance at The Dance Exchange, the University of Maryland, The George Washington University and the Street 70 Theatre Apprentice training program. From 1980-1987 she was the Artistic Director of Dance Arts/Moving Arts. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School and The Academy of the Washington Ballet. She began teaching Movement at The Studio Theatre in 1981.