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Students
The students of the
Deena Levy Theatre Studio are a diverse group
of individuals from all over the United States,
Europe, Canada, South America, Mexico, and beyond.
They come from all walks of life: students who
have graduated both high school and college, models,
lawyers, standup comedians, art directors, copy
writers, screenwriters, MTV directors, go-go dancers,
corporate secretaries, physical therapists, singers,
dancers, Wall Street brokers, and mostly a whole
lot of actors; beginners and working professionals.
They range from ages 18 to 60 and all have one
common goal: to learn at the height of their "creative"
potential.
Below you will find an assemblage of headshots,
short biographies, and personal statements about
the DLTS from currently enrolled students. For
information about the alumni of the Deena Levy
Theatre Studio please click on the link below.
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| Duane
Allen |
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 Duane
Allen is in his second year at DLTS. Rep Roles:
Victor Spinelli in Lou Gehrig Did Not Die of
Cancer, Aldo Scalicki in Italian American
Reconciliation, Silva Vicarro in 27 Wagons
Full of Cotton, Henry Harry in Brilliant
Traces, and Man in Babes and Brides.
"The acting workshop has taught me to give
over to my instincts and trust that I am enough."
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| Jonathan
Ashford |
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 Jonathan
Ashford has studied at DLTS for 2 1/2 years. His
credits include Salome and Margo at Sea
at HERE, MTV's "Fight for Your Rights"
campaign, and several TV commercials. Rep Roles:
Warren in Betrayed by Everyone at The Workshop
Theatre Co., Dude in Soft Dude and Norman
in The Boys Next Door at The Producer's Club.
"Deena has given me perpetual inspiration and
guidance over the years. I used to think that I
became a different person after the workshop, but
the truth is I have always been me. I was just
too scared to say hello. I was forced to look at
myself and love what I saw--flaws and all. I had
been hiding for a long time and I stopped hiding
that weekend. The freedom to explore deep inside
myself is no longer a dream. It is now a reality."
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| Michael
Baldwin |
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 Michael
Baldwin, from Northern California, is in his first
year at DLTS and has lived in New York for the last
13 years. Rep Roles: Lee in The Melville
Boys, Jerry in Two for the Seesaw, and
Mel in Prisoner of 2nd Avenue.
"Deena Levy's workshop changed my life. At
the age of 47 I discovered my own personal creativity
and left the two-day workshop feeling more energized
and more inspired than ever before in my life."
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| Elana
Bell |
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 Elana
Bell, a 1999 Theatre and Literature graduate of
Sarah Lawrence College, second year studying at
DLTS, has performed at HERE in Nosferatur,
PS 122 in Come Clean: A Serial Musical, at
the National Black Theater Festival in Minus
One, conceived and performed in Painted Wings,
a 2-woman cabaret at the WOW Café Theater. Ms.
Bell currently works as a musical storyteller for
the Shadow Box Puppetry Company. Rep Roles: Gittel
in Two for the Seesaw, Hannah Mae in A
Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Talking,
Tina Pompeii in Secret Sits in the Middle,
and Frankie in Franky and Johnny at the
Claire de Lune.
"Working with Deena has been a transformational
experience for me as an actor and human being.
She gives a concrete, step-by-step process to something
as intangible and elusive as acting. And along
the way we are reminded to be present in every moment
of the experience, that in this vulnerable state
we are our most beautiful." |
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| Kristen
Boyce |
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 Kristen
Boyce has studied at DLTS for three years. She
has starred in such musical productions as Fiddler
on the Roof, Hair, and Godspell in the States and in London. She wrote and performed "Rock Me Baby" in New York/Solo at the Chelsea Playhouse. Rep Roles: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Meg in Crimes of the
Heart, and the starring role in Della at The Producer's Club.
"When I took Deena's weekend workshop, I had
been performing for years with not a lot of results.
After those amazing two days I literally felt like
I woke up--to the possibility of what it is to be
alive and to love what I do. I think the love and
generosity Deena brings as a teacher/director to
acting and being on the stage is unprecedented...simply
put AWESOME! Since then I have accomplished performances
I never thought possible." |
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| Timothy
Boyce |
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 Tim
Boyce studied at DLTS for three years. His pursuit
of acting began at the American Academy of Dramatic
Arts. He can be seen on MTV in the current award-winning
"Protect Yourself" PSA campaign directed
by Joel Schumacher. His stage credits include the
off-off Broadway production of Lunchtime
(Rex), The Tiger (Benjamin), and Orphans
(Treat) at The Producer's Club.
Contact: (917) 414-0237
"Deena's work has challenged me in ways that
have constantly pushed me to a higher level of artistry.
I confronted and overcame fears that I never realized
were holding me back creatively. Before enrolling
in the weekend workshop, I was feeling completely
uninspired by my work and the business. What I
got in just two days was an infusion of passion
and joy--my creative soul was alive and well!"
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| Russell
Boyle |
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 In
his second year at DLTS, Russell has had three years
of Shakespeare, Stanislavsky, mask, and voice training
from Wayne State University's Performing Arts Department,
has studied at The American Musical and Dramatic
Academy in NYC, and has taught and directed youth
at The Redford Youth Theatre and Tinderbox Productions
in Detroit. His credits include Cowboys #2,
Buried Child, a national tour of Alladin
as Jafar, and his original production The Emotion
Project. Rep Roles: Lee in True West,
Jim in The Glass Menagerie, Man in Ferris
Wheel, Zed in The Cinderella Waltz, Eric
in The Man Who Couldn't Dance, and Lee in
The Melville Boys.
"The workshop changed my life. Literally.
I felt like there was this artist in me bopping
around with no direction, and when I came out of
the weekend and began class, all of the creative
possibilities seemed endless. I had forgotten that
all of the notes began with me. I have reconnected
to the pursuit of knowing myself, which is the key
to every individual's success; not just as an artist,
but as a human being." |
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| Mark
Cecil |
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 After
staging his own plays at Brown University, class
of '99, Mark has been studying at DLTS for two years.
He has been a player in The Brooklyn Pageant Project,
taking theater, song, and dance to neighborhoods
around Brooklyn, performing at block parties, parks,
and festivals, and he studied Shakespeare at University
College of London. Rep Roles: Michah in GR Point,
Johnny in Frankie and Johnny at the Claire De
Lune, Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew,
Happy in Death of a Salesman, Bruce in Beyond
Therapy, and Henry Harry in Brilliant Traces
at The Producer's Club.
"A weekend with Deena in the workshop will
reduce your habits to rubble - or at least it will
try to - it's up to you how far you want to go.
You will be embarrassed, you will be nervous, you
will be ecstatic, you will probably cry. It's for
the sake of acting, and even more so, it's for the
sake of your own understanding of yourself. 'Why
didn't I listen better to what my body was telling
me?' 'Why didn't I listen better to those around
me?' 'Why didn't I make the absolute joyful most
of my situation?' These are questions you learn
to ask yourself as an actor with Deena - but they're
also questions you learn to ask yourself about your
own life." |
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| Erik
Davies |
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 Erik
studied at DLTS for three years. Theatrical credits
include Stranger at the NU Experimental Theater
in Chicago, and Desire, Caught by the Tail
at the Oddfellows Playhouse. His film credits include
Not So Sure Thingz and Mona Lisa Smile.
TV credits include ER and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Rep Roles: Josh in Unpublished Letters at
the Workshop Theatre Co., Harvey in You Can't
Trust the Male, and Tommy in Now Departing
at The Producer's Club, Micah in G.R. Point
at The New 42nd Street Theatre.
"Deena's teaching and her classes have to certainly
be what every actor hungers for--a supportive, safe,
nurturing environment where the individual is pushed,
challenged, guided, confronted, and told straight
what works about them." |
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| Devery
Doleman |
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 Devery
studied at DLTS for 2 1/2 years. Stage credits
include Billie Madley's Girl's Town at the
Actor's Playhouse and Clawed for Life at
Dixon Place. Film credits include Jane Gaffney's
Cowboys and starring roles in two of Todd
Verow's Addiction Trilogy movies, (most notably
A Sudden Loss of Gravity Berlin Film Festival
2000). Rep Roles: Elizabeth in The Crucible,
Rhoda in Floating Rhoda and the Glue Man,
May in Fool For Love at the New 42nd Street
Theatre, Georgie in Spike Heels, Monica in
Quiet Torrential Sound at The Producer's
Club, and Rose in Reincarnation at Workshop
Theatre Co.
"She is a truly gifted teacher who brings out the
inner resources of every student, from novice-wanting-to-improve-public-speaking
to actors with years of professional experience.
She fosters an environment of such joy and mutual
support while demanding the highest, most exacting
and truthful standards; instilling the all- important
principle that one's performance is so utterly dependent
on one's fellow actors. There is a generosity of
spirit and concomitant willingness to take risks
in her students that I find missing in so many other
projects." |
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| Dominique
Fernandes |
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 Domonique
is now in his second year DLTS. He first caught
the acting "bug" in 2000 when he was a
featured torso on the WB's Dawson's Creek.
Rep Roles: Bernard in Sexual Perversity in Chicago,
Cliff in The Woolgatherer, Jerry in
Say Goodnight Gracie; Raul in Extremities;
and Jerry in Two for the Seesaw.
" I am thrilled to have finally met a teacher
who is thoroughly concise in her teaching method
- "the process." Ferociously honest in
her criticism without being rude or belittling,
Deena is, above all, inspiringly passionate about
acting." |
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| Paul
Galichia |
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 Paul
has studied at DLTS for three years. Rep Roles:
Hokey Pokey in New York/Solo at the Chelsea
Playhouse, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, John
in Living at Home, Man in Compatible
at The Producer's Club, and Austin in True West.
"It occurred to me that Deena had completely
changed my life. She stuck with me through the
hardest time of my life, believed in me, and taught
me how to be positive and see the beauty of the
human experience--it takes a very special person
to help another transform into something wonderful
again." |
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| Misha
Jenkins |
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 Misha
Jenkins studied at DLTS for three years. He has
had his own writing performed for sold-out audiences
to standing ovations and rave reviews. He has performed
in several independent film projects and can be
seen in a television commercial for Polaroid film.
Rep Roles: Johnny in Hatful of Rain, Algernon
in The Importance of Being Earnest, Eddie
in Fool For Love, Garcin in No Exit,
Sonny in The Secret Sits in the Middle, John
in The Red Coat, Barn in Floating Rhoda
and the Glue Man at The Producer's Club, and
"Time moves so slowly sometimes" for New
York/Solo at The Chelsea Playhouse.
"I have come to understand how imagination
and choice liberate creativity, in turn freeing
the actor to infinite personal freedom of expression
through performance. In my time spent studying
acting with Deena Levy I developed an intense personal
dialogue with myself as an actor and as a person.
Deena has a rare and unique ability to receive and
interpret what it is each individual actor needs
to develop and grow. She identifies blocks, fears,
and doubts in an actor and guides the individual
with positive professional words and wisdom to a
place of self respect and trust." |
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| Ana
Jimenez |
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 Ana
has been studying at DLTS for two years. Rep Roles:
Brenda in Brenda and Jerry, Rosemary in Picnic,
Martha in Strange Snow, Terry in Extremities,
Angela in The Secret Sits in the Middle,
and Dolly Z in Dolly Would.
"The workshop is a cocktail made of 3 cups
of challenges, 2 cups of surprises, 20 tsp. of
discoveries and excitement, and 3 tsp. of vanilla.
Drink it slowly and enjoy the amazing ever-changing
taste of every single sip. Be careful. The drink
is highly addictive. The workshop is a 48-hour
mind-shattering, soul-opening, body-shaking experience
when absolutely everything is possible. It is a
preview made of snapshots of an endless movie you
can't wait to see, experience, and be in."
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| Richard
Kaufman |
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 Richard
has studied at DLTS for three years. He also studied
improv at "Players Workshop of the Second City"
in Chicago. Richard does commercial voiceovers,
and played Sir Peter in ArtGroup's production of
"School for Scandal" last spring. Rep
Roles: Aldo in Italian-American Reconciliation,
Mr. Vicaro in 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, Sidney
in Fast Girls, Mark in The Philadelphia,
and Bob in Beyond Therapy at The Producer's
Club.
"Deena Levy is an enormously talented woman
who lives and breathes acting. What's really special
about Deena is her rare gift for teaching. I'm
convinced she must've been born with it. Through
her passion, talent, and tireless efforts, she has
this almost magical ability to turn ordinary people
into actors, and actors into much better actors."
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| Bryan
Kenneth |
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 Bryan
Kenneth is in his first year at DLTS. His most
recent appearance was as Ross Nettles in the Professional
Premiere of Mark Meddof's Gunfighter. He has also
been seen in King Lear (Edmund), Sleepy
Hollow (Icabod Crane), Gadzooks It's Suess
(Pop), Hennery V (Pistol), and A Midsummer
Night's Dream (Puck). His film credits include
Atypical Day and Virgin Envy. Rep
Roles: Don in Boy's Life, John in Living
at Home, and Kenny in Loss of Roses.
"Deena has the talents so rare to find in an
acting coach. She hones her students to their most
truthful selves, creating engaging actors who are
ready and able to effect audiences." |
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| Rebeca
Kilgore |
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Rebeca
has studied at DLTS for two years. She played the
role of the librarian in the short film Lazarus
directed by Ewardo Arias. Rep Roles: Edna in Prisoner
of 2nd Avenue, Mrs. Martin in Lou
Gehrig Did Not Die of Cancer, Rosie in The
Cinderella Waltz, Nettie Jo in The Days and
Nights of BeBe Fenstermaker, and Angela in The
Secret Sits in the Middle.
"In Deena's workshop crashing means landing
in a strong net of brand new friends. People whom
after two days you feel you've known for years.
This is because one of Deena's many talents is her
ability to turn a room full of virtual strangers
into a family which permits one to fall and soar."
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| Kim
Larson |
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 Kim
has been studying at DLTS for one year. She is
a model with Ford. Rep Roles: Marsha in Sally
and Marsha, Georgie in Spike Heels, Mrs.
Martin in Lou Gehrig Did Not Die of Cancer,
Lucy in Sun, Tea, and Bagels at The John
Hauseman Theatre, and Mary in John and Mary Doe
at Creative Space.
"I am ready to segue into fields more demanding
of the person I've grown to be. Deena's class has
availed me of the finer points of the art of acting
itself, and through this course I feel that I have
grown fuller, as it has put me in touch with depths
of myself." |
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| Heather
Litteer |
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 Heather
Litteer has been studying at DLTS for one year.
She has performed numerous roles at the Jackie Playhouse,
such as Kurt and Courtney (Courtney), Hollywood
Madam (Heidi Fleiss), and A Jack the Ripper
Christmas (Mary Kelly). She also did Great
Catherine for the Bernard Shaw weekend, and Elvis,
The Last Five Minutes in the Bruno Walter Theatre
at Lincoln Center. Films include In the Cut
by Jane Campion, Requiem for a Dream, and
The Soft Hustle. Heather also performs cabaret
in night clubs around NYC. Rep Roles: Gittel in
Two for the Seesaw, Hannah Mae in A Couple
of White Chicks Sitting Around Talking, and
Claire June in Snow Leopards.
"It has been such a joy studying with Deena
this past year. She has such an uplifting and positive
approach to acting. Deena has opened my eyes, ears,
and heart. I feel as if I can breathe again. Total
Renaissance." |
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| Pam
Loshak |
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 Pam
has been studying at DLTS for 2 years. Over the
past year she has taken on featured and principle
roles in several independent films. Last spring
Ms. Loshak appeared at The Producer's Clubs as Rosannah
in Brilliant Traces. She has also appeared
in numerous stage productions with the Love Creek
Theatre Company and is currently working on the
role of Rosalind in As You Like It. Rep
Roles: Jane in Fallen Angels, Sally in Sally
and Marsha, Laura in The Glass Menagerie,
Claudia Popkin in Popkin, and Marjorie in
Extremities.
"Deena has given me the gift of allowing me
to constantly experience my art in the purest, most
raw form, to look my creativity in the face, and
to be out of control while somehow being totally
in control. Through Deena's workshops and classes
I am continually reminded of all the reasons that
I fell madly in love with acting." |
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| Meghan
Marx |
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 Meghan
is currently in her first year at DLTS. She hosted
a daily cable television segment in San Francisco
called "Love Online" and her Regional
theatrical roles include Nora in A Doll's
House, Cecily in The Importance of Being
Earnest, Ophelia in Fortinabras, Smeraldina
in The Servant of Two Masters, and Fanny
in On the Verge. Film and television credits
include Sweet November, Nash Bridges,
Eddie's Dead, and BrassTacks. Ms.
Marx received her BA in Theatre from Ohio Wesleyan
University and attended BADA in Oxford, England.
Meghan is a member of SAG, AFTRA, and AEA. Rep
Roles: Georgie in Spike Heels, Inez in The
Power and the Glory, and Lila in Loss of
Roses.
"Class allows me to not only recognize my fears
and blocks, but encourages me to weave them into
my acting for a more enriching and satisfying experience.
Deena's savvy, humor, and dedication to the actor
and script go beyond technique and into self-awareness,
acceptance, and simplicity." |
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| Elan
Masilyah |
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Elan
has been studying at DLTS for 2 years, appearing
in scenes from Danny and the Deep Blue Sea
and Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune.
Elan performs spoken word in San Francisco and NYC,
and has also appeared in an ad campaign for an entertainment
media company reaching multicultural markets. All-time
performance and lifetime highlight includes making
a half-court shot in front of an audience of 15,000
fans at an NBA game to win a brand new car!
"I look forward to Deena's class every week.
It is there that I feel the most free to express
myself - it is my gift to myself during the week.
Deena is constructive and tough at the same time.
She is always pushing us to explore ourselves and
ultimately to become better actors. I took a break
for almost a year and I couldn't wait to get back
to class!" |
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| Anna
Nordeen |
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 This
is Anna's first year studying at DLTS. She has
been on NBC's Ed and costars in the upcoming
independent feature Bunny Barzynski. Ms.
Nordeen played the role of Sister Mary Leo in Nunsense
and has worked on various student films. She received
a certificate from The New York Film Academy intensive
acting program, and studied theatre at Coastal Carolina
University and The Academy of Arts, Science, and
Technology in South Carolina. Rep Roles: Patricia
in Sight Unseen, Tina in Secret Sits in
the Middle, and Sally in Snow Leopards.
"Working with Deena I have become so aware
of knowing who I am and what I want. Her powerful
and spiritual teaching technique has provided me
with many breakthroughs in my acting. In life we
find what works and what doesn't...Deena works for
me! Her classes are filled with revivals of effective
inspiration. I ask the question, 'Where has she
been all my life?' Deena was given the gift of
teaching and I am so lucky to be one of her students."
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| Chris
Santangelo |
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 A
native New Yorker, Chris Santangelo graduated from
Fordham University, and he studied at DLTS for three
years. Mr. Santangelo's stage credits include Lenny
Bruce in LENNY, Sidney Brustein in The
Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window, and Butterflies
Are Free. He wrote and performed "Will
Act for Food" in New York/Solo at The
Chelsea Playhouse. Film and television credits
include Delayed, The Accountant, Terminus,
Sex in the City, Law & Order,
and One Life to Live. Rep Roles: Zan in
G.R. Point at The New 42nd Street
Theatre; Stanford in The Cowboy, the Indian and
the Fervent Feminist, Man in Something to
Eat at The Producer's Club, Pasquale Nunziolongo
in A Grave Encounter at The Workshop Theatre
Co. Chris has joined the Studio as a teacher for
the past two years.
"The process work that Deena has developed
has given me the opportunity to explore all the
possibilities of a character, allowing my own thoughts,
feelings, and physical behavior to embody and bring
to life the words on the page in an organic and
authentic way. She brings out the best in all of
us." |
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| Tricia
Sanzaro |
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Tricia
Sanzaro is in her first year of study at DLTS.
Rep Roles: Joanna Dibble in They Call it the
Sugar Plum, Georgie in Spike Heels, and
Dolly D in Dolly Would.
"Taking the workshop was one of the best things
I have ever done for myself. Along with the classes
I have learned so much about acting and myself.
Deena is brilliant and I am so thankful that I found
her!" |
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| Michelle
Shulman |
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 Michelle
Shulman has studied at DLTS for three years. She
has done stand-up comedy at Stand Up NY, Gotham
Comedy Club, and Comedy Cellar. Recent theatre
credits include Salt & Pepper Mime Company's
Swan Song and Baobob Groove Troupe
at Musical Theater Works. Rep Roles: Doll in Soft
Dude, Claire in Quiet Torrential Sound
at The Producer's Club, Luba in The Lady and
the Clarinet in You Actor at the 42nd
Street Theatre, and Dorothy in Reincarnation
at The Workshop Theatre Company.
"Deena creates a safe haven utilizing the tools
of intuition and imaginations with timeless, practical
technique, forging one to fully inhabit a role with
conviction. The work is unique--grounding and freeing
at the same time. If you are ready for transformation
as an actor and as a person take her classes NOW!" |
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| Rachael
C. Smith |
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 Rachael
C. Smith, a native New Yorker and Sarah Lawrence
College graduate, has studied at DLTS for 3 years.
Her roles include Doll in Soft Dude at The
Producer's Club, a self-written one-woman piece
in New York/Solo at The Chelsea Playhouse,
Linda in Savage in Limbo, and Jenese in The
Women directed by Rose Troche.
"I have recommended Deena's class to every
actor (and creative human being) I know--from the
novice to the working actor. Her technique is "foolproof"
because she insists that it comes only from what
works inside you--where your creativity lives. Deena's
respect and understanding of the creative process,
for the artist, is unparalleled--to know her and
to learn from her is truly a gift." |
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| Channing
Tatum |
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 Channing
Tatum is in his first year at DLTS. Credits include
Mountain Dew, American Eagle, and enormous billboards
all over NYC. He has been a featured dancer on
MTV as well as Entertainment Tonight. Rep Roles:
Jonathan in Sight Unseen, Eddie in Hurley
Burley, and Steve in Say Goodnight Gracie.
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| Claudia
Tobon |
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Claudia
Tobon is in her first year of study at DLTS. Rep
Roles: Bernadette in Raised in Captivity,
Doris in The Owl and the Pussy Cat,
and Janice in Italian American Reconciliation.
"The workshop was such an amazing experience.
It was the first time I got the opportunity to meet
'the actress in me.' I've always wanted to do this
more than anything, and finally I found that desire
and drive to confirm my dreams through this workshop
and now in the classes." |
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| Anna
Von Lindholm |
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 Originally
from Denmark, Anna is in her first year of study
at DLTS. She studied acting with Bobby Chance in
Los Angeles and majored in Drama and English at
DFG in Copenhagen. She is signed with Maury Dimauro
at Innovative Artists and has worked as a model
in Europe, Los Angeles, and New York. Anna is also
a leather clothing designer. Rep Roles: Rhonda
Louise in Women of Manhattan, Georgie in
Spike Heels, Sally in Sally and Marsha,
and Mary in The Melville Boys.
"I started studying with Deena Levy in September
of 2002 and I am now addicted." |
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| Tamara
Whatley |
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 Tamara
Whatley, from Atlanta, Georgia, is in her first
year at DLTS. She is a model represented by Ford
Model Management and Innovative Artists. Rep Roles:
Lydia in Spike Heels, Lisa in Boy's Life,
Woman in The Interrogation.
"I find in working with Deena a great sense
of self-worth. Studying with Deena has opened my
eyes to colors in life that I've forgotten existed.
Her classes give me a sense of growth, excitement
and love for myself and fellow classmates. Furthermore,
I see my ability to act being brought forward through
Deena and it continues to grow." |
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| Jenny
Wolfson |
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Jenny
Wolfson is in her second year at DLTS. Rep Roles:
Sally in Sally and Marsha, Roseanna in Brilliant
Traces, Terry in Extremities, Wanda in
The Power and the Glory, Frankie in Frankie
and Johnny, and Terrace in Floating Rhoda
and the Glue Man.
"The workshop and acting classes have revealed
to me that creativity can be discovered and expressed
in a multitude of ways. The more I explore, the
more doors I am opening up inside myself and the
more creativity flows out from all directions." |
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