We’re lucky to have such inspiring academics at ASC. We’re excited to spotlight just a few new additions which have been serving to our college students develop. Meet our instructors, Sarah Tolan-Mee, Joshua Moaney, and Sara Mountjoy-Pepka!
Sarah Tolan-Mee is an actor and director from NYC. She guides actors and artistic artists, together with Pulitzer Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, and PEN award winners, in expressive embodiment. She is a protege of the good motion trainer Moni Yakim and holds an MFA from Juilliard in Drama. Appearing consists of: Martyna Majok’s queens (LCT3), Sarah Ruhl’s Melancholy Play (13P) and Stage Kiss (The Goodman). Moreover, New Saloon’s Minor Character (Underneath the Radar), and Wallace Shawn’s A Thought In Three Elements (FRANK). Additionally together with Lucy Thurber’s Named (Rising Phoenix Rep), Kenneth Prestininzi’s Love within the Seventh Kingdom of Wrath (Dream Up Pageant) and Chaste (Entice Door), Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler (Andre Gregory). She has developed work with Playwrights Horizons, Soho Rep, Clubbed Thumb, NYTW, P73, The Roundabout, The Winery, The Lark, Main Phases, Denver Heart, and The Playwright’s Heart.
What’s your favourite a part of instructing?
My favourite a part of instructing is watching college students’ radically completely different processes, and seeing them come alive by way of exploration of approach. The phrases “approach,” “craft” or “ability” can sound overly mechanical, however I’ve discovered the alternative. Good approach frees an actor, opens her creativeness, and creates an immediacy in her work. It’s breathtaking to witness actors actually experiment and to be in a room stuffed with people who find themselves keen to make the leap into artistic course of. I really like witnessing the magic of transformation and the dwelling laboratory nature of the classroom. I want extra rehearsal rooms included the daring of an ASC class.
Why ASC?
I really like ASC’s combine of heat, rigor, and dedication to truthful, expansive appearing.
BONUS: For those who weren’t an actor (or a trainer), what would you be?
If I weren’t an actor I might be a physicist. The drama of area and time!!!
Joshua Moaney is a Chicago-based actor and trainer. He graduated together with his MFA from The Theatre College at DePaul College in 2013. Moaney’s stage credit embrace theaters reminiscent of Remy Bumppo, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Lifeline Theatre, the place he’s additionally a instructing artist.
Concurrently, Moaney works with The Lyric Opera of Chicago. His most up-to-date appearing credit embrace Le Comte Ory, Macbeth, Eranani, and Hearth Shut Up in My Bones.
On-camera credit embrace Empire (Fox) and Chicago Med (NBC). Josh has additionally been seen in nationwide and regional commercials for manufacturers like Dicks Sporting Items, Goal, Kraft, ComEd, Large Heaps, Room Place, Ace {Hardware}, and extra.
What’s your favourite a part of instructing?
I be taught as a lot from my college students as they do from me. The passion and pleasure they convey to the studio makes instructing straightforward.
Sara Mountjoy-Pepka involves Chicago by way of Los Angeles and Seattle and may be very completely satisfied to be right here. As an actor, Sara loves all theater however has a specific focus in Shakespeare. Sara has loved working regionally with Nice River Shakespeare Pageant, Seattle Shakespeare/ Picket O, Montana Shakespeare within the Parks, Will Geer’s Theatrical Botanicum, and extra. Knowledgeable improviser, she was an organization member of the award-winning Impro Theatre in LA and Seattle’s Sudden Productions. Every with a particular give attention to improvising full-length performs in traditional genres like Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Dorothy Parker. An organization member of Magic Circle Mime Firm, Sara spent 17 years miming throughout North America, Europe and Asia with the world’s finest symphony orchestras. Sara can be a director, together with Impro Theatre/ Garry Marshall Theatre’s smash-hit Jane Austen Unscripted, and 7 sold-out seasons of The Improvised Era (within the fashion of Star Trek: TNG).
What’s your favourite a part of instructing?
I benefit from the journey of determining what every pupil must thrive and shine. Generally, [a student] has a breakthrough their very first-class, and typically, you’re assessing and experimenting collectively for some time till immediately, one thing clicks.
Why ASC?
Straightforward – I began as a pupil right here and instantly felt this was an excellent neighborhood for me. I’ll proceed being a pupil whilst I step into instructing…I used to be refreshing the grownup courses web page immediately!
BONUS: For those who weren’t an actor (or a trainer), what would you be?
A farmer. In one other life, I personal and run a self-sustaining natural farm within the Pacific Northwest with largely crops/ orchards and some completely satisfied hens. I can not emphasize the hole between the information it might take to succeed at that and the information I presently have, however my metropolis passion within the meantime is native plant gardening.
