Saturday March 29, 2:00 to 6:00 (check-in at 1:45) - eastern time
A virtual workshop on Zoom. Register to be sent the Zoom link.
FREE for all actors who apply to the TRU ACT25 , $35 for all others (fee can be applied to Audition registration)

NOTE: Register for ACT25 Audition Conference for Theater and you can access all workshops from your dashboard.

We want all actors to do their best at our audition, and all auditions. And we firmly believe that even the most experienced actor needs an outside eye to help shape their audition pieces. Trust us - the room can tell who has been coached and who hasn't. It makes a huge difference. That's why we offer this annual opportunity for you to meet a lineup of recommended coaches who want nothing more than to make you shine! Monolog and music coaches, plus accompanists, talk about their methods, acting techniques and tips for landing that role. Then you'll have the opportunity to meet each in a one-on-one conversation. So you'll get the "vibe" and a better sense of how well you'll work together. 

All actors are welcome and STRONGLY encouraged to attend. Of course we give priority spots to anyone registered for the TRU ACT25 (even if you haven't been passed in officially), but all actors are welcome to Meet the Coaches. Here's the schedule:

1:45: Check-in
2:00-2:45: Audition Orientation and Q&A with executive director Bob Ost and Audition Event Co-producer Tamra Pica
2:45-4:15: 5 conversations about auditions and acting:

• Why you need a coach
• Acting is one thing, auditioning is another
• Acting a song
• Taking care of yourself
• Let's talk about head shots

4:30-6:00: Meet the Coaches one-on-one in Zoom breakout rooms

Reservation required: purchase your spot using our red ticketing block above left (or scroll way way down on your devices). Or email TRUActors@gmail.com with questions.

CONFIRMED COACHES:

Monologue/Audition Coaches:

• Claudia Bloom
• Clark Jackson (theater, on-camera)
• Alexa Kelly (classics)
• Ken Schatz

Monologue/Musical performance

• Stephanie Pope

Vocal Coaches and Accompanists:

• Dan Manjovi (technique, performance, accompanist)
• Sally Morgan (technique, performance, accompanist)
• Jane Seaman (technique, performance)
• Bryan Wade (performance, accompanist)
• Patrick Michael Wickham (voice physiologist, performance)

Creative Well-Being Personal/ Professional Wellness:

• Tara Greenway (Emotional Prep for Auditioning)
• Chelsey Shannon (Confidence & Self-Compassion in Auditioning)

Headshot Photographers

• Cynthia Smalley (LA based)
• other tba

Free for actors registered for TRU ACT25.
$35 for actors not registered (can be applied to audition fee)

CLICK HERE to return to Audition Conference (TRU ACT25) page.

Each one of my coaches played a crucial part in my preparation and did truly a terrific job helping me prepare. Everyone was so kind and easy to work with. From just one session, I was able to learn so much and as a result grow as a musical/ theatrical performer (as this was one of my best auditions!) I can’t wait to build off of what I’ve learned from this experience. My coaches were: Gillien Goll, Stephanie Pope and Zach Miller. ~Daniela Rosario, '22

Great event!... Your guest instructors had valuable experience and insights to share and I am scheduling follow-ups with some of them. ~Michael Donato, '21

I am always thrilled to see what a positive successful experience it turns out to be when I do something with TRU.  I really appreciate your values and substance in the way that things take place. It was such a pleasure and a great day with the students and hearing and speaking with the other coaches! ~Shira Flam, vocal coach

I learned so much and spoke with so many wonderful and talented professionals. I am so glad to be a part of this! ~Gloria Bangiola, actor

Thanks again for including Ryan and myself (MCS) on the panel of meet the coaches. We met great people and it was good to hear what the other coaches had to say. ~Matthew Corozine, monolog coach

This was a wonderful event today - so well organized and run, and the caliber of the coaches was terrific - thanks for including me! ~Gillien Goll, monolog coach

Everyone was so nice.  I really enjoyed meeting the coaches.  I feel like I got a lot from yesterday.  I am going to work with Valerie and Bob on my monologues. I am so excited! ~Maggie Davern

• 

  TARA GREENWAY

  is an intuitive coach who trains people stuck in anxiety, perfectionism, procrastination, or disconnected relationships to change their energy patterns, their belief systems, and their lives. Tara is a mind/body healing practitioner and teacher with over 20 years experience who’s honored to have guided thousands of clients and students to create the lives they dream of. Previously co-founder and co-director of ThetaHealingNYC, a healing center in NYC’s Flatiron District, in 2021 Tara founded Beyond Your Belief, LLC to coach private clients and groups, and to be of service through public speaking. Tara is an AEA/SAG/AFTRA actress who has appeared in regional theater, Law & Order, and the off-Broadway show Missionary Position, a one-woman play hilariously exploring the intersection of spirituality and sexuality. She now uses her expertise to coach other creatives to overcome anxiety, live embodied, and stay in flow. Connect at BeyondYourBelief.com, @tara_greenway on IG, Tara Greenway on Facebook,  Tara Greenway on LinkedIn.
• 

  CLARK JACKSON

  is an award-winning actor, writer and producer who’s appeared on Broadway and starred in numerous TV series and films, most recently in A Journal for Jordan with Michael B. Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington, and in the upcoming film Eugene the Marine with Scott Glenn, Annette O’Toole and Jim Gaffigan. He can also be seen on film in I Smile Back with Sarah Silverman and Josh Charles, and the Jon Stewart film Irresistible among other film projects. His TV credits include Designated Survivor, The Code, Luke Cage, Conviction, Elementary, Madam Secretary, Show Me A Hero, The Blacklist, Rescue Me, The Good Wife, Gossip Girl, Fringe, Blue Bloods, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, and the Ryan Murphy series Pose. On Broadway, Clark has starred in All My Sons alongside John Lithgow, Katie Holmes, Patrick Wilson and Dianne Wiest; in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Terrence Howard, Anika Noni Rose, Giancarlo Esposito, James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad, and in Bronx Bombers with Peter Scolari and Christopher Jackson. Clark portrayed Oscar Charleston in Lee Blessing’s Cobb, performed at the Lucille Lortel Theatre where it was produced by Kevin Spacey and won a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble. Clark has over 15 years of experience coaching actors for theatre and on-camera auditions, and undergraduate and graduate school admissions. He’s also worked with Fortune 500 professionals in presentation skills for ImprovEdge, taught acting at HB Studio, New York Film Academy, and Hunter College, and public speaking at St. Francis College. Clark is the 2019 recipient of the Lloyd Richards Teaching Fellowship by the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. A graduate of Stanford University and Yale School of Drama, he has also served thousands of NYC public school students as a teaching artist in the areas of theatre, movement, creative writing and improvisation. Clark is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity, and a proud company member of The Actors Center in NYC. To learn more, visit www.clarkjacksononline.com.
• 

  ALEXA KELLY

  Acting Coach, is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director for Pulse Ensemble Theatre. She has worked as an acting teacher and director for the past 30 years. She taught acting and directing at the University of North Carolina, University of Michigan, Alliance Theater Acting School, Walnut Street Theatre Acting School, Harlem Theatre Company. Since being in New York City, Alexa has directed extensively at Pulse Ensemble Theatre, Adelphi University, and Tisch School of the Arts, Playwrights Department. She founded and directed 15 seasons of the very popular Harlem Summer Shakespeare in Harlem. She coaches acting for graduate school admissions, scene work and play performances. Her acting coaching focuses on all aspects of the craft: the voice, the body and the technique. She works extensively with acting coaching for Shakespeare, and has made many students who thought they could not handle Shakespeare at all say “Wow! That really was easy!” www.AlexaKellyDirector.com
• 

  DAN MANJOVI

  Amazingly, most voice teachers can’t play piano. Nor do they perform, or compose, arrange, write or produce. Which is why there is no voice teacher like Dan Manjovi. With a song in an Oscar award winning movie on his shelf, an Off Broadway musical, two Off Broadway plays, and numerous recordings to his credit, there is nothing musically Dan can’t do. More than a voice coach (who simply takes a singer as is, selects songs and works with the voice the singer has), Dan understands the anatomy of voice. He knows how to strengthen your vocal instrument for performance; that a “dramatic” voice requires more strength than a “lyrical” one. From finding your key and transposing instantly to selecting and refining material that best suits your voice, Dan’s unique teaching philosophy combines the physiology of singing with the theory of music be it show tune, pop, jazz or opera. With an incomparable level of experience and expertise, Dan can help you reach potential you didn’t know you had.  https://www.djm-studio.com   https://www.danmanjovi.com  info@djm-studio.com
• 

  SALLY MORGAN

  wrote the book on contemporary voice technique – literally – Sing Like You Speak™. SLYS™ is specifically designed to restore the effortless singing that is natural-making your singing powerful, joyful and free. Singing so simple it feels like talking to your best friend without sounding trained. Sally has been successfully training singers for more than 35 years. Most voice trainers tell you to “sing like you speak” and Sally has developed the techniques to do just that. This new standard of vocal production assures a consistent vocal flexibility with the strength and vulnerability to bond with the audience. Sing Like You Speak removes physical tension and all pre-conceived ideas about singing so your perfectly crafted, brilliant instrument can function simply and naturally. She is a master at helping singers bridge that gap between someone who sings and a true vocal artist. An innovator in the field of vocal training she has made the vocal arts accessible to all who seek her help. She has helped her clients heal vocal damage, expand vocal range, land a Broadway show, record their own music and tour internationally without vocal fatigue or strain. You’re going to love your voice! She is a frequent presenter at national theater and voice trainer associations such as SXSW, AFTRA, ATHE, VASTA, MTEA, NYSTA, the Voice Foundation and many music conferences. You can see and hear some of her clients on Broadway stages, Off-Broadway, in Regional Theater, on Major Label Recordings, the Conan O’Brian show, A Prairie Home Companion and in Federal Courts, the PA House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate. https://SingLikeYouSpeak.com
• 

  STEPHANIE POPE LOFGREN

  is a Harlem, New York native and an award-winning performer whose career includes appearing on television, in cabaret rooms and most notably, in eleven Broadway shows. Stephanie was hand-picked by the legendary Bob Fosse and his wife and muse Gwen Verdon for her first two Broadway shows, the revival of Sweet Charity starring Debbie Allen and Bob Fosse’s Big Deal, and is one of a handful of performers sanctioned to teach Fosse Master Classes on behalf of The Fosse Estate. Stephanie is thrilled to currently serve as Director of Professional Development and Creative Director for The Verdon Fosse Legacy® LLC, whose mission is to promote, preserve, and protect the artistic and intellectual property of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. Broadway credits include the revival of Pippin, Chicago (Velma Kelly), Thoroughly Modern Millie (Muzzy Van Hossmere), Fosse (Leading Player), Smokey Joe’s Cafe - Original London Company (Brenda), A Funny Thing... Forum (Gymnasia), Kiss of The Spider Woman (stand-by for Ms. Chita Rivera) and The Will Rogers Follies... just to name a few. Stephanie has shared the stage with such luminaries as Chita Rivera, Ben Vereen, Whitney Houston, Donna McKechnie, MariLu Henner, Gregory Hines, Brian “Stokes” Mitchell, Clint Holmes and Nathan Lane, and has worked with directors and choreographers such as Tommy Tune, Lester Wilson, Christopher Chadman, Chet Walker, Anne Reinking, Rob Marshall, Kathleen Marshall, Peter Gennaro, Michael Kidd, Michael Peters , Dianne McIntyre, Jerry Zaks, George C. Wolfe, Hal Prince, Alex Sanchez, Hope Clarke, George Faison, Diane Paulus, Jason Sparks and Regina Taylor. She is the recipient of  the Dramalogue Award, an ACCA Award and a 2022 BroadwayWorld Regional Theater Award for Best Direction of a Play for her production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at Playhouse on Park Theater in Connecticut, as well as a MAC Award, Astaire Award and numerous Connecticut Critics Circle and Regional Theater Award nominations. Stephanie is also the recipient of Broadway’s beloved “Legacy Robe”. Other directing credits include  Forever Plaid for Theatre Raleigh, Smokey Joe’s Cafe for ACT in Ridgefield, CT and directing and choreographing for the Broadway League’s prestigious Jimmy Awards. She currently serves on the nominating committee for the annual Chita Rivera Awards.
• 

  KEN SCHATZ

  (SAG-AFTRA, AEA) has been training professional actors for their best work in Film, Television, and Theater for over 30 years. His students and coaching clients can be seen in popular and cutting-edge work on and off Broadway, in celebrated theater productions everywhere, and in countless hit films and TV shows. They include multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, Grammy, Obie, Tony, and Emmy Award winners and nominees. He has taught, coached, directed, and developed training programs for many well-known acting schools, universities, production companies, talent agencies, and casting offices, including NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Stella Adler Studio, Circle in the Square, Harlem School of the Arts, and MTV. He has trained and taught with eminent teachers and directors in many different specialties, including Moni Yakim, creator of the movement programs at Juilliard and Yale and author of Creating A Character. Ken has been featured in the ACT NY Guide To Qualified Acting Coaches; his coaching credits include There's Something About Mary, Cop Land with Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone, Tim Blake Nelson's The Grey Zone, Shadrach with Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell, Spin City, Crime Spree, Jeff Stark’s The Dreary Coast, and many other films, television shows, commercials, and theater productions. For actors at every level of the industry—from celebrities to new talent—and for every kind of acting work, Ken offers comprehensive, clear, exciting instruction and practical technique—the finest private coaching and consulting, expert project and role coaching for film, television, and theater, special workshops for casts and companies, and ongoing professional classes in New York, Los Angeles, online via Zoom, and around the world. Ken’s Studio is dedicated to the genius, power, and success of the free, creative acting artist.
• 

  JANE SEAMAN

  offers private singing technique and acting the song sessions in addition to group Singing Audition Workshops with Broadway stars and casting guest speakers, such as Greg Uliasz/MSA Talent, Derek Klena, Ricky Rojas, Tara Rubin & Associates, Judy Henderson, Douglas Cohen and many more. She is a veteran Broadway performer who is venturing back into the cabaret world with solo shows upcoming at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, NYC, on 8/25/22; past shows at the Episcopal Actors Guild, 6/13/22, and Music at the Mansion/MAC circuit, 7/13/21. She performed with Patti Lupone and Leslie Uggams in the Lincoln Center revival of Anything Goes. She also worked with Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Luker and Howard McGillin in The Secret Garden. While Big River, which starred John Goodman, Marin Mazzie and Danny Jenkins, was her first Broadway show and National Tour, The Sound of Music, starring Marie Osmond, was her last National Tour. Jane loved played the Baroness opposite Marie and Laurence Guittard, and Debby Boone! She also toured in various productions of The Man of La Mancha with Richard Kiley, Ed Ames and Bob Wright. Her most recent Off-Broadway show at St. Luke’s Theatre was as Zsu-Zsu Herendy in We’re Still Hot!  Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA,  MAC, NYSTA; signed with MSA Agency. Jane Seaman is currently an Adjunct Voice Instructor at Marymount Manhattan College, Fairleigh Dickinson University and private voice faculty at Papermill Playhouse; she also maintains her private voice studio both online and in person, teaching Broadway performers of all ages both in NYC and Montclair, NJ. www.janeseaman.com A graduate of Wittenberg University (B.A.),Montclair State University (M.A.), Stanford University (1 year of M.F.A.) and the Juilliard School of Music (4 year Professional Diploma/Eleanor Steber—Major Voice Teacher).     
• 

  CHELSEY SHANNON

  is the founder and owner of Chelsey Shannon Creative Care LLC, and has worked extensively in the New York Theater scene for over 20 years. In 2011, she Co-Founded The New York Children's Theater Festival, a non-profit supporting artists developing new theater for young audiences. As Festival Producer, she oversaw more than 15 productions over 8 years. Other producing credits include Walken on Sunshine (EP, 2016 New York International Fringe Festival, Theatermania Audience Favorite Award) & BEYOND (Dramaturge/ Producer/ Director) 2022 New Feathers Festival/ 2025 Workshop Point Park University. As a producing associate at Gables Grove Productions (working with John Tartaglia & Michael Shawn Lewis), she worked on Re-Usable the Musical (Bronx Zoo) & other theatrical projects for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Her company, Chelsey ShannonCreative Care LLC, nurtures and supports the entertainment community through Coaching, Reiki, Classes/ Workshops and Consulting. As a Certified Life Coach, she empowers arts professionals to align with their unique creative expression and move forward with fulfillment, ease & confidence in every aspect of their lives. Chelsey is a Certified Usui Reiki Master and blends Reiki & Coaching to help clients move through blocks, release fears & gain clarity. She is also a founding contributor of Jade Rabbit Theatre Company's Conscious Creatives Circle, a safe space for LGBTQIA, non-binary, BIPOC, female identifying individuals in the arts community. As a consultant, she is passionate about supporting her clients with the tools, planning and resources to meet their goals. She resides in NYC with her husband, two creative little boys and her dog Tony. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater from Point Park University and is a member of the Actors Equity Association. www.chelseyshannon.com
• 

  BRYAN WADE

  is a musical director, Broadway accompanist and vocal coach. He has musical directed/conducted national tours as well as productions for New York Musical Theater Festival, Midtown International Theater Festival, Irish Repertory Theater and York Theater.  He has served as musical director for over twenty stage productions in regional venues along the East Coast, including Orchard Beach (ME), Hampton Playhouse (NH), Capital Repertory (NY), John Engelman Theater (NY), and the Spoleto Festival (Charleston, SC). Dr. Wade earned both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Piano Performance with a minor in Vocal Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University.  He earned certification in Vocal Pedagogy from VCU.  He has a Ph.D. in Music from The Catholic University of America.  Dr. Wade’s students currently perform on Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, regional theaters and as featured performers on cruise line productions.  He served as vocal director for both Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise lines, and he has served on the faculties of Marymount Manhattan College, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and VCU.
• 

  PATRICK MICHAEL WICKHAM

  is the founder of both Performers Career Center and The West Village Musical Theatre Festival. He is a medically-trained voice physiologist and highly-regarded as a master teacher in the fields of functional and performance mechanics, and has served as the PDP (Professional Development Program) Director of the New York Singing Teachers' Association and is in current demand as a lecturer in master classes and programs all over the country and abroad.  Specializing in popular opera, legit musical theatre and contemporary repertoire, his own professional performance career has spanned over thirty years in venues ranging from Broadway to international opera houses and concert halls and as a featured performer on Cunard's Queen Mary 2. Mr. Wickham has been featured as an vocal consultant/expert for Inside Edition, Vh1, and ESPN, Time Out, The New Yorker, Backstage and the Village Voice. His students include many celebrities and professional singers who have appeared on and off Broadway as leads and supporting players in over eighty shows nationally, as well as principal and supporting performers at tier 1 opera houses across the country and Europe.  His students are signed with record labels such as Jive, Atlantic, Universal, Virgin, So So Def and Sony Music. In addition to studies in voice and composition at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School, Mr. Wickham has pursued studies in voice anatomy and physiology (specializing in developmental Otolaryngology) at the renowned Bill Wilkerson Center (Vanderbilt Medical School) under the tutelage of Dr. Robert Ossoff.  He is a proud student and protege of Maitland Peters, Chairman of the Voice Department at the Manhattan School of Music. An accomplished professional stage actor, Mr. Wickham also studied extensively for five years at the William Esper Studio (with Bill Esper directly) where he later teacher-trained and became affiliate faculty.  He has also trained at Stella Adler, HB Studios, Jon Dapolito Studios and The Actor's Studio.