Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University

Break legs to the company of Utopia Theatre Project's WHITE FATIGUE. The play was written by and stars MFA Playwriting alum Bezachin Taddesse. MFA Acting faculty member and ASDS alum Kate Billingsley also stars in the piece, and 2nd year MFA Director Makenna Masenheimer assistant directs! #workingalumni #workingfaculty #workingstudents

Tomorrow is our next Professional Symposium! We are so excited about this incredible line-up of guests for the Fall 2020 Professional Symposium Series. September 26th Tiauna Jackson (The Jackson Agency) Tiauna Jackson, founder of The Jackson Agency, is an agent, entrepreneur, CEO, and trailblazer who built her agency from the ground up within the entertainment industry’s most competitive market, Los Angeles. The event will be moderated by ASDS alum Melissa Mowry.... October 10th Rhavynn Drummer (Tyler Perry Casting) ASDS MFA Acting alum and casting director Tiffany Roshae will moderate a conversation about casting with her colleague at Tyler Perry Studios, Rhavynn Drummer. Together they will demystify the casting process, discuss their career as artists, discuss the current industry, and answer any questions from ASDS students. October 24th Tom Lapke (Websites & Reels) Tom Lapke, founder of Actors Launchpad, will meet with students to discuss the ins and outs of putting together a successful website and acting reel. From the type of material and photos to use, to getting footage for your reel, this symposium will explain how and why a well-crafted website and reel are part of every proactive actor’s marketing materials. November 7th Lloyd Suh (Playwriting) Internationally-acclaimed ASDS MFA Playwriting alumnus Lloyd Suh, who has just been named the 2020 Recipient of the Horton Foote Prize for his play The Chinese Lady, will discuss his craft and career. ASDS students will be given to opportunity to ask questions about his artistic journey during his studies, as well as after graduating from ASDS.

We are so excited for tomorrow's Professional Symposium: Casting Conversation with Rhavynn Drummer and Tiffany Roshae. ASDS MFA Acting alum and casting director Tiffany Roshae will moderate a conversation about casting with her colleague at Tyler Perry Studios, Rhavynn Drummer. Together they will demystify the casting process, discuss their career as artists, discuss the current industry, and answer any questions from ASDS students. Rhavynn Drummer is an award-winning produ...cer, director, and casting director who has always had a love for actors and great performances. She began her career in casting at Tyler Perry Studios in 2007 after graduating from the University of Virginia. She’s had the honor of casting over fifteen television series, eighteen feature films, and seven touring plays with the studio. She has also worked on numerous independent projects with Nickelodeon, Starz, Nike, and YouTube Red. Her first web series, Good Girls, which she wrote, directed and produced, went on to win best web series at the Bronzelens Film Festival and the Black Women Film and TV Festival. In 2017 she had the privilege of co-creating and directing Brooklyn. Blue. Sky., which became the first acquired web series for BET Networks after winning the Xfinity Best Web Series Award at The American Black Film Festival. She recently added professor to her many job titles. She is an adjunct professor in the theatre and communication studies department at Clark Atlanta University. Tiffany Roshae is the founder of Peggy Watts Productions, an indie film production company out of Atlanta, GA. Peggy Watts Productions, named after her late great grandmother, aims to produce content centered around the diverse experience of marginalized communities. During the first year of Peggy Watts Productions’ existence, Tiffany created The Black Excellence Film Festival to highlight, celebrate, and unite the Black filmmakers, creatives, and entrepreneurs of Mississippi under one roof, in one city. Tiffany has assisted in casting numerous productions at Tyler Perry Studios, including Nickelodeon’s Young Dylan, OWN’S The Haves and the Have Nots, as well as BET’s newest dramedy SISTAS and primetime drama, The Oval, and more! Most recently, Tiffany was the Casting Director for Emmy Nominated director and writer, Dui Jarrod’s series LAST NAME UNKNOWN. She also served as Associate Producer of the pilot, Executive Produced by Kevin Coach K Lee of Quality Films and Quality Control Music. She is an MFA Acting graduate of the Actors Studio Drama School.

Make sure to check out Kervigo Ensemble Theater's staged reading of GEN on October 5th, directed by MFA Directing alum Melissa Mowry, and featuring MFA Acting alumni Zak Ma and Rachel Sorteberg! #workingalumni

We are so excited for tomorrow's Professional Symposium: Q&A TIAUNA JACKSON! Citing a need for representation, Jackson has focused on creating a diverse and welcoming environment for undiscovered yet exceptionally talented artists. Established in 2014, her small boutique has grown to become one of the top 50 agencies in the world. In 2019, Jackson made history as one of the first solely Black-woman owned agencies to franchise with the Writers Guild of America. She has also made sure that writers in Georgia had the ability to gain representation by franchising in the region. To date, she is the first and only franchised Agency in Georgia. At this symposium, moderated by ASDS alum Melissa Mowry, Ms. Jackson will answer questions about the industry, her agency and her professional journey.

Make sure to check out the online reading of ASDS alum Eisa Davis' Pulitzer Finalist BULRUSHER featuring André Holland and Kara Young Lead tonight streaming on YouTube! #workingalumni

Make sure to check out MFA Acting alum Michael Crowe as Detective Nielson on Investigation Discovery's HOMICIDE CITY on October 20th! #workingalumni

Congratulations to MFA Playwriting alum Karen Cecilia whose play IVY WALLS, which was her thesis in the 2018 Repertory Season, has been publish by Smith Scripts in the UK! #workingalumni

Congratulations to MFA Playwriting alum Lloyd Suh who has been named the 2020 Recipient of the Horton Foote Prize for his play The Chinese Lady. The Chinese Lady, which follows the true story of Afong Moy, one of America’s first female Chinese immigrants who was subsequently made a carnival attraction. was submitted for consideration for the prize by Ma-Yi Theater Company where it ran in fall 2018. #workingalumni Playbill

ASDS welcomed representatives from CANDID as part of the ASDS Professional Symposium Series to discuss grants and scholarships for young artists. Thank you, Candid!

Check out this article on Playbill about the virtual gala, Jessye Norman at 75: A Celebration, sponsored by Brookfield Place, the Ford Foundation, and the Sphinx Foundation in honor of the late Jessye Norman and what would have been her 75th Birthday. It is produced by Black Opera Productions LLC, which was created by MFA Acting alum Miranda Plant! #workingalumni

Congratulations to MFA Acting alum Jes Washington whose one-woman show Who Will Sing For Lena has been accepted into the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Online! #workingalumni

The Actors Studio Drama School welcomes three new faculty members to Pace University! Antonio Brown has joined the ASDS Movement Faculty, Paul Calderon has joined the ASDS Acting Faculty, and Raelle Myrick-Hodges joins ASDS as a Process Lab instructor. Check out their bio’s below. Welcome to the family Antonio, Paul & Raelle! Antonio Brown is the artistic force behind AntonioBrownDance, a native Cleveland, Ohio, where he began his dance training at the Cleveland School of ...Continue reading