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 YFA STAFF PROFFESSORS The contribution of YFA Professors over the years has been monumental to the success of the artist that have reached their dream of becoming working actors, directors, producers and writers for TV, film and radio. Youth Film Academy is widely recognized as the best professional film and television training faculty in DC, all professors are holding MFA degrees from places like Harvard, Yale, and NYU. DEAN OF EDUCATION Brad Ikard 
A renowned businessman in the Entertainment Industry, our Dean of Education “Brad Ikard” has over twelve years of Teaching experience at a University level. Dean Ikard attended North Carolina Central University and has several degrees including a BA, and BS . With an impressive Resume you can see that his infectious positive attitude paid off immediately. He has performed in the theatre, on television and on the radio. While performing, overseeing and producing countless productions. Dean Ikard has also been a host of several Talent Shows as well as Television Shows. The Chrysler Museum of Art used Dean Ikard’s talent and education to create a living history character for their education department, which then branched of to many school systems. Additionally, he was the Anchorman for a North Carolina News Program. Dean Ikard amazing voice led him to be an on air announcer and radio personality for WIKS 102 FM. As a Public Speaker, he has led and motivated thousands of people in the Entertainment Industry. We are honored to have him as the “Head” of our Conservatory. LEADING PROFFESSORS Liz Markey  Liz Markey is an actor, singer, writer and instructor trained at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she received a BFA. During her time at NYU she was selected by the Chair of the Department of Drama to represent NYU at the 2004 International Theatre Workshop in Amsterdam, where she lived and created for four months. Upon graduation, Liz received The Founder’s Day Award, acknowledging attainment of the highest bracket of academic achievement that NYU recognizes. Post graduation productions include two national tours, including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and a bilingual adaptation of Moliere’s The Middleclass Gentleman. Other productions include Connecticut Free Shakespeare’s Vietnam era interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing, Church at the Public Theatre in NYC and Blithe Spirit, directed by Cecil MacKinnon. A proud Equity union member, Liz can also be seen as a Hemocyte in I am Legend, as well as numerous films by Columbia and NYU graduates students. Her play, Tales from the Cliff: A Twilight Myth, was published and produced by The Burrows Theatre (NYC) in 2005. Having spent the past six years in New York City, Liz is happy to resettle in the DC area, and pleased to mention that she attended Yorktown HS in Arlington, VA. El Shaddai Gebreyes  Professor El Shaddai has a background in acting, filmmaking, photography and dance. She has danced for twenty years, studying ballet, modern jazz, tap, musical theatre and flamenco. She studied at Cordova Academy of Dance, Ballet Memphis, Broadway Dance Center ad the Ailey School of Dance. She has danced professionally with Sidra Bell Dance New York in Harlem, New York. She has experience with the Collaborative Arts Project (Cap 21) at NYU and Broadway Theatre Project, directed by Ann Reinking. She developed a talent for choreographing; producing and directing multi-media dance performances. She was selected as a finalist in an international photography competition at the Fraser Gallery in Bethesda and has experience selling her photographic works of art. She majored in Film Studies with a concentration on Anthropology at Yale University where she studied both Stanislavski technique and improv comedy techniques. She co-wrote a film adaptation of Amiri Baraka’s The Dutchman and titled it. The Darker Side. Her most recent credit is performing in the stage play “Gray Ghost Voices” in Manassas, VA. She earned the title of Miss National Teen-Ager, a scholarship pageant. Karen Michelle Wright  Karen is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild. While in New York City, Karen did over forty plays and staged readings at such theatres as The Manhattan Theatre Source, The Lark Theatre, The Ohio Theatre, 78th Street Theatre Lab and The Cherry Lane Theatre. Regionally she won “Best Actress” in Kansas City’s Best of Theatre Awards for her portrayal of Anne in Anne of Green Gables. Internationally, she performed the female lead in a David Mamet play at the Edinburgh Festival. She appeared in a guest-starring role on NYPD Blue and did a voiceover for the King of Queens. She wrote and produced a one-woman show Thirty Nervous Breakdowns, which played to much success in both La and NY. She produced a taping of the stage show, which lead to the filming of a pilot for the Oxygen network. Karen holds a BFA in Acting from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MFA from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She taught both Voice/Speech and Oral Interpretation and UMKC. Marshall Johnson  Marshall Johnson graduated with a BA in Communication Studies with concentrations in Film and Broadcasting from Virginia Tech. In 1994, Marshall decided to take his first shot at stage directing a production called “The Flow”. He was then hired to edit and shoot a five part educational mini-series called “Atif’s Journey” for Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland. During shooting, he was given a role in the series as well as a co-producing and directing credit. In 1997, “Atif’s Journey” won a Local Cable ACE Award for Best Educational Program Series and a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award among a total of 8 awards for that production. Marshall’s latest projects include directing and acting in “Simple Minded”, an adaptation of Langston Hughes’ Simple stories written by Kwame Alexander. He is director of Woodstream Church’s Drama Ministry. Marshall is a Final Cut Pro Trainer, and Cable Station Supervisor for Prince George’s Community College. One word to describe Marshall Johnson is “talented.” He works behind and in front of the camera. He produces, shoots, directs, composes, edits and writes. Adrian Buitenhuis  MSince 2007, Buitenhuis has written, directed and edited many short films and music videos and features. Adrian graduated with a Master of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University, And has been teaching at a University level for several years in both film theory and practice. He has also taught acting for film and mentored students on various film sets. Buitenhuis has collaborated and made many films including one with his sister, Penelope titled (A Wake), he is developing an hour-long mini-series set in a German P.O.W. camp during WW2 in Texas and is preparing for a residency in Northern Iceland next fall to direct and produce and dance film. In 2007 Adrian was the recipient of a large public grant to fund the creation of a short fiction film set on the construction of the 2010 Olympic highway to Whistler. Adrian is creating and directing YFA short films and sitcoms which will feature YFA students. VISITING PROFFESSORS Markus Flanagan  Markus Flanagan graduated from New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse where he studied the Meisner technique from Mr. Meisner. The lessons learned there have kept him in the small fraternity of people able to say they earn their living as an actor for 20 years. In that time he has starred in 10 feature films from Biloxi Blues with Matthew Broderick and Christopher Walken, to Seven Pounds with Will Smith, was a TV series regular on three shows including an ABC series with George Clooney the latest of which was "Unfabulous" (which he also directed) on Nickelodeon with Emma Roberts, and has appeared as a guest star over 50 times on shows like Seinfeld, Friends, NCIS, Will and Grace, and CSI. He has also written 10 plays all of which have been produced and sold as feature film scripts to Fox studios. His book "One Less Bitter Actor-The new actor's survival guide" is a new bible among actors. Markus lectures at many college-acting programs in the USA, where his book has become required reading. Nick Spano  Nick Spano (born March 16, 1976, Los Angeles, California) is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his role as "Donnie Stevens" in the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens. He has also guest starred in a number of other shows including Over There, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Strong Medicine, Eve, Monk, Moesha, The Wayans Brothers, Angel and many other shows, as well as co-hosting the syndicated game show Peer Pressure with Valarie Rae Miller. He most recently guest starred in The N original series, Beyond the Break., he appeared in a commercial for the Mazda 3. In between Acting, Nick has started a prestigious Acting Program in Los Angeles and Vancouver BC. Christy Carlson Romano  She began acting at the tender age of six, which led to playing one of the orphans in Annie. She also toured in The Sound Of Music with Marie Osmond. Her Broadway debut was in the musical Parade. In 2004, she performed as Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway She released her first solo CD of her Disney TV and movie hits in October of 2004, and is currently working on another of her own music. She began her film career as a singing banana in Woody Allen's Everybody Says I Love You and has also done "Campus Confidential", "The Cutting Edge 2","The Even Stevens Movie" and "Cadet Kelly" with Hilary Duff. She was the female lead in the Disney Channel original comedy Even Stevens. She guest starred on WB hit series "Summerland", "Joan of Arcadia" and "Kim Possible: doing the voice of Kim. She was nominated for an Emmy award in 2005 for her voice performance of Kim Possible On February 22nd, 2005, Connecticut celebrated "Christy Carlson Romano Day" where she was given the key to the city, and also awarded the first "Connecticut's Finest" award. She has also sung the "National Anthem" for a Major League baseball. Christy also writes her own music, and has sold a few of her songs to companies such as The Mattel Toy Company, and Sony Records. Romano recently starred in the Broadway company of “Avenue Q” Harriet Greenspan  Harriet Greenspan is a talent manager, casting director, and acting coach. She casts for two Nickelodeon series, Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and Unfabulous. As a manager she is responsible for finding talent such as Anna Sophia Robb and Matthew Underwood (Zoey 101) and Jasmine Anthony (Commander and Chief) to name a few. Greenspan was also an ABC casting executive overseeing primetime series: Hart To Hart, Three’s Company and more. Preceding ABC, she was at Lynn Stalmaster and Assoc. where she worked on the feature films, Being There and Foul Play. Joey Paul Jensen  Joey Paul Jensen, C.S.A. has been a major casting director for over twenty years. Her casting credits include the Disney Channel television shows That's So Raven, Phil of the Future, Even Stevens, Boarding School and films Raise Your Voice and Legally Blondes. Joey Paul's workshops offer an opportunity to study Voice-Over techniques, Improvisation, Character Interpretation and Cold Reading. Technique, Scene Study, Audition Skills. Arnetia Walker  Arnetia was sixteen and attending New York’s prestigious High School of the Performing Arts when she was cast in her Broadway debut, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” by Lorraine Hansberry. She went on to standby for Stephanie Mills as Dorothy in the original Broadway run of “The Wiz”. She spent five years as a “Dreamgirl” in the role of Lorrell Robinson, and eventually achieved the distinction of being the only woman to have played all three of the show’s principal characters. Ms. Walker’s films include “For Love of the Game”, “Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills”, and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” She also appeared in the HBO movie, “Cast a Deadly Spell.” She has worked extensively in television, including as a series regular in “The Big House,” “Camp P,” and “Nurses,” and as a guest star in “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “City of Angels,” “Touched by an Angel,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Just Shoot Me,” and “NYPD Blue.” Ms. Walker can currently be seen as Grandma Porter in Disney’s “College Road Trip.” April Sigman  April has been working in Theater, TV, Film for 10-25 years. April made her stage debut at three years old, and was hooked. She continued to work singing, dancing, and acting, onstage through out her childhood. By sixteen, April was traveling the country modeling and made the transition into TV and Film acting. April attended New World School of The Art, a conservatory program affiliated with the University of Florida, on a full. While at New World, April was placed on the dean’s list and national dean’s for eight consecutive semesters, and was inducted into the phi kappa phi honors society before graduating, summa cum lauded, in 2003 with her BFA. ” Although April had spent her life learning the in’s and out’s of the entertainment industry, both on stage and behind the camera, she was also interested in what made the business work from all aspects. Following this interest, April worked as a casting assistant for Ellen Jacoby casting international in Miami Florida, and with Spotty Dog Production in NYC. April also worked with agent and talent manager, Judith Coffman, as a talent and coaching assistant; and with NYC Director Joe Calarco as a production assistant. April is looking forward to working with each and every one of you, and watching your skill and passion for this exciting, and addictive, art form grow! Matthew Underwood  Matthew Underwood was born in Fort Pierce, Florida on April 23, 1990. He is the cousin of American Idol winner and country sensation Carrie Underwood. He started to do commercial work at a young age, including Reese Puff's cereal commercial, which paired him with Chris Warren Jr. In Hollywood thru his Cousin Carrie's help and Matthew's distinctive charisma, he quickly landed him a role as Logan in Nickelodeon's Zoey 101. Matthew has a unique flair for comedy, especially improv, and while he loves to act, Matthew has discovered he has a great appreciation and admiration for the behind-the-scenes magic, especially writing and directing, an interest he already is pursuing. Adrian R’mante  Actors Boot Camp Adrian grew up in Tampa, FL and started acting in the 8th grade. Although Adrian started acting at age 14, he didn’t take it seriously until his senior year when he landed his first full length theatrical production of the high school musical Fame. Some of Adrian’s favorite guest starring and recurring roles include: CSI, 24, CSI: NY, JAG, Alias, Frasier and Summerland. Some of his favorite film roles include Simone (with Al Pacino), Graduation Night (with Abigail Spencer and Kevin Alejandro), All Or Nothing (jury award winning film at the Hollywood Film Festival), Straight Jacket, and Artie (with Kevin Farley). Adrian can be seen almost everyday on the Disney Channel and ABC Saturday mornings playing the role of Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoya Dela Rosa Ramirez from the mega hit television show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. This is Adrian’s most visible character to date and by far Adrian’s favorite role yet (although his role on 24 is in a VERY close 2nd). |
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