5 steps to Active Readiness – How to show up for your audition

Friday, January 10 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square (Wyeth Gallery C)

Session Leader: Michael Mendelson (The Actors Conservatory)

This workshop will consist of 5 easy steps to release tension and help create a strong focus for audition. If you only have 10 minutes or less you can and will be able to relax and focus on the task at hand, doing your best in minutes.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Michael Mendelson is the Managing Artistic Director of The Actors Conservatory, Founder and Artistic Director of Portland Shakespeare Project, and a resident artist at Artists Repertory Theatre. Well known in Portland as an actor, director and teacher, Michael received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Wayne State University and a Master of Fine Arts from University of Washington’s Professional Actors Training Program.  While in New York City, he studied with Tanya Berezin. Michael has been on staff with TAC since 2009 teaching Shakespeare, Styles, Meisner Technique and Professional Orientation. Michael has taught classes privately since 2003 including Meisner Technique, Beginning Scene Study, Advanced Scene Study as well as Private coaching sessions from monologue development to audition prep. Michael’s directing credits for  Portland Shakespeare Project include: The Winter’s Tale, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,  The Tempest, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It and Lear’s Follies. And from Play on! Shakespeare, staged readings of Ranjit Bolt’s Much Ado About Nothing, Jeff Whitty’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and An Educational First Reading of The Winter’s Tale translated by Tracy Young. At ART his direction includes: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Understudy, Intimate Apparel and both directed and starred in Mistakes Were Made.  An Act of God (Nebraska Repertory Theatre), Love’s Labour’s Lost (Northwest Classical Theatre Company), Stones In His Pockets (Public House Theatre), As Is (Key Productions), The Meaning of Prayer (Verbatim Productions) and staged readings of Botticelli (Profile Theatre) and Dinner With Friends (Mt. Hood Repertory Theatre).  His acting credits at Artists Rep include The Children, Indecent, 1984, Small Mouth Sounds, Magellanica, An Octoroon, Marjorie Prime, Trevor, The Price, also  Tribes, The Skin of our Teeth, Blithe Spirit,  The Quality of Life, Ten Chimneys, Red Herring and Sherlock in Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol, God of Carnage, The Cherry Orchard, Superior Donuts, Othello, Design for Living, Holidazed, Becky’s New Car, Three Sisters, Eurydice, House,  Garden, Orson’s Shadow, Mr. Marmalade, Theater District and Love!Valour!Compassion!  Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night with Portland Shakes. Other local credits include Scrooge in A Christmas Carol with Portland Playhouse and work with Oregon Shakespeare Festival/Portland, Profile Theatre, Miracle Theatre, Northwest Classical Theatre Company, triangle productions!, Tygres Heart Shakespeare, Portland Center Stage, Reader’s Theatre Repertory and New Rose Theatre. New York credits include Revolving Shakespeare Company, Theatre 1010, The Normal Heart (Lincoln Center/Clark Studio Theatre), Genesius Guild and The Barrow Group. Regional credits include work at PCPA Theatrefest, Paper Mill Playhouse, A Contemporary Theatre, Saint Michael’s Playhouse, Penobscot Theatre Company, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, First Stage Milwaukee, Idaho Rep, Attic Theater and Wisconsin, Utah and Berkeley Shakespeare Festivals. Michael has been nominated for three Drammy Awards, nominated for five Portland Drama Critics Circle Awards and won three, Michael is a recipient of the Laughing Horse Theatre Season Award for outstanding achievement in Acting and a recipient of the American Legion Award. Michael has received grants through The Oregon Arts Commission and RACC. Michael is a proud member of SDC, AEA, and SAG-AFTRA.

Shakespeare: Inhabiting the Text

Saturday, January 11 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square (Wyeth Gallery C)

Session Leader: Robin Sneller (East 15 Acting School, UK)

A practical workshop with Robin Sneller, Head of the MA and MFA Acting International course at East 15 Acting School in the UK.

This workshop uses textual examples and material from your memorized monologue to explore ways to connect, reconnect, and express yourself emotionally and intellectually through the text. The session will give you methods, tools and approaches that will help you find your journey through the thought and be in the moment with the word.

Actors attending this workshop should come prepared to work on a memorized Shakespeare monologue from their repertoire.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Robin Sneller is the Head of the MA and MFA Acting International courses at the East 15 Acting School in London UK.  He has been an acting tutor and director at several of the UK’s leading drama schools, including at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In a career of over 30 years as an actor he has worked with many leading British Theatre directors including Sir Peter Hall, Stephen Daldry, Nicholas Hytner and William Gaskill, including seasons at the National Theatre, Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre, and in London’s West End.

Improvisation – Seek to Discover Rather Than Trying to Invent

Sunday, January 12 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square (Wyeth Gallery C)

Session Leader: Anne Moore (New York Film Academy – LA Campus)

Learn to be present and aware during improvisational scenes, playfully discovering character and emotion in the present moment, rather than desperately trying to invent them. Topics covered will be breath, agreement, listening actively, and building with your scene partner. Follow the fun, rather than try to be funny.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Anne Moore, Chair of the Acting Department, LA Campus, has been teaching at New York Film Academy since 2010.  Prior to becoming Chair, she was an Associate Chair in the Acting Department since 2014.  She has also taught Acting for Film and Meisner workshops in Moscow and Shanghai.  Her TV credits include:  GREY’S ANATOMY, LIFE, VEGAS, SEX AND THE CITY, and LAW & ORDER.  Her NYC Off-Broadway theater credits include:  SUMMER ’69 the Musical (Douglas Fairbanks Theater) and SIT N’ SPIN, co-written by Ms. Moore (Atlantic Theater).  She also was one fourth of the critically acclaimed sketch comedy group, “THE FLYING QUEENS,” and had her own multi-media show at Catch a Rising Star entitled, “Anne Moore ANNE MOORE AND MORE AND MORE.”  She has performed stand-up comedy at Caroline’s, The Comic Strip, Boston Comedy Club, and Stand Up NY.  In 2006, Ms. Moore directed and produced the award-winning short documentary, CZECH DAZE.  She graduated Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City with a BA in Theater and Film, and studied Meisner Technique at William Esper Studios.

The Fabric of Design: Creative Choices to Technical Specs

Friday, January 24 (9:00 – 9:45 am)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th floor)

Session Leader: Jeff Flowers (Rose Brand)

Our Informative and FUN look at The Fabric of Design will take us from choosing the best material for the project, and then, how best to specify the choices to various departments. Through a look at the material composition and uses of theatrical fabrics, projection surfaces and various types of scenery soft goods, we can begin to understand the process of attaining the right theatrical material for the production at hand. Along the way, we even play a little “Theatrical Jeopardy” to test your knowledge of some common theatrical terms—PRIZES AND SWAG WILL BE HAD!!  Hope you can join us.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Jeff Flowers has been associated with the entertainment lighting industry for over 40 years, working in many varied fields ranging from Lighting Designer to Equity Stage Manager to Marketing Director, and presently as Director of Special Projects at Rose Brand.  Originally from Dallas/Fort Worth, Jeff served as Lighting Designer and/or Scenic Designer for multiple theatres in the DFW area.  He received an MFA in Scenic and Lighting Design from Texas Christian University and served on the theatre faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington before moving to Los Angeles.  Jeff has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, providing technical and sales support for major theatrical equipment manufacturers, including Rosco Labs, Matthews Studio Equipment and Rose Brand. Until recently, Jeff served on faculty (17 years) at the University of Southern California teaching Lighting Design, lecturing and providing faculty mentorship to student Lighting Designers.

The Fabric of Design: Creative Choices to Technical Specs

Saturday, January 25 (9:00 – 9:45 am)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th floor)

Session Leader: Jeff Flowers (Rose Brand)

Our Informative and FUN look at The Fabric of Design will take us from choosing the best material for the project, and then, how best to specify the choices to various departments. Through a look at the material composition and uses of theatrical fabrics, projection surfaces and various types of scenery soft goods, we can begin to understand the process of attaining the right theatrical material for the production at hand. Along the way, we even play a little “Theatrical Jeopardy” to test your knowledge of some common theatrical terms—PRIZES AND SWAG WILL BE HAD!!  Hope you can join us.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Jeff Flowers has been associated with the entertainment lighting industry for over 40 years, working in many varied fields ranging from Lighting Designer to Equity Stage Manager to Marketing Director, and presently as Director of Special Projects at Rose Brand.  Originally from Dallas/Fort Worth, Jeff served as Lighting Designer and/or Scenic Designer for multiple theatres in the DFW area.  He received an MFA in Scenic and Lighting Design from Texas Christian University and served on the theatre faculty at the University of Texas at Arlington before moving to Los Angeles.  Jeff has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, providing technical and sales support for major theatrical equipment manufacturers, including Rosco Labs, Matthews Studio Equipment and Rose Brand. Until recently, Jeff served on faculty (17 years) at the University of Southern California teaching Lighting Design, lecturing and providing faculty mentorship to student Lighting Designers.

So You Wanna Be a TD?

Saturday, January 25 (1:45 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th floor)

Session Leader: Tracy Nunnally (Northern Illinois University)

What does a TD do? Am I cut out for it? What do I need to know? Is college/university the right way to go? The multi-faceted job of the Technical Director can be one of the most rewarding roles in the entertainment industry. Join professional Technical Director, Tracy Nunnally, for a discussion of the role of the Technical Director in today’s theatrical setting. Candidates are encouraged to bring their lunch to this session!

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Professor Tracy Nunnally is the Technical Director and head of the Design and Technology Area at the Northern Illinois University School of Theatre and Dance; the owner and system designer at VertigoTM.  He has been a professional technical director since the 1980s, and his professional TD credits span the full spectrum of genres, continents, and spaces.  He is an ETCP Certified Rigger, Recognized Trainer, and Recognized Employer; a certified trainer for Lift Trucks and MEWPs; and a long-term member of IATSE, USITT, ESTA, ITA, URTA, and EdTA.

Shakespeare: Inhabiting the Text

Sunday, January 26 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th Floor)

Session Leader: Robin Sneller (East 15 Acting School, UK)

A practical workshop with Robin Sneller, Head of the MA and MFA Acting International course at East 15 Acting School in the UK.

This workshop uses textual examples and material from your memorized monologue to explore ways to connect, reconnect, and express yourself emotionally and intellectually through the text. The session will give you methods, tools and approaches that will help you find your journey through the thought and be in the moment with the word.

Actors attending this workshop should come prepared to work on a memorized Shakespeare monologue from their repertoire.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Robin Sneller is the Head of the MA and MFA Acting International courses at the East 15 Acting School in London UK.  He has been an acting tutor and director at several of the UK’s leading drama schools, including at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. In a career of over 30 years as an actor he has worked with many leading British Theatre directors including Sir Peter Hall, Stephen Daldry, Nicholas Hytner and William Gaskill, including seasons at the National Theatre, Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre, and in London’s West End.

Improvisation – Seek to Discover Rather Than Trying to Invent

Monday, January 27 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th floor)

Session Leader: Mark Mocahbee (The New York Film Academy – Miami Campus)

Learn to be present and aware during improvisational scenes, playfully discovering character and emotion in the present moment, rather than desperately trying to invent them. Topics covered will be breath, agreement, listening actively, and building with your scene partner. Follow the fun, rather than try to be funny.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Mark Mocahbee is the Chair of the Acting for Film Program at The New York Film Academy’s Miami Campus, and the former Artistic Director of Just the
Funny Theatre, South Florida’s largest improvisational theatre. He has worked as a professional director, writer, actor, and
producer for over 40 years. He graduated with a B.S. in Motion Pictures and Theatre, and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from The University of Miami. Mark has also served on the faculties of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Northern Kentucky University, Xavier University, and Miami University at Oxford.

Screen Acting Workshop – What are the differences between acting for camera and stage acting?

Tuesday, January 28 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th Floor)

Session Leader: Steve North (East 15 Acting School, UK)

A fun practical workshop  exploring the differences between the demands of acting on camera and acting on screen. Participants will be encouraged to play and try exercises that will give them tools to produce interesting, authentic performances on camera. Steve has a strong career as a screen actor, film maker and teaching acting for camera for the last 30 years.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Steve North is an actor, film maker, director and lecturer in acting who has worked in the performing arts industry for the last 35 years. He trained at GSA in the UK. As an actor his film and television credits include: The Essex Serpent, Unforgotten, All Those Things, Bystanders, Closed Circuit, Doctor Who, EastEnders, Midsomer Murders, Casualty, The Bill, Murphy’s Law, Holby City, Woof, and four years as series regular Colin Parrish in ITV’s continuing firefighter drama London’s Burning. His stage credits include: National Theatre’s War Horse (West End and NT Live Broadcast), Meeting Joe Strummer (Fringe First winner), The Football Factory, Fever Pitch (solo show nominated Best Actor MEN awards), Pretend You Have Big Buildings at Manchester Royal Exchange, Shared Experience premiere of Mermaid, world premiere of Berkoff’s Brighton Beach Scumbags. As a film maker, his credits include Co-writer and Associate producer on the feature film South West 9 and Associate Producer on The Football Factory. He directed the award-winning short film Cregan for Screen South under the Digital Shorts Scheme which was screened at film festivals in the UK and around the world including Foyle, Waterford, Leeds, Soho Rushes, New York. Other directing credits include the short film Sisterhood, Greensleeves, and film sequences for an original commission of 13 for the Brighton International Festival. Steve holds a PGCert in HE (Creative Education) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He previously worked at East 15 as a sessional lecturer in screen acting and film making. Prior to this role he was Senior Lecturer in Screen Acting at University of Creative Arts and Head of Acting at Laine Theatre Arts. He specialises in running his own courses in devising and shooting showreel scenes for screen.

Grad School – A Journey, not a Destination

Wednesday, January 29 (1:30 – 2:30 pm)
Location: Palmer House Hilton (Water Tower Parlor, 6th Floor)

Session Leader: Jim Iorio (Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt University)

Join Jim Iorio for an open discussion all about the realities of graduate school, from choosing the best program for you, to navigating the busy schedule of a grad student, as well as transitioning out into the profession, and more. Candidates are encouraged to bring their questions.

Continuing Education sessions are free and open to all participants at the 2025 URTAs.
This session will take place in-person only. Space may be limited, arrive early.

About the Session Leader: Jim Iorio is a nationally recognized actor and director. New York credits include: Broadway in the Tony Award-nominated A View from the Bridge (w/Scarlett Johansson & Liev Schreiber), Off-Broadway in A Stone Carver  (opposite Dan Lauria), Kaos at the New York Theatre Workshop, directed by MacArthur Award-winner, Martha Clarke and the premier of Carson Krietzer’s Flesh and the Desert. Regional work: leading roles at major theatres nationwide, including the Guthrie Theatre, Utah Shakespeare Fest., Arizona Theatre, San Jose Rep, Missouri Rep, Portland Center Stage, Geva Theatre, Asolo Theatre and many more. Directing work includes a recent production of Pierrot Lunaire at Guarneri Hall in Chicago, the New York International Fringe Festival, Abingdon Theatre, the Asolo Theatre, dozens of university theatre productions and he is a recipient of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Directing Award. Television/film work includes principal roles on Grimm, Leverage, Multiple episodes of Law & Order, Queens Supreme, The Street, Another World, One Life to Live and has a recurring role on the audio drama: Mission: Rejected, now in its fifth season. Playwriting work: a new translation of Carlo Gozzi’s The Raven, and powerful 90-minute adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Julius Caesar and As You Like It (all available for production). He holds an MFA from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Acting Program and a certificate from the Moscow Art Theatre. He is an Associate Professor of Acting at the Chicago College of Performing Arts/Roosevelt University, where he serves as the Co-chair of the Interdisciplinary Conservatory and the Director of the Master of Arts in Theatre Directing Program.