Paul Barber - Star Power Coach

PAUL BARBER wrote and produced television for 20 years, working on such shows as "X-Files", "21 Jump Street", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Profiler", Gene Roddenberry’s "Andromeda", "The Net", "WitchBlade", and "Nash Bridges", among many others. His first writing job for television was with the top-rated show at the time, "Cagney & Lacey". In film, Paul has worked with Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, Quincy Jones, and others, writing screenplays that have taken them to places as remote as the jungles of Burma and Thailand, Noriega’s Panama, J. Edgar Hoover’s America, and the Black Panther Party’s clash with 60’s racism and violence. Paul received his B.A. and M.F.A. from the University of California, Irvine in acting/directing, with a post-graduate scholarship to study at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Paul is pleased to be teaching Ongoing Acting classes as a part of the Rising Stars curriculum. Paul’s point of view summed up? “There’s no greater pleasure than seeing a child blossom before your eyes – to actually watch them discover their own sense of self, their own strengths and potentials.”

Thomas H. Talboy - Star Power Coach

THOMAS H. TALBOY has acted in numerous short films, plays and theatrical productions, including "After Words", "The Moment", Aristophanes’ "Frogs", Jean-Paul Sartre’s "Huis Clos", Edward Albee’s "Zoo Story", Alan Ayckbourn’s "Bedroom Farce". He recently directed Aristophanes’ "Birds". He has appeared on stage in the United States and England; he has also written several pending plays and screenplays. Tom has appeared on national television in a Travel Channel documentary “The Secrets of Ancient Greece” and on Japanese television in the “The Masters of Beauty” series, a documentary about the life of architect Charles Moore, the creator of Sea Ranch in Northern California. In addition to acting, Tom is passionate about language, art, history, culture and travel. Tom’s interest in acting and language lead him to pursue a Master’s Degree in Greek Drama and his fascination with Greek and Roman literature, art and culture lead him to earn a PhD in Classics, both at the University of Nottingham, England. When not working with his acting students, Tom teaches Latin at Town School for Boys in San Francisco. He spends his free time leading cultural tours in Italy, France, Greece and Spain with his tour company, Ubiquity International.

Frances Anita Rivera - Star Power Coach

FRANCES ANITA RIVERA has been in the arts since she was very young.  She began in The Stapleton School of Perfoming Arts, dancing and acting when she was four years old.  While attending she perfomed in ballet, jazz, modern, and character dance technique throughout high school.  She continued to dance through college and attained her BA in Dramatic Art from the University of California Santa Barbara.  She is a Equity actress that has worked with such theater companies as The Seattle Repertory Theater,  The Magic Theater in San Francisco, and The Phoeinx Theater in Arizona.  She also has two years towards her MFA in Theater from The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

David Beckett - Star Power Coach

DAVID BECKETT's television credits include principal roles on "Boston Legal", "Young & The Restless", MTV's   "Short Circuitz" and the series lead in PBS' "Math Matters". Commercially he has been seen in spots for Discover Card , Polaroid and E-Trade, in addition to many local campaigns and public service announcements. His film appearances include  "Timecop 2", "Yard Sale" and "No Chance" (Bronze award winner at the NY film festival). He toured with the Broadway production of Lincoln Center's Anything Goes . In New York he performed Off - Broadway with Circle Rep, Soho Rep and other companies, including leading roles with the Riverside Shakespeare Company. In California he has performed with such companies as Group Repertory Theater (Gene in I Never Sang for my Father ) and Fountain Theater where he created the character of the heroine's father in the world premiere of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is The Night. Mr. Beckett has also devoted much time to teaching. He has over twenty years experience; teaching in such places as the University Of Texas in Austin, San Diego Junior Theatre and World Talent Inc. as well as numerous private coaching clients. "On The Way To O'Neill's", a play on which he collaborated , was featured on Ten Grand Production's Cold Cut's Reading Series in New York last year, and is scheduled again to be presented in a reading in NYC in the near future. Mr. Beckett is a member of Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild and the American Guild of Musical Artists.

Romeo Marquez - Star Power Coach

ROMEO MARQUEZ Jr. has been highly involved with the youth for 8 years from sports to film production to hip-hop dancing to acting. He is a Bay Area native that attended Ohlone College in Fremont, Ca earning his Associates Degree in Fine Arts before earning his Bachelors of Arts Degree from UCLA's Theatre, Film, and Television School emphasizing in acting. Between the two schools, Romeo became a college award-winning actor and has been an Irene Ryan nominee twice in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (the largest college theatre festival in the U.S).   He has studied with notable names like Anthony Hopkins, Second City, and currently studying with Aaron Speiser (acting coach for stars such as Will Smith, the Rock, Jennifer Lopez). Romeo has worked at several top casting offices and talent agencies to further his knowledge of Hollywood. Some of the projects he has completed are music videos with Kelly Clarkson and the Black Eyed Peas, commercials for Fox Sports and Coca Cola, print work for Best Buy, television shows like The Shield, and Jim Carrey's upcoming movie the Number 23.   When he is not on set, every weekend Romeo flies to the Bay Area to coach at Rising Stars to continue empowering the youth.   He positively teaches that any dream will come alive through belief, hard work, and persistence. He teaches with great passion and positive energy that will have you come out of the classroom filled with enthusiasm.

Vivian G - Star Power Coach

VIVIAN G has been well immersed and voraciously active in the San Francisco film and theater community for over 10 years, producing and directing an extensive body of work. Vivian attended San Francisco State University, where she earned a B.A. in Cinema Studies and graduated with Cum-Laude honors. At SFSU, her area of special study was writing and directing. She later spent over 2 years studying Method Acting in an intensive program conducted by notable acting coach, Shelley Mitchell of the Actor’s Center of San Francisco. Vivian has worked as an apprentice screenwriter for Hollywood filmmaker Mark Hanlon. She has studied acting under Oscar winner Alan Arkin in a special workshop focused on improvisation technique. Vivian’s talent in film and theater spans the areas of both performance and production. She has worked as an editor for an independent feature film, which featured Adam Horovitz, also known as 'Ad Rock' from the legendary rap trio, The Beastie Boys. Vivian is a published poet with Watch Word Press of Berkeley, Ca. and a past finalist at the San Jose Poetry Slam. Vivian was also qualified as a teaching instructor for a Drama program supervised by the Campbell Union School District of California. She is a passionate proponent of the creative arts, and believes arts education benefits us all by making us more intelligent and aware human beings. She is thrilled to be working with all the wonderful people at Rising Stars, and feels deeply inspired by her shining acting students.

Giovannie Pico - Star Power Coach

Working actor GIOVANNIE PICO earned her Hollywood merits via her role as medical student Ludlow in NBC's long-running hospital drama "E.R." She has appeared in four "ER" episodes. She has also appeared recently in 2007 as Rose Alipio on Fox's Bones and "Karen" in the Gilmore Girls. You can also see her in national print and commercial advertisements as well as hear her voice as characters in international video games and cartoons. She has directed several theater productions at the Herbst Theater for the FWN Network for the last two years and her own production company, Desert Rose Productions, created the martial arts / sci-fi adventure “Kambal: the Twins of Prophecy,” with MTV Movie Award nominee Stephen Reedy.  She is also a contributing writer to Bay Area Casting News, Casting Connection, and other entertainment publications.

Quinne Brown - Star Power Coach

QUINNE BROWN'S life changed when she was given the role as Connie v d Lecq, in the very popular soap opera "7de Laan". For five years it became her life and she became used to the grueling schedule of the soap world. While acting in "7de Laan", she focused on training for the craft and art, taking classes with tutors, David Dennis and Annie Basson. Before becoming a professional actor, Quinne was pursuing an academic degree in Geography and Anthropology and traveling the world. Quinne was once involved in South Africa's transformation through her work with various charities. She has performed in music videos for artists, Klopjag and Vusi Moholo. She debuted on stage in the theater production "Hartsondes"(Crimes of the heart) with Henry Mylne as director for the Klein Karoo Arts Festival. Another favorite theatre production on her list was "Homebound" which she performed with Diaan Lawrenson in Capetown. Leaving the "7de Laan" set was not an easy step for her, however, with her versatility and her interest for different media and genres within the industry, it was time to move on. She moved on to work as a presenter and did work for the popular show "Pasella". She started her film career doing a feature "Ouma se slim kind" with Southern Sky Pictures, working with director Gustav Kuhn and names like Annalise Bosch and David Minnaar. She went on to be nominated for best supporting actress at the South African Film and Television Awards(SAFTA) and the film became a audience favorite also winning best screenplay. November 2006 brought her to San Francisco after she married. In the last year Quinne has signed with an agent, made more than ten short films around the Bay Area, done a few commercials with Sony and Logitech and also starred in Neil Simons "The Good Dr" on stage. She keeps studying with great teachers herself: Shari Carlson, Hester Schell, Celia Shuman, Elaine Clark, Deb Fink. Always aware of not taking any opportunities for granted, living in and for the moment, she is exited to teach and learn more about the craft of acting and working again with children, the story tellers of tomorrow.

Stephanie Maysonave - Star Power Coach

STEPHANIE MAYSONAVE received her acting degree from Marymount Manhattan Collegein NYC then spent two years working and acting in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last year she moved to London where she completed her Masters in Classical Acting at Central School of Speech and Drama. Most recently she was fortunate enough to attend a short course at the Moscow Art Theatre School which was founded by the godfather of acting himself, Constantin Stanislavski. Her professional experience includes working as a writer, director, acting coach, teacher and actress. Stephanie has worked on the stage, in television and film and has studied jazz, ballet, and ballroom dancing. She has worked with children both as an educator and a guardian for over a decade and is very passionate about training children to act.

Steve Budd - Star Power Coach

STEVE BUDD has been acting for 20 years - on both coasts and in Israel - and has a wealth of experience on stage, in independent film, and in commercials and industrials. He also performs improv and standup comedy. Steve's favorite theater roles include Sebastian in Twelfth Night, James Hennessey in Biloxi Blues, Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tim Timko in Reckless at the San Francisco Playhouse, Ethan's Dad in Based on a Totally True Story at the New Conservatory Theatre, and Joey Bishop in The Tribute at the Post Street Theatre. He's appeared in countless corporate videos for such companies as Sun Microsystems, Adobe, Target, Fidelity, and New England Power. Steve has taught writing and literature at several colleges, including MIT, Boston University, Suffolk University, and Bentley College. He's worked with kids as a camp counselor, environmental education instructor, and English teacher, and loves sharing his passion for acting and his expertise with on-camera technique with kids at Rising Stars. Steve holds a BA in Psychology-Sociology from Wesleyan University and an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University. "I just wanted to give a little shout out about Steve Budd and the Acting Boot Camp. He is excellent!  I was able to be a parent volunteer yesterday so I really got to see him at work with the kids. He is very good with them, has so much to teach them, delivers it all with a good balance of seriousness, playfulness and strictness", recently wrote a student's parent.

Mark Muranyi - Star Power Coach

MARK MURANYI began acting at the age of 9, acting in school plays as a youngster and on throughout his high school years. After a four year stint in the Marine Corps., Mark began acting in community theatre in his hometown of Buffalo, NY while attending college to get his teaching degree and certification. Mark spent 3 years as a high school History and drama teacher and hold a Masters degree in Education. In 1999 and 2000, Mark won "Best Male Lead" in Buffalo Theatre for his portrayals of Brick Pollitt in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman" respectively. In 2003, Mark left his teaching career to pursue movie and television acting in Los Angeles. He attended Christina Ferra-Gilmore's Actor's Edge Studio for 3 years and transformed himself from a powerful stage actor, to a subtle and believable on-screen performer. While at the Actor's Edge, Mark honed his skills in audition technique, commercial technique, method acting, meisner, and improv. Mark also began working as a teacher at the actor's edge teaching adult and children's classes. in 2005, Mark moved on to the famous Groundlings theatre to concentrate on impovisation and has been studying there ever since. Mark has appeared in numerous independant features and shorts and has had guest star appearances on "Criminal Minds" and "Pepper Dennis". Mark has recently begun doing stand-up comedy as well. He recently performed the 'fresh faces of comedy' show at The Improv in Hollywood, and can be seen frequenting the local open mic sessions. Currently, as a "Rising Stars" instructor, Mark uses his experience as a stage actor, on-screen actor, live improv. performer, Marine, and high school teacher to create a teaching style that emphasizes fun and realism, with the onus on discipline for maximum learning potential.

Mark Mazur - Star Power Coach

MARC MAZUR has been a working actor for several years. He has accumulated numerous film and television credits as well as roles in live theater and commercials. Marc was a student at The United States Airforce Academy and was a student athlete at Arizona State University where he played football and ran track. His education and grasp of discipline combined with his athleticism and physicality have served to inspire powerful performances from the Rising Stars students. Marc studied acting at many acting schools and workshops including The Actors Edge Academy under Christina Ferra-Gilmore and Gene Gilmore. His training focused on: Method acting, Cold reading and auditioning technique, comedy and commercial acting technique. Marc has been teaching children’s acting classes since 2004 with Rising Stars as well as a special acting course which Christina and Gene created for underprivileged children in El Monte, CA. Marc’s experience with children also includes working with the Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization. Marc is a resident of Los Angeles and travels to various locations throughout California to teach our young Rising Stars.

Jerome Caldwell - Star Power Coach

JEROME CALDWELL has always been considered a character that has the diversity to play dramatic as well as comedic roles. Born in Oakland, California, at the tender age of 5, he was reciting Christmas poems and Easter speeches and later became the Co- Director of the Music & Creative Arts Department at the Victory Baptist Church of Oakland. Some of his duties were to create talent shows and work with hidden talent with the youth by teaching dance and theater technique.   After joining the Drama Department in High School, it was obvious that he was born to entertain and with raving reviews from the audience after every performance, he knew that the stage was going to be familiar territory and made a serious decision to quit his well-paying job and move to L.A. to embark on an acting career. His theater performances include leading roles in "Good Lord, What Is This World Coming To?, A Man That Finds A Wife Finds A Good Thing, Candy Ain't Always Sweet, The Sam Cooke Story" and "Faith Hope & Charity". His acting diversity has also been displayed in several independent short films and features such as African Folklore, Happy Killers (AFI), and 20 Minutes. He also Co-Starred on "The Shield", and has worked as Dennis Quaids secret service agent in American Dreamz. Jerome is constantly working to improve his craft and accepts nothing but the best of what life has to offer. Jerome makes home in both Oakland, CA and Los Angeles, CA and continues to teach the youth who he believes are the next generation of Rising Stars.

Jeff Cohlman - Star Power Coach

JEFF COHLMAN is an actor, director, solo recording artist, writer, drummer, producer, film-maker and most importantly a teacher. He has received training in stage and film acting from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena as well as The Groundlings school of improvisation in Hollywood. He has worked in front of the camera for Universal pictures, Expression Center for New Media, The 48 hour Film Project as well as many of his own short films which he writes and produces himself. Jeff proudly has a number of commercial and voice over credits to his name and plays the drums with a multitude of popular musical acts all over California. Jeff has been involved in the entertainment industry for 20 years and is proud to share his education with the talented young people of the Bay Area, the beautiful place he was raised, and loves so much.

Matthew Magennis - Star Power Coach

MATTHEW MAGENNIS received his Film Production degree from Hunter College in New York City. Starting off behind camera, Matthew worked on several feature films in the Boston area. He began acting in film shorts from networking with other filmmakers he worked alongside. Matthew then moved out to Los Angeles to produce, direct and act in a movie that he had written. His first feature length role was in a low budget movie “On the Fringe”. In the Bay Area, he performed in the features “Miyuki” and “Big Top”. He has also acted in commercials, industrial videos, theater, television, and varied film shorts. Matthew is currently producing a feature planned to shoot in August of this year.

Ariel Hart - Star Power Coach

ARIEL HART has been an enthusiast of the arts since a very young age. She spent her summers growing up at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Camp, Where she developed her passion and love for the craft of acting. Ariel completed an acting/movement Intensive at Friches Theatre Urbain in Paris France. She studied for her B.F.A. in Performance at Naropa University in Boulder Colorado. For the Past two years Ariel has been living and working as an actor in the Bay Area, pursuing Commercial, Industrial, Independent Film Projects, and Theater. Most recently she completed her Meisner Training, at the Meisner School of Acting in San Francisco. Ariel gets great joy facilitating the creative process for kids to develop a deeper understanding of the craft of acting, and the courage to follow their dreams.

Rebekah Sunny Dawn Jones - Star Power Coach

REBEKAH SUNNY DAWN JONES ("Bekah"), has been involved in the arts for over 12 years. She earned her Bachelor of Art’s degrees in both Theatre and Communication from the University of California, San Diego. She also received additional acting training from the UCLA theatre department and the Groundlings theatre in Hollywood. Bekah was born and raised in Visalia, California and made San Diego, CA her home in 2001. Some of her local acting credits include principle roles reenacting true life events for a FOX production called "Life Lessons", principal roles in independent films including films submitted to the Sundance film festival, work on the sets of "One Tree Hill" and "Veronica Mars", local Commercials and voice work. She also enjoys doing promotional modeling for companies such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, and Saturn. Bekah has been actively working with children and children’s organizations for the past 10 years. From summer camps, to mentoring at risk youth, to coaching theatre and other arts; her passion is to help enrich the lives of children by helping them to reach their full potential and dreams. She plans on continuing her work with children and the entertainment industry to provide her with the skills necessary to open a theatre arts based non-profit for kids someday.