FACULTY Directory

With a passion for the performing arts and a devotion to developing and inspiring new talent, there is no better person to creatively and artistically lead AMDA than David Martin. As a producer, director, actor and teacher, Martin has done it all, from staging New York, London and regional productions of Shakespeare, Chekhov, Ibsen and Wilde, to producing numerous television shows with actors John Houseman, James Earl Jones, Edward Herrmann and Sam Waterson, to gala events such as Broadway Plays Washington at the Kennedy Center featuring Beatrice Arthur, Pearl Bailey, Ellen Burstyn and Debbie Reynolds. In his early days at AMDA, Martin produced and directed many critically acclaimed fundraising productions that helped establish the school’s reputation as a world-class performing arts conservatory, includingSing Happy, a tribute to John Kander and Fred Ebb starring Liza Minnelli, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera; You’re the Top, a tribute to Cole Porter featuring Kevin Kline, Dick Cavett and Lucie Arnaz; and Hey, Look Me Over, a tribute to Cy Coleman starring Neil Simon, Imogene Coca and Mel Torme. Then, in the late 1970s, AMDA founder Philip H. Burton passed the torch on to Martin, who took over as Artistic Director. In the three decades since, Martin has overseen significant expansion, transforming the school into a thriving, fully accredited institution with campuses in both New York and Los Angeles.

Ronald Bemrich has been a member of the voice faculty at AMDA in both New York and Los Angeles. With degrees in Music Education, Voice, Opera, and Choral Conducting, he has worked as a teacher, performer and conductor in both Europe and North America. He has taught as a faculty member at institutions such as the University of Miami, Florida International University, New World School of the Arts, the International School of Brussels and the University of Windsor in Canada. As a conductor and music director, he has prepared and led numerous professional and amateur choral and orchestral organizations such as the Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Carnegie Hall Link-up Concerts Chorus, the Monmouth Civic Chorus and the Cocoanut Grove Playhouse. Mr. Bemrich's singing credits include solo work with the Opera of Flanders, the Royal Theatre of Mons, the Vlaams Kameropera, and the Cocoanut Grove Playhouse in Miami, plus numerous solo recitals including a series for the Ministre de la Culture Franç aise.

Composer/Lyricist/ Librettist: TRAN (Composer, Lyricist, Librettist, Performer), California State University, Nakumbuka Day; THE CLOUD GATHERER (Composer, Lyricist, Musical Director), California State University. Looking For Tarzan (Composer, Lyricist, Librettist, Musical Director, Performer), California Institute of the Arts; Escar Go! (Film Composer, Musical Director, Recording Artist),CSUSummer Arts, Fresno; THE TRIUMPh (Composer, Lyricist, Librettist, Performer, Director, Producer, Lighting Designer), L.A. Women's Theatre Festival, Los Angeles; THE TRIUMPH (Composer, Librettist, Performer, Director, Producer), 15 Minutes of Fem, Egyptian Arena Theatre, Hollywood, CA. Performance Highlights: GOSPEL CHOIR (Featured Vocalist), Christian Community Congregational Fellowship; The Vagina Monologues (Director, Producer, Actor-The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy), California State University, Los Angeles; Porgy & Bess (Opera Chorus), LA Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles; WorkinG (Ensemble), (concert version) Broadway Reprise!, Los Angeles; REMYTH: The Horse Project (Actor-Not the Mayflower), Bay Area Playwrights’ Festival, San Francisco; THE  HOLOGRAM THEORY (Actor-Patsy), (workshop, playwright Jessica Goldberg), Magic Theatre, San Francisco; The Shaggs: Philosophy of the WOrld (Singer/Actor-Dorothy “Dot” Wiggen), (workshop) TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, CA; A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Singer/Actor -Mrs. Filcher, Meg), American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco; GODSPELL (Singer/Actor-Joanne), Lyceum Stage, San Diego; GIRL BAR (Actor-Jean), Diversionary Theatre, San Diego; PEOPLE LIKE U (Actor-Carol), Gregg Ward Productions, San Diego; OH KAY! ( Singer/Actor/Dancer –Kay), San Diego Comic Opera, San Diego. THE BLOOD OF OUR CHILDREN (Playwright, Director, Production Designer, Actor-Yvonne), San Diego Actors' Festival, San Diego. Teaching Experience:Teaching Artist, Elements of the Aria/ Composing Modern Opera, The Heart Project, Los Angeles. Research Coordinator, Project Composer, Payton Foundation Spirituals Project, Los Angeles. Music Engraver, Copy Editor, Amimo Productions: Brazilian Percussion Basics, San Francisco. Founder, Artistic Director, Theatre Arts Teacher, Watt-Her Colors Arts Organization, California State University. Cultural Affairs Director, Artist in Residence, South Central Women’s Media Collective, KPFK Public Radio (90.7FM), Los Angeles. Theatre Program Director, Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Teacher, WattsLabor Community Action Committee, Watts, CA. Voice Studio, Private and Group Instruction, Los Angeles, San Diego.

Joel directed the original production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change which ran for 12 years and 5,003 performances, making it the second longest running musical in off-Broadway history. He also directed I Love You…in several cities across North America, London’s West End, Tokyo, and the Mandarin language production in Shanghai and Beijing. Joel also directed the original production of Over the River and Through the Woods at off-Broadway’s John Houseman Theatre. Other directing credits include a Japanese language production of Annie in Tokyo and throughout Japan (now in its 13^th year), The Kiss at City Hall at Pasadena Playhouse, The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife at Laguna Playhouse, Sylvia (starring Cathy Rigby) and Too Old for the Chorus at La Mirada Center for the Performing Arts, Fully Committed at Coyote Stage Works, and Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera which played at The Opera Comique in Paris as part of the European tour. Mr. Bishoff also did the musical staging for the national tour of The Sound of Music starring Marie Osmond (which also toured Singapore and Korea) as well as the New York City Opera production starring Debby Boone. He has directed at the Long Wharf Theatre, Berkshire Theatre Festival, the New Yorker Theatre (Toronto), Gem Theatre (Detroit), Coronet Theatre (Los Angeles), Helen Hayes Performing Arts Center (Nyack), Stuart St. Playhouse (Boston), the Broward Center for the Performing Arts (Miami), The Royal George Theatre (Chicago), Theatre at Old Towne (San Diego) among others.

Bryan is a pianist and composer from Columbus, Ohio. Bryan has music directed Edges, Cabaret Sauvignon!, The Gitter Girl Project, and other productions in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Academy for New Musical Theatre, where his musical iWish was produced at the Colony Theater and UC Irvine. He also performs in Los Angeles with the blues duo Torch Note. Bryan studied film and music composition at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Acting, Los Angeles
Jen is a cross-disciplinary director, teacher and speaker. She draws from acting techniques, yoga, energy work, vocal exercises, storytelling, teambuilding, and creative movement to help people connect to their unique and powerful personal expression. Performance/Production Credits: Los Angeles Directing Credits: Resident Director at Santa Monica Rep, directing credits include How I Learned to Drive, The Tempest!, Rubber Room, The Learned Ladies. Chalk Rep- Hell Money, The Science Hippie’s Lament, Ellie’s Third Eye and the Death of Dreams, Department of the Interior. Theatricum Botanicum and L.A. Playwrights Union- regular director for New Play Development Programs. Rogue Machine Theatre- Kopros. Los Angeles Natural History Museum in collaboration with the Jim Henson Creature Shop- Dinosaur Encounters, Ice Age Encounters.Regional Directing Credits: Trinity Repertory Summer Shakespeare- The Tempest. The Gamm- The Weir.Numerous Academic Productions at Brown University, Clark University, and Providence College.Acting Credits include: Film: History with Holly (series of shorts as title character), Evil Genius Productions. Theatre: The Gamm, Red Noses. Elemental Theatre: The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Company Member for Living Literature and Elemental Theatre, 2001-2006.  Hosting: SHINE storytelling 2012 to present, LA Natural History Museum 2008-2011, Rock Yoga and Yoga in the Car (Live Events and CD series), 2008-2010. Teaching Experience: Improvisation, Introduction to Theatre, Yoga and Movement Consultant for the Theatre Department, Providence College. Acting Technique, Scene Study, Improvisation, Voice & Speech, Period Styles, Introduction to the Theatre, Yoga and Movement Consultant for the Theatre Department, Rhode Island College. Cross-disciplinary curriculum development and core teacher for Yoga and Acting, Theatre Dojo. Scene Study, Perishable Theatre.Private Teaching: Audition coach, Scene Study, and Yoga since 2006.Guest Artist and/or Workshop Presenter at Santa Monica Rep, Director’s Lab West, American Jewish University, UCSB, USC, UCLArts and Healing Initiative.ARC Grant Recipient for Directing- 2010

Writer, director, coach. Creator and writer of the soon-to-be-released short film ALTER-EGO, a New Kind of Superhero. Winner of the New Noises Playwriting Award and finalist in the Palm Springs International Playwriting Festival for the drama A Place at Forest Lawn, which received its world premiere at the Arvada Center for the Humanities in Colorado, where it garnered rave reviews. The play has since been published by Dramatists Play Service. Writer, producer and director of the short film Third Strike. Directed extensively for the New York and Los Angeles stages and continues to coach professional actors, directors and writers in all disciplines. Acting consultant on Exposure, directed by Academy Award–nominated Walter Salles, Jr.; Disney’s The Jungle Book; and the recently released Lucky 13, as well as numerous other film and television projects. Performed on Broadway, off-Broadway and in national tours. Teaching credits include the Nina Foch Studio, Hollywood Way Studios and the USC School of Cinema-Television in the directing and writing programs.

Teacher, music director, singer/songwriter, composer. Music director for For the Record (www.fortherecordlive.com) since 2010. Performed with countless Broadway, film and TV stars including Eden Espinosa, Shoshana Bean, Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Michael Urie, Tracie Thoms, Chad Kimball, Valarie Pettiford, Tiffany, and Alan Cumming. Other music director credits include Altar Boyz, Little Shop Of Horrors, Cabaretand an original adaptation of the movie Sidewayswith music/lyrics by Christopher and sister Melessa Bratten. Onstage, local theatre credits include Big River; Barnum; Joseph; Brigadoon; Fiddler; Into the Woods; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; and The Wizard of Oz. Teacher of piano, voice and musicianship since 2001.

Actor and director. Film credits include YMI, Contact, Gang Related, Firestarter: Rekindled, Innocent Victims and The Deadline. Television credits include guest-starring roles on Haunted, Baywatch, Hunter, General Hospital, Port Charles, Men Behaving Badly and The Chronicle. Performed major roles at regional theatres around the country, including the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.; The Orlando Shakespeare Festival; PCPA Theaterfest; and Sierra Repertory Theatre. Roles include Truscott in Loot, Brian in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg and Anton in The Inspector General. Regional stage-directing credits include The Tempest, Les Belles Soeurs and the world premiere of Fool’s Gold by award-winning playwright Norman Allen. Film and television directing credits include The Lie and the television pilot Spirit Connections. Has appeared in over 100 commercials, voice-overs and industrials. Emmy Blue Ribbon Panel Judge for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.