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.

Stacy Lee Tilton (Musical Theatre, New York) Actress, singer, writer, director. Broadway: Jane Ashton in Brigadoon.  International: Not What It Seems To Be in Kiev, Ukraine and With Fairest Flowers in Shanghai, China. Selected New York and Regional stage credits include: Emma Goldman (Young Edgar), Elizabeth Beaconsfield (Jekyll & Hyde), Augusta Gein (The Butcher of Plainfield), One Woman Show (Midway Point), Witch (Into the Woods), Woman 2 (Closer Than Ever), Mazeppa (Gypsy), Nancy (Oliver), Maria (The Sound of Music), Miss Hannigan (Annie), Narrator (Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). New York Club appearances at Don’t Tell Mama, The Triad, Danny’s Skylight Room, Back Fence, The Supper Club, Cornelia Street Café, Duplex. V0G for Americans for the Arts and Human Rights Campaign. Two time winner in the New York Singing Teacher’s Association Musical Theatre Competition. Training: B.A. Acting/Directing, California State University, Long Beach; AMDA, NY. Unions: AEA, AGMA.

Joseph Travers (Stage Combat, New York) has created fights, stunts and action sequences for stage and screen for twenty - five years, working with performers such as Mia Farrow, Julia Stiles, Mary Louise Parker, Peter Strauss and John Cullum, and directors such as James Lapine, Anne Bogart and Michael Greif .  Head of AMDA’s stage combat program in NYC.  Founder and Managing Director of Swordplay, NYC’s longest running stage combat school.  Teaches at Columbia University, Swordplay; taught at Lee Strasberg, SUNY Rockland, Mannes College of Music.  Websites: www.swordplaystagecombat.com and www.jt4fights.com.

ELISA VAN DUYNE, an accomplished actress, has performed in several Broadway musicals including: Silly Girl in "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST," Lily Ann Beasley in Roundabout's "110 IN THE SHADE" starring Audra McDonald, Lorraine/Anytime Annie cover in "42ND STREET" and Dance Capt/Sharon cover in "FINIAN'S RAINBOW."    Most recently, she played the role of  Irene Roth in Sacramento Music Circus' "CRAZY FOR YOU."  Other regional credits include The Kennedy Center's "RAGTIME,"  Susan in Geva Theatre's "COMPANY," Young Little Edie in the regional premier of "GREY GARDENS,"  Milly Bradon in "SEVEN BRIDES...", and Else Schraeder at Fulton Theatre's "SOUND OF MUSIC."   As an arts educator, she has taught at Steps, Broadway Dance Center, Mount Holyoke College, and Fulton Theatre Youth Outreach Program.

Originally from Ontario Canada, Jena discovered her love for dance at the age of three.  Competing throughout Canada and the United States, top awards include Mini, Junior and Miss Dance of Western New York - Dance Masters of America, and top scholarship winner from Tremaine Dance Convention and West Coast Dance Alliance.  Jena performed alongside Geri Hallowell, Nora Jones and Lionel Richie in Toronto's Fashion Cares, and can also be seen in the feature film 'Bollywood/Hollywood', choreographed by David Connolly - one of Canada's most highly sought-after choreographers.  Living and working professionally in New York City for the last 8 years, Jena's favorite credits include A Chorus Line (Cassie), Footloose (Ariel cover) directed/choreographed by Emmy award winning Broadway choreographer, AC Cuilla, CATS (Elektra/swing),A Chorus Line (Vicki/swing),Broadway Our Way (featured performer - Turks and Caicos Islands), and Walnut St Theatres' production of Curtains. Recently, Jena appeared Off-Broadway in Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project, choreographed/directed by Chet Walker. Recently, Jena was a featured cast member of Chet Walker's world premier "Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project: (Queens Theatre, 2012) and in "Zelda-An Amderican Love Story" (Flat Rock Playhouse, 2012; original choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and directed by Vince Marini).

Conductor, keyboardist. Musicals: Damn Yankees with Jamie Farr (Cape Playhouse, Mass.), Camelot (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Me and My Girl (Westchester Broadway), Godspell (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), 1992–1993 Peter Pan international tour (U.S., Canada, East Asia), The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Ball State University). Off-Broadway: Oh, Coward! (Irish Repertory). Opera: Berkshire, Indianapolis, Light Opera of New York, Metro Lyric Opera (NJ), Opera Naples (FL). Academic: Ball State University (Assistant Professor of Theatre); University of Arkansas Opera Theatre. Masterclasses: Arkansas NATS Competition. Resident coach: Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium, Pacific Scenes International, Voce Doro Foundation. Classical accompanist: Weil Recital Hall, Smithsonian Institution. Published: Opera News, Stereophile, Listener, Time Out/NY, acclaimed British classical music site MusicWeb International.

Singer, songwriter, actor, conductor, vocal coach. NYC, off-Broadway and regional musical theatre credits include leading roles inJust One of Thoses Things, Santa Goes Boating, A Broadway Christmas Carol, Georgia Boy, Dressing Up Is Hard to Do, La Contessa’s Stars and Stars (Mr. UPS),The Wizard of Oz (Tin Man),The X Files (Bill Clinton) and Hello, Dolly! (Cornelius Hackl). As a singer and concert artist, Robert has performed musical theatre, gospel, pop, country, R&B and classical music throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has also conducted church choirs, orchestras and handbell choirs throughout the U.S. Opera/operetta credits: War and Peace (Metropolitan Opera),HMS Pinafore (Atlanta Lyric Opera) and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Private vocal instructor. Website: www.robertvestmusic.com.

He was awarded the 2002 St. Clair Bayfield Award for Outstanding Shakespeare Performance in the metropolitan NYC area for his work as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing. Broadway:Arcadia, Hedda Gabler, A Man for All Seasons, Boeing-Boeing, Naked Girl on the Appian Way, Democracy, Betrayal, The Real Thing, The School for Scandal, Inherit the Wind. Off-Broadway: 19 shows including Glimmer, Glimmer and Shine; Eyes for Consuela (MTC); Langella’s Cyrano (Roundabout);Resident-Pearl Theatre tour:M. Butterfly; The Acting Company. Regional: Over 40 lead/featured roles including Romeo, Macbeth, Torvald, Orsino, Berowne. Multiple television and film appearances, most recently Remember, directed by AMDA faculty member Jason Chaet and Armondo Riesco. Directing: Comedie of Errors (Brooklyn College), The Way of the World (Pearl), As You Like It (KCSC), multiple AMDA showcases, others. Reading: “Just South of Paradise” by Charlotte Wooden with AMDA Faculty Dr. Roxanna Stuart, Randolf Pearson, Angela Eckhardt and Alum Olivia Virta Wooden.  Teaching: AMDA, NYU/PHTS.

Bass-baritone. Appeared in two Broadway shows and several television commercials, as well as with the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Performed with regional companies in the New York City area, across the United States and in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. Recently appeared in the role of Herod with EOS Orchestra in the national radio broadcast. Musical credits include the role of Stewpot in South Pacific, performed at the New York City Opera. Previous teaching credits: Douglaston School of Music and Art, Pakhuis School of Music (Amsterdam) and private voice studio in Amsterdam and New York.

Faculty member at AMDA since 1998, teaching voice production and speech classes, American standard and warm-ups. Faculty member, Montclair State University Department of Theatre and Dance, teaching voice for the performer (all levels), dialects, acting, acting styles, advanced graduate acting workshops; is assistant director and vocal coach on mainstage and studio programs; CAP21 for NYU Tisch School of the Arts Musical Theatre Program: voice and speech; guest artist at leading secondary arts schools, including the Bergen Academies and the Haverford School. Private NY studio: voice, speech, accent reduction.