Rick D. Wasserman
Level I: Foundations
Rick D. Wasserman made his Broadway debut in THE LION KING which he also performed at L.A.’s Pantages Theatre. Favorite television credits include recurring roles on 24 (FOX), THE DISTRICT (CBS), and SUPAH NINJAS (NICKELODEON), plus guest-starring roles on HOUSE (FOX), BURN NOTICE (USA), WITHOUT A TRACE (CBS), and LAS VEGAS (NBC). Rick was in the Off-Broadway production of LETTERS FROM CUBA (Signature Theatre), THE TIN PAN ALLEY RAG (Wilma Theatre, Barrymore nom), and THE LAST NIGHT OF BALLYHOO (Denver Center Theatre Company and The Missouri Rep). He was last seen on stage in Malibu Stage Company’s LAUGH LINES, in Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL at The Matrix Theatre, and The Black Dahlia Theatre’s production of THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT as Sigmund Freud.
Rick is best known as the signature voice for AMC network, for voicing THOR and ABSORBING MAN for Marvel’s AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES, voicing the HULK for the feature PLANET HULK, he’s the voice of ROCKY the pigeon in the feature CATS & DOGS 2, he can be heard as various baddies in video games such as GOD OF WAR III, BIOSHOCK 2, BRUTAL LEGEND, DRAGON AGE 2 and BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM, he’s narrating documentary series for DISCOVERY, MSNBC and the UFC, and regularly voiced promos for HBO, TNT, THE HUB, ESPN, FOX SPORTS, and TBS among others.
He is the co-creator of the popular, long-running LA based actor’s group, The Playground. Rick received his BA in theatre arts from Temple University, he’s taught acting at the University of Missouri - Kansas City where he received his MFA in Acting, and he currently teaches voice-over at the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab and privately.
Rick recently moved to Monte Nido with his lovely wife, Tamara, his two beautiful sons and his miniature Labradoodle, Bowie.
Contact: [email protected]
Matthew Orduña
Level II: Techniques
Matthew Orduña attended the prestigious professional actor training program at the University of Washington where he received his Master in Fine Arts. While there he taught the 251, 252 and 253 Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced acting class to the undergraduate drama majors. He was program director in Seattle Washington for the Delridge Youth Center’s Acting program which specialized in presenting theatrical performance and training opportunities for at-risk youth.
In Los Angeles, he worked for Greenway Arts Alliance at Fairfax high school where he introduced the Shakespeare Performance program. He also worked with the special needs students in the Words in Action performance program. He was a lead teacher for the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company where he worked all over Los Angeles in probation camps and under-served schools with at risk youth creating and performing original scripts, including Camp David Gonzales where he helped facilitate over 13 original productions. Matt is currently working with PS Arts where he is the drama instructor for Camino El Nuevo Harvard working with young people ranging from 5 to 14 years of age.
Matt was a founding member of X Repertory Theatre’s Acting Conservatory where he taught beginning Shakespeare and Suzuki. As a private coach, Matt’s clients have worked professionally in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle. His clients have worked on Broadway, Regional Theatre, Network Television and in Motion Pictures.
As an actor he has worked professionally in New York, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles and internationally at the Recklinhausen Festival in Germany. He recently worked with Mo’oleo Theatre in the play Stick Fly as Flip and Clybourne Park at San Diego Repertory theater, where he played Albert/Kevin. He can be seen on the television shows Legit, Pretty Little Liars, The Family Tools and a recurring role on Sons of Anarchy. Matt’s production company Ben-not-Benjamin Productions just wrapped production on the comedy web series The Santa Clarita Evening News where Matt functioned as writer, actor and producer.
Contact: [email protected]
Michael Evans Lopez
Level II Acting: Advanced Techniques
Michael earned his MFA in Acting from the University of Washington’s Professional Actors Training Program where he also taught the Introductory Acting Series for the Bachelor of Acting Program. He then spent seven years living and working as an actor in New York City. Some favorite roles from this time include Hamlet with director Shonie Currier’s Shalomar Theatre, Sal in Douglas Maxwell’s Helmet (Best of the NY Fringe, 2007), Richard Nixon in Bernadette Flagler’s Nixons in Purgatory, Jimmy in Minnecanos at Mixed Blood Theater in Minnesota. Of special significance to him are the roles he originated in new works, including Michael in NYC Nerve Ensemble’s Phenomenon and Chung Ling Soo in The Mystery of Chung Ling Soo, a play created by the company of the Flying Carpet Theatre which subsequently garnered Best Out-of-Town Show of the Year 2005 recognition from Atlanta’s Creative Loafing Magazine and multiple 5-star reviews at the International Theater Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland leading to a tour of the show in Ireland. Michael also originated the role of Father Quinell in the World Premiere adaptation of Avi’s Crispin: The Cross of Lead at The People’s Light and Theatre in Philadelphia.
Michael began training in comedic improvisation at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and performed often on the UCB stage. He also continued his training as an actor with Master Teacher, Carol Fox Prescott.
Since coming to Los Angeles in 2008, Michael has continued working with the UCB Theatre, performing for the Harold team Lincoln’s Bedroom and has pursued classes with the Groundlings Theatre. He has appeared on Reno 911!, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien and Conan. His film work includes director Felix Martinez’s Santiago, The Lives of Better Men (Novus Productions) and Dust (Ember Lab Productions). Michael won a Portand Drammy Award for Supporting Actor in 2011 for playing Jocasta and Tieresias in Oedipus at The Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon. In 2012, he was named Best Comedic Actor of the Year by Denver’s WestWord Magazine for his portrayal of Macedonio Guerra in The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Curious Theatre.
Last fall, Michael wrote a screenplay that he and his cast mates from Elaborate Entrance… filmed to make a 40-minute short called Another Sunny Day in Denver. He directed his first film this year, the short Working Out the Kinks, for the 48 Hour Film Project LA, and he co-created the web series Makin’ It, for which he shot and directed three episodes.
Kiff VandenHeuvel
Actor’s Workout: Improvisation
Kiff VandenHeuvel is an actor, improvisor, and director who’s been performing sketch comedy for the past 15 years. Kiff has created many original shows for The Second City in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland and in Los Angeles. Kiff has taught improv with the Second City since 1998 and teaches and directs to this day.
Kiff’s work extends to television and film as well, recently appearing in a recurring role NBC’s Parks and Recreation, recurring performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, in Stephen Soderburgh’s Behind the Candelabra for HBO alongside Matt Damon and Dan Aykroyd, and lending his voice to Zachary Hale Comstock in the wildly successful video game Bioshock Infinite, as well as many national television and radio commercials. As an impressionist, Kiff’s work is in the feature film Bullet To The Head, The Internship, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and a variety of characters in Star Trek Into Darkness. Kiff lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.
Contact: [email protected]
Julia Holland
Musical Theater Performance
Julia Holland received the “2011 Music Educator of the Year” award from the Malibu Music Awards and currently runs her own busy piano and vocal studio. She currently sits on the board of directors of the Malibu Playhouse where she directed the John LaChiusa musical, The Wild Party and received an NAACP nomination for best director of a musical. At the Malibu Playhouse she also produced and starred in I Love You You’re Perfect, Now Change and in the title role of Victor/Victoria She is the original founder of Once Upon a Time Children’s Theatre, that produces a yearly Broadway musical extravaganza performed by children, also at Malibu Playhouse.
Julia received a degree in vocal performance from CSUN, and studied with many master teachers including Seth Riggs, Sandra Rohr, Donald Eaholtz and the late Phil Moore. She performed in many Los Angeles based musicals (one of her favorites being the L.A. Revival of The Rocky Horror Show) and performed a cabaret show around L.A. venues to great reviews. Her theatrical training was with Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse where she also did a stint as the producer of the New Play Workshops.
Her strong body of recording work includes studio jingles, voice overs and as featured artist on several albums including the top single on jazz legend Bill Pursell’s “Millenium” album, which led to her own record deal with Nashville’s Netcom Music. Julia also recorded with the 15 piece swing band The Avalon Cats “Four Feet to the Beat” album, and toured the jazz festival circuit with the band. Others recordings include duets on Laura Pursell’s “It Had To Be Swing” and pop album “Unkissed, ” the jazz vocal group “Licensed to Sing” and as an original member of the female singing ensemble “Les Ms.”
Also a songwriter, Julia is the creator and executive director of the Eco Hero Kids, a children’s pop vocal group that is getting national attention, dedicated to saving our environment www.EcoHeroKids.com. She also directs Malibu’s own ‘Bu Notes, a vocal performance group made up of Malibu’s legendary singing moms.
Contact: [email protected]