ADULT
LTA offers classes for adults three times throughout the year; Fall sessions start in September, Winter/Spring sessions start in January and abbreviated Summer sessions start in June. All tuition is due at the time of registration. Our schedule of current classes and secure online registration is available below. You may also register by phone at 703-683-5778 x 2.
YOUTH
LTA offers classes for children (kindergarten – 8th Grade) three times throughout the year; Fall sessions start in September, Winter/Spring sessions start in January and abbreviated Summer sessions start in June. All tuition is due at the time of registration. Our schedule of classes and secure online registration is available below. You may also register by phone at 703-683-5778 x 2.
TOTS
LTA offers classes for tots and preschoolers (ages 3-5) three times throughout the year; Fall sessions start in September, Winter/Spring sessions start in January and abbreviated Summer sessions start in June. All tuition is due at the time of registration. Our schedule of classes and secure online registration is available below. You may also register by phone at 703-683-5778 x 2.
IMPROV
LTA offers improv classes three times throughout the year; Fall sessions start in September, Winter/Spring sessions start in January and abbreviated Summer sessions start in June. All tuition is due at the time of registration. Our schedule of classes and secure online registration is available below:
CLICK HERE: Summer Adult Improv Classes
CLICK HERE: Summer Camp Improv Sessions for Kids
You may also register by phone at 703-683-5778 x 2.
Join us for some upcoming Improv events at LTA:
The Retrocessionist Improv Troupe
They’ll use your suggestions to create a fun night of improv! Snacks and drinks will be served. All current LTA Improv students get in free. Everyone else pay what you choose ($5 recommended donation). Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @retrocessionist to learn more about their upcoming shows!
Upcoming shows: April 7 and May 19
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
The Little Theatre of Alexandria
General High School Scholarship Award
The Little Theater of Alexandria recognizes outstanding high school students by awarding annual academic scholarships to deserving students. Through generous donations, LTA is able to offer annual one-time $1,000 college scholarships to local students. In 2015, LTA introduced these General High School Scholarship Awards, inviting Producers, Directors, and Committee Chairmen to annually nominate talented high school juniors and seniors who have taken part in at least one Main Stage production at LTA for consideration for these awards.
LTA offers a maximum of two annual General High School Scholarship Awards of $1,000 each to high school students who have participated in the LTA Student Intern Program in at least one Main Stage show at The Little Theater of Alexandria, one student as an actor and one in an area of technical support. Nominations of eligible students should be submitted to the Governor of Development by Producers, Directors, and Committee Chairmen throughout each year. From the list of nominations, the LTA Scholarship Selection Committee will select two recipients − one actor and one who has worked with the technical staff − and present them with scholarships at the theater’s Annual Awards Night Ceremony in the fall.
Students awarded these scholarships are not required to select Theater as their field of study.
Eligible students must exhibit the following criteria:
1. Be a high school senior or rising junior from a Northern Virginia/Alexandria school
2. Be a U.S. citizen and plan to use the scholarship for tuition assistance
3. Maintain a high school scholastic GPA of0 or greater throughout their junior/senior year
4. Must attend college or technical school following high school graduation
5. Must have been a volunteer with The Little Theatre of Alexandria in the area of acting, technical, or general theater craft on at least one main stage LTA production within 18 months of this application
Nominees and acceptable applications will be automatically submitted for consideration.
Completed applications can be submitted to the Governor of Development through the Business Office or be mailed to LTA:
Scholarship Committee
The Little Theatre of Alexandria
600 Wolfe Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Applications must be postmarked or registered with the LTA Business Office no later than June 1.
Application Form:
A scholarship application form can be downloaded by clicking HERE.
DC CONNECTION June 29 – July 1, 2018
To learn more about Actors Connection and to register click HERE
TEACHERS
RICH AMADA
RICH AMADA is an award-winning dramatist and Emmy-winning former TV journalist. His plays have been produced around the country, including in: Washington, D.C.; New York City; Maryland; Florida; and Arizona. Rich served for five years as D.C./Baltimore Regional Representative of the Dramatists Guild. Among his multiple playwriting awards are a Playwriting Fellowship from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and an Individual Artist Award in Playwriting from the Maryland State Arts Council. Rich also directs and acts. Additionally, he is an attorney whose practice includes counseling and representing people in the arts.
MICHAEL BAKER, JR.
MICHAEL BAKER, JR. is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV host, reporter and producer. He has also garnered 6 National Telly Awards, 5 Videographer Awards and a Marcom Creative Award. He hosted and produced a talk show on Bravo for six years. Mike has garnered multiple awards for his performances in musical comedy and dramatic theatre. He has worked in New York as an actor and voice over artist and has sung at The Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and The White House. He has appeared in 30 LTA productions over the years.
BEVERLEY BENDA
BEVERLEY BENDA, a professional singer by trade, is a classical soprano with The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own”, and Programming NCO and Script Writer for their Public Affairs Office. She has performance and teaching degrees from James Madison University, Eastern Illinois University, and The Eastman School of Music, and has appeared in a variety of musical productions including Brigadoon, Carmen, Carousel, Oklahoma!, Kismet, The Pirates of Penzance, Dialogue of the Carmelites, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, Hollywood Pinafore, It’s A Grand Night for Singing, and the first revival of Call Me Mister. As a private voice teacher and vocal coach, her class at LTA is the longest-running in the theater’s history. She is also on the LTA Board of Governor and is an award-winning costumer.
JULI TARABECK BLACKER
JULI TARABECK BLACKER has a B.A in Anthropology from JMU and an M.A in Anthropology from the University of Kansas. She has recently gotten back into the theatre world, acting in The Tempest at Aldersgate and directing “Capsmittment” at LTA (2017, staged reading) and Vienna (2018, full production). She also has a history with Shakespeare, directing Merchant of Venice at JMU in 2008 and Hamlet at Port City in 2017.
KATHERINE M. DILLABER
KATHERINE M. DILLABER is a JMU graduate, with a B.A in Communication Arts & Educational Certification, plus graduate studies. Post college, she performed at “Tecumseh”, Ohio; ‘Land of Oz’, N. C.; Busch Gardens, Williamsburg; and local theatres. Since 2013, she participates annually in the Broadway Teachers Workshop, NYC, working with Broadway’s top artists onstage & backstage. Workshops explored the theatre craft as it pertains to school & community productions. Other experiences include a techie backstage and a theatre instructor where she has directed numerous children’s productions. Her professional education, theatre positions, and years of ballet training (Cecchetti method) are constant resources for classes.
PAUL DONAHOE
PAUL DONAHOE studied acting at Ohio University and received his BFA (Summa Cum Laude). He continued in their 3 year Professional Actor’s Training Program and received his MFA. As a member of Actor’s Equity he appeared as Richard in “AH! Wilderness”, Francisco/Mime in Hamlet with Harry Hamlin, and 2 times as Mrs. Fezziwig (yes Mrs,) and Lead Male Dancer in “A Christmas Carol” at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton,NJ. At the Intiman Theater in Seattle,WA he portrayed Edmund in “A Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with Barbara Bain, The Bridegroom in “Blood Wedding” with Carmen de Lavallade and Diego in “Myth Weavers.” He was Director of International Artist Development at Capitol/EMI Records, worked with the homeless HIV population in NYC and spent 15 years in the country working in horticulture and managing horse farms. At LTA Paul played Bob Ewell in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” At Port City Playhouse he portrayed Wilhelm Furtwangler in “Taking Sides” and with Through The 4th Wall he played the Detective in “A Dream Within A Dream:Madness” at The Torpedo Factory.
ASHLEY HAMMOND
ASHLEY HAMMOND graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.F.A. in Acting. She toured professionally and taught children’s theatre for many years, traveling all over the eastern part of the country. She has been teaching acting at LTA and in the DC metro area for over 10 years. In addition to teaching, she is also the Managing Director of Educational Theatre Company.
SARAH HOLT
SARAH HOLT launched LTA’s improv classes back in 2001. A graduate of The Groundlings training program in NYC, she performed with various groups there before moving down to the nation’s capital and joining a then-fledgling troupe of nine members called Washington Improv Theater (WIT). She now performs with LTA’s house troupe The Retrocessionists and teaches improv workshops at The Actors’ Center. Sarah brings her extensive resume as an actor to her improv classes, encouraging students to play real and let funny happen. Recent acting credits include performances with The Little Theatre of Alexandria, The Keegan Theatre, the Folger Theatre, Nextstop Theatre, and the Source Festival. Through her company Mixed Minds (www.mixedminds.biz), Sarah combines her improv expertise and long-time corporate communications experience to provide workshops that enliven group dynamics for better collaboration and bigger ideas.
KEELY KIRK
KEELY KIRK began her improv career with Mental Floss, a Miami-based improv/sketch troupe. She went on to be a principle performer for over ten years with Laughing Gas Comedy Improv – Miami’s longest- running improv theater company. Keely relocated to the epicenter for improv, Chicago, and trained with iO (formerly Improv Olympics) and Second City. Currently Keely teaches, develops and delivers fun, fast-paced, interactive training and unforgettable events using theater improvisation techniques. Through her company, Playing OUTSIDE the Lines LLC, she has provided team building workshops for businesses, law firms, accounting firms, schools, as well as numerous Fortune 500 companies. She consults with businesses and training facilities in the Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia area. In addition to teaching, Keely also performs with various improv groups around the country.
ROBERTA MASTERS-CULLEN
ROBERTA MASTERS-CULLEN has been teaching children’s classes and camps at the Little Theatre for nine years. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild specializing in radio and television voiceovers, and has been a television news anchor and reporter. Roberta teaches acting at Burgundy Farm Country Day School and in the Alexandria City schools program.
MICHAEL PAGE
MICHAEL PAGE graduated from Christopher Newport University with a Bachelor’s degree in Theater, focusing on Musical Theater Performance, Directing, Dance/Choreography, and Lighting. He has been very active for the past 10 years in the Alexandria theater community, working with theaters such as; MVCCT, PCP, ACCT, and LTA. He has directed, choreographed, and fight choreographed children and adults alike. He has a passion for teaching the performing arts in a logical way, while inspiring creativity and individual expression. Michael has been LTA’s camp director for the past two years during which time the camps experienced unprecedented growth.
FRANK PASQUALINO
FRANK PASQUALINO Over the years, Frank has been involved with every aspect of theatre, from acting, directing, set designing, stage managing, set building, sound designing, and even producing on occasion. He has directed more than 50 productions, most recently Foxfire, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Once Upon A Mattress. He also directed Intimate Apparel which received the Ruby Griffith Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Play. Frank has also received two WATCH nominations for directing, and three WATCH nominations for Set Design, Construction, and Sound Design, as well numerous awards and nominations for other technical achievements within the theatre.
SUE PINKMAN
SUE PINKMAN earned her BFA from the Florida State University Theatre Department, and has been acting and directing in the northern Virginia area since 1978. Her ‘home base’ for over 35 years has been The Reston Community Players, where she worked in every aspect of theatre from marketing to producing, directing and acting. Some of her favorite roles from her varied past include Adelaide (Guys and Dolls), Dolly Levi (Hello Dolly), The Witch (Into the Woods), Mother Superior (Nunsense), and Carmen Bernstein (Curtains). Her Reston directing credits include 1776, The King and I, Proof, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Full Monty, Shrek the Musical, to name a few, and ART at LTA. She is most proud of the record breaking 15-Watch Awards (including Best Director) for LTA’s production of Hairspray in 2011. When not directing, she coaches actors individually for auditions as well as character development.
HEATHER SANDERSON
HEATHER SANDERSON studied classical theatre at RADA in London and prior to moving to Alexandria acted extensively in the San Francisco Bay Area. As “Miss Heather”, she is known locally for instilling a love of theatre – in particular Shakespeare – into the hearts of children. Her youth Shakespeare troupes have performed in D.C. and in the U.K. and her privately coached monologue students have performed at the Shakespeare Theatre, the Ford’s Theatre and numerous community and children’s theatres in the area. Heather may be familiar to fans of British television programs through her Tea with Heather segments on Maryland Public Television’s Afternoon Tea.
JOHN WALDRON
JOHN WALDRON received his BFA in theatre from Virginia Commonwealth University. As an actor, director, and instructor, he has been working in the region for over 20 years. He has directed shows at Aldersgate and MVCCT. John can be seen in the motion picture ‘Talk To Me’ starring Don Cheadle and was featured on Investigative Discovery show ‘Who The Bleep!’ John is a member of the improvisation group, The Stagecoach Bandits.
LINDA WELLS
LINDA WELLS is a private vocal teacher/coach, working primarily with children and teens. She has appeared in many musical theatre productions locally and elsewhere including The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, The Sound of Music, 1776, The Most Happy Fella, Side by Side by Sondheim, Brigadoon, George M!, Fiorello!, Guys and Dolls, and Godspell. Linda is also a professional church soloist and pianist. She was the Children’s Vocal Coach for The Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA)’s Scrooge: The Musical, and the Musical Director for LTA’s A Christmas Carol (eight times) and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (twice); for Aldersgate Church Community Theatre’s Mulan, Jr.; and for Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theatre’s Narnia.