KATHLEEN KELLAIGH- ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CO-FOUNDER, ACTING (all levels), DIRECTING 
Kathleen Kellaigh, formerly of the CBS soap opera, GUIDING LIGHT, is an "all-around" theatre professional, equally at home on stage, in front of the camera, directing, producing, writing and teaching. Graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois, with a BFA in Theatre/Acting, her on-stage performances have been commended as "stellar," "right on the mark," "delightful," and "stand-out," and the shows she has directed have received similar accolades. Ms. Kellaigh and husband, Joel Robertson, founded Action Theatre in 1990 and continue to be the guiding forces of the non-profit tax-exempt corporation. Ms. Kellaigh's bio appears in several editions of Who's Who, including Who's Who in Entertainment, and Who's Who in American Women and she is proud to be featured in multiple editions of Who's Who in American Teachers.

JAVIER MOLINA - ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, ACTORS LAB 
Javier Molina served as ATC's first workstudy student back in the early 1990's. He went on to get his MFA in directing from Pace University and is now a lifetime member of the famed Actors Studio in NYC.  As of 2023, Jav also now serves as the Co-Aristic Director of the Actors Studio! Javier works on both coasts as a director, and has joined ATC's permanent staff as Associate Director. ATC is thrilled to have Javier moderate Actors Lab and Actors Gym, and advanced students flock to his classes.

JOEL ROBERTSON- CO-FOUNDERJoel Robertson was featured in the Broadway production of JEKYLL & HYDE as The Bishop of Basingstoke and was also in the Lincoln Center production of PARADE, directed by Hal Prince, at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. He received standing ovations for nine years in LES MISERABLES, six years in the original cast of CATS, and as Fyedka in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. He has been seen on ALL MY CHILDREN as Mort Greenway, and thrilled audiences as Santa in Radio City Music Hall's Christmas Spectacular, in Chicago. Mr. Robertson also performs in various benefits throughout the year and has been featured in Lincoln Center's "Meet The Artist" series. With wife and ATC co-founder, Kathleen Kellaigh, Mr. Robertson continues to bring vision and quality to the Conservatory program.


 

OUR TEACHING ARTISTS

KATHRYN DIPASQUALE-GREAT PRETENDERS Kathryn is a graduate of Temple University with a BA in Theatre, Communications and Dance.  She has been involved with different aspects of theatre for over 30 years and has acted in many plays and musicals (playing her favorite role as the Scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz”), directed several shows, choreographed, made costumes and much more.  Kathryn has been involved with Children’s Theatre for over 15 years and loves to work with children of all ages.  Her “Great Pretenders” group (ages 4-9) has performed at many elderly homes, veteran hospitals, and several homeless shelters.  Teaching theatre to the next generation is a true passion of hers.  Kathryn is very excited to be teaching at ATC Studios to help spread knowledge of the theatrical arts to the youth in this community.

RYAN HUBAN- IMPROV Ryan Huban founded the professional improv troupe, Howdy Stranger, through-which he currently performs and teaches improv comedy. Howdy Stranger has competed and won several competitions, including The Arena Improv Tournament in 2012 and Summer Improv League in 2011. They play in shows and festivals all over the Tri-State area. Ryan has studied comedy at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, The Magnet Theater, and Armando Diaz Studios. He has appeared on stage as a stand-up comic and performed in countless improv shows over the years with groups that include “Out of Order” in NJ and “Flea Flurkus” in NYC. In 2000, Ryan founded Pratt Institute’s comedy club, “Up Top Playerz,” where he taught improvisation and produced and directed comedic plays

MATT LOCKER - VOICE ACTING At the age of 16, Matt Locker showed up at his local CBS affiliate wanting to learn "how TV was done", and 3 decades later, remains firmly planted in the business. In television, he is well versed in production and also served in front of lens appearing in numerous television commercials (including the first "Corona-On-The Beach" spots), training films, and he served as a news reporter, weather and news anchor.  His first major motion picture appearance was in "Weekend At Bernies II". His radio credits have him on the air across NY state, NJ, and The Virgin Islands. He studied theater and has appeared on both regional and New York City stages. Matt finds his roots in both broadcasting and theater merge together for his primary passion, voice acting. A few of his credits include Discover Card, Q-NOL Ultra Co-Q10, Smooth-Away, Slimshots, Pepsi, KFC, Pizza Hut, ADP Systems, and Revlon. Matt is a two-time  Society Of Voice Arts and Sciences, "nominee for his work on "Powder Burns: An Original Western Audio Drama". Matt is also the Englisg dub voice for the lead role in the German motion picture, "Nick:Off Duty".

SUSAN MCDONALD - BEGINNING ACTING LEVELS, MEISNER Susan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California with a BA in Drama. While there she studied with John Houseman, who directed her in her very first role for the stage. She continued her acting training at The Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City where she studied with Sanford Meisner. Studying with him has had a lifelong impact on her approach to the work both as an actress and a teacher. She’s been teaching acting classes to students of all ages for over 20 years. In addition to teaching and acting, Susan is an award-winning playwright.

DREENA MORAN - INTRO TO IMPROV Dreena is an improviser, voice actor, and singer/songwriter based in New Jersey.  She received her comedy training at The Peoples Improv Theater, as well as The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in NYC and cut her teeth performing weekly as a house team member on The PIT stages in Manhattan. She has also studied acting and filmmaking at The Barrow Group in NYC. Dreena currently performs in Hackensack, NJ with professional improv team, Howdy Stranger. As a voice actor, she uses her improv skills on a day-to-day basis, creating animated and video game characters and giving life to commercial copy.

HERB PABST - FILMMAKING. Filmmaking, directing, writing, editing, acting and composing are Herbie Pabst’s life work. He lives with a constant passion to create artistically. Since 2013, he has added teaching these skills to aspiring filmmakers, inspiring teens and adults to create quality films with whatever equipment they have available. Filmmaking has taken his art to Cable TV, Internet Shows, and National Film Festivals.

CHRIS ROBERTSON - BEGINNING ACTING LEVELS, INTRO TO TV/FILM, STAGE COMBAT Chris Robertson was seen in the Leopold and Loeb episode of A CRIME TO REMEMBER, and on the NYC stage for several seasons with NTC.  He was also the lead in the highly acclaimed show, SKIN IN THE GAME. He is an ATC alumnus, a graduate of SFT/NYCDA, and Jake in the webseries JAKE DOES STUFF. Chris has been acting professionally since he was a child and has several commercial credits. He was nominated three times, and won the Perry Award twice for his portrayals of Matt Poncelet in Tim Robbins' National School Project DEAD MAN WALKING, and of Stanley in BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS. Chris was a head knight at Medieval Times and has choreographed fights for several stage shows including NARNIA, JULIUS CAESAR, CALIFORNIA SUITE, MOON OVER BUFFALO. HENRY V

SARAH ROBERTSON - SCRIPT ANALYSIS, SCENE STUDY Sarah Robertson appeared in the lead role in the premier episode of MTV's series, ONE BAD CHOICE, and in Lifetime's I LOVE YOU, BUT I LIED. She is an alumna of ATC, and a graduate of The Barrow Group School in NYC, and is now a finalist at the Actors Studio. Sarah was nominated twice and won once for Best Lead Female Actor in a Drama at MSU's State-Wide Theatre Night Awards. She originated the role of Jackie in THE CONSERVATORY, and is also a writer and playwright--Her one-act, BEAUTY OF YOU won Best Play in NTC's 3rd Season at the TBG Theatre in NYC. She has taught dance to special needs children, and also serves as a substitute instructor for Monologue and Scene Study.

MAREN SUGARMAN - SHAKESPEARE, SPEECH FOR THE ACTOR, BEGINNING ACTING LEVELS Maren Sugarman is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied directing with Jack Garfein of the Actors and Directors Lab. She has worked with Tina Packer (Founding Artistic Director, Shakespeare and Company, Lenox, MA), Robert Langdon Lloyd (Peter Brook’s Company member) and studied voice with Kristin Linklater. For ATC’s Conservatory Players, she directed A Midsommer Night's Dreame, Brighton Beach Memoirs (nominated for NJACT Perry Award for Best Production of a Play), The Tragedie of Romeo & Juliet, A Raisin in the Sun, Two Precious Maidens Ridiculed, Macbeth, and six ATC NYC Summer Showcases. Other directing credits: V-Day Morristown’s ’05 production of The Vagina Monologues; for Orange High School, Julius Caesar and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised] (nominated for Montclair State Theatre Night Awards: Best Comedy and Best Direction). 

MICHAEL SUSKO - PLAYWRITING, DIALECTS

CLARA TRISTAN - BEGINNING ACTING LEVELS, AUDITION TECHNIQUE

KYIANA VARGAS - TWEENS Kyiana Vargas began as a student at ATC Studios, in which she owes her very first humble performance in NYC too. After leaving ATC she graduated Kean University where she received a B.F.A in Theater Performance. Since graduating, Kyiana has become a Bilingual Theater Educator working primarily as a Teaching Artist with local theaters such as Premiere Stages and NJPAC. Monday through Friday she is a full time teacher in Newark creating magic with her own students in her theatre classes. Kyiana has continued her education at Monmouth University and is set to graduate in 2025 with her Alternate Route Certification in Education. She likes to think of theatre as an endless opportunity to showcase all the magic this world has to offer, and is so happy to be back where it all began for her.