All of our instructors are graduates of internationally recognized academies like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, The Actor's Studio, Berklee, and The Second City; and bring years of experience as teaching artists. Their passion for the craft fuels their dedication not only to honing the next generation of exceptional performers but also to empowering individuals who want to elevate their communication, leadership, and presentation skills.
We pride ourselves on a pedagogy rooted in positive reinforcement, individualized attention, and the empowerment of each person’s voice — whether their voice belongs on-stage, in the boardroom, or in any environment where presence and clarity matter. Our approach nurtures confidence, cultivates creativity, and supports each student’s unique expression. We help you grow not only as performers, but as confident, articulate, and resilient professionals.
Meet
Our Faculty
Victor Maraña
Artistic director
Victor is a SAG-E/AEA, bilingual/binational actor with over 15 years of experience in theatre, T.V. and voiceover in the U.S. and Mexico. His T.V. credits include co-star roles on Netflix, NBC, Starz+ and guest star roles for Mexico's Televisa/Univision. As a voice over actor, Victor has worked for T-Mobile, The Onion Podcast and Disney/Pixar Latinamerica. He is a graduate of the Masters in Theatre from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
He opened the PAS in 2017 with the main goal of sharing his expertise and helping actors reach their full potential through a positive and empowering pedagogy.
Agent • Coach
Sinead Monaghan
Irish Artist, Actor, Singer/Dancer Acting Coach, Voice Over Artist.
Founder of PS Creative Artists Management. Philippa Stapleton Agency. Representing actors and performers around the world. Teaching performers in all aspects of the Arts including exam work.
With over 16 years experience in teaching online (face to face) coaching/directing/teaching actors from all ages. Many actors now work successfully in TV shows, Feature Films, Short Films, Stage Productions and Commercials such as “The Vikings”, “Philomena”, “Wednesday”, “The Tattooist of Auschwitz”, “Cold Courage”, "Game of Thrones" and many more.
Trained in all aspects of Camera/ Stage work from an early age.I trained at the Focus Theatre (Stanislavski method) in Dublin for many years, With Tim McDonnell as my coach. The Focus Theatre was founded by Deirdre O’Connell. An Actor/Teacher/Director from New York who trained at The Actors Studio. She taught many actors including Gabriel Byrne.
Actor • Coach
Veronica del Cerro
Veronica has been practicing, studying, and teaching drama and movement for over 25 years, bringing extensive experience to both her performance and pedagogical work. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master’s degree in Theatre Arts from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, a foundation that allows her to blend rigorous actor training with a deep understanding of human behavior, emotion, and cognition.
Her professional theatre credits include work with the Pittsburgh Public Theater in The Importance of Being Earnest and the Shakespeare Theatre in Othello, among other productions. These experiences have shaped her artistic approach and strengthened her commitment to truthful, disciplined, and emotionally grounded performance.
Jimena Herrero
Actor • Coach
Jimena Herrero holds an MFA degree from the Actors Studio Drama School and has enriched her craft through diverse acting workshops worldwide. Her training includes immersion in various acting techniques such as Grotowski (Italy), Barba (Cuba), Clown (Mexico City/NYC), and Butoh (Italy), among others. With a versatile portfolio spanning both stage and screen, Jimena has showcased her talent in notable productions including "Adam and The Water" (Dir. Matthew Appleby), "The Metamorphosis of Ismaila Ba" (Dir. Malik Isasis), "Goodbye Grandpa" (Dir. Emiliano Casanova), and "Distillation" (Dir. Diana Salgado).
Luz Bermejo
Vocalist • Coach
Luz Bermejo is a vocal technique teacher with more than three decades of experience training singers and actors in Mexico and the United States. Her deep background in music and classical singing—combined with her artistic work in Mexican and Latin American popular music—allows her students to build a solid, healthy, and versatile vocal technique adaptable to any genre.
She has taught at Berklee College of Music, the Extension Division Program at The Boston Conservatory, and CEUVOZ, where she has served as Director of the Voice Department. Her approach blends classical foundations with contemporary expressiveness, making her an ideal guide for actors who need vocal flexibility and stylistic range.
Dennis Garcia
Actor • Masterclass Guest
Dennis Garcia is a Cuban and Ecuadorian American actor born in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, he continued his professional training in Los Angeles at the Ruskin School of Acting under John Ruskin, Sanford Meisner’s apprentice, and at the South Coast Repertory Conservatory in Costa Mesa.
In LA, his collaborations include projects with Academy Award–winning cinematographer Robert Richardson, acclaimed commercial director Danny Ducovny, and the late Peter Boyle.
Since returning to Chicago in 2012, Dennis has worked extensively with leading theater companies including Teatro Vista, UrbanTheater Company, Raska Theatre Company, Pegasus Theatre, and Shattered Globe Theatre, where he appeared in How to Use a Knife.
A proud SAG-AFTRA member since 2008, Dennis has appeared in numerous national commercials and on NBC’s Chicago Justice, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Fire. His latest film, Barrio Boy, is currently streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime.
Zack Glassman
Actor • Coach