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OUR COACHES
Our coaches are highly skilled, experienced industry professionals. Each of them with over 10 years of experience working all over the industry as actors, directors, casting assistants, dialect coaches and teaching artists.
Stephanie Vondell
Artistic Director
Stephanie is an actor and teacher. Her TV/Film credits include Chicago Fire (NBC), Chicago Med (NBC), and El Cubo (Spanish feature film). Stephanie worked in Chicago’s storefront theatre scene for over a decade and was nominated for Best Actor at the 2018 Joseph Jefferson Awards. Stephanie has performed for Second City .Stephanie has worked for multiple theatrical non profit education program .Stephanie has been teaching acting to children and adults for 8 years .
Victor Maraña
Programs Director / Tutor
Victor is a passionate actor, proudly represented by Gray Talent, producer and coach that discovered his love for the performing arts 15 years ago. He is a proud masters graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London which offers a world-leading training for performers. As an actor, he has been fortunate enough to perform around the world in renowned venues like the National Theatre in Mexico, Victory Gardens in Chicago and the Messini Festival in Greece. Victor has also worked for Netflix, Disney-Pixar, Pace, Illinois Lottery both as an actor and voice over artist. He has also featured in several commercials and modelling gigs around the world. He has won several best actor awards for his stage performances. As a coach, he has been training actors for 10 years. He has also taught acting and theatre techniques for kids and young adults in different schools and academies in Mexico and the US like Chicago Public Schools, Shattered Globe Theatre, National Library Mexico among others. In 2017, after producing four successful seasons at the National Theatre in Mexico, he opened the Performing Arts Studio to share his knowledge and passion for young actors all around the world.
Veronica Del Cerro
Programs Director / Tutor
Verónica del Cerro (Actors Equity) has been a professional actor for 17 years with international experience coming from stage, commercial,film, and voice over. Based in both Spain and the US, she has continued to broaden and deepen her understanding of the craft within various cultures. Her physical training and development has been strongly influenced by both classic and contemporary psychodynamic movement/ vocal theories, circus,surf, yoga and dance. Directing and teaching have become passions and she draws on all of her experiences to help actors develop an honest connection to themselves and the screen. Veronica holds a BS from Virginia Tech (Psychology and Theatre Arts), Graduate of Studio Theatre Conservatory, MA in Theatre from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, and is a 500HR RYT (Yoga Alliance Yoga Teacher).
Rinska Carrasco
Programs Director / Tutor
Rinska Carrasco-Prestinary Rinska is a Dominican-American who is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, Gray Talent Group and Zero Gravity Management. Selected directing credits include: DEATH TAX (Redtwist), BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY (Redtwist), FIREFLY LOVE (Something Marvelous), THE RIVER BRIDE (Halcyon). Past selected production credits include: TAMING OF THE SHREW, Assistant Director (Barbara Gaines/Chicago Shakes, ROMEO AND JULIET, Directing Intern (Marti Lyons/ Chicago Shakes). She has been nominated for Supporting Actress, Best Play and Best Ensemble by the Jeff Committee for her work on stage. In 2013-14 She was the National Spokesperson for Toys "R" Us in both English and Spanish. Her love working with children grew as she took on The First Years line with Tomy Toys as a National Spokesperson for over 2 years. Rinska has appeared on A.P.B, Empire, Chicago P.D., 61st Street and That Damn Micheal Che just to name a few. This summer she became a proud mama to a beautiful baby named Ashana.
Dennis Garcia
Coach / Advisor
After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, Dennis went on to study with Sanford Meisner's apprentice, John Ruskin, at The Ruskin School Of
Acting in Santa Monica. He is also a graduate of the South Coast Repertory Conservatory in Costa Mesa. While in Los Angeles Dennis worked onstage and TV. Most notably with the Watts Village Theatre Company, CASA 0101 and Circus Theatricals. He's worked with Academy Award winner Robert Richardson, commercial director Danny Ducovny and the late Peter Boyle. 2012 brought Dennis back to Chicago. Since then he's had the pleasure to work with Teatro Vista, Urban Theatre Company, Raska Theatre Company, Pegasus Theatre Company and most recently was seen in Shattered Globe Theatre's, HOW TO USE A KNIFE. As a proud SAG-AFTRA member since 2008 Dennis has worked on numerous national commercials and can be seen in NBC's CHICAGO JUSTICE, CHICAGO MED, CHICAGO PD and the film SOUL SESSIONS. His latest film BARRIO BOY is in post production and is slated for a 2022 release.
Steph Losada
Researcher
Steph is a longtime actress and teaching artist. Steph received her BFA in Acting at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. After getting her degree Steph became represented by Grossman and
Jack talent agency. Her theatre credits include ( Goodman, Urban theatre Company, Teatro Vista, 16 th
Street theater, Pride Films and plays, ect.) Her camera credits include: Kitchen towel industrial, Party
Favors, Blacksite the Musical, .ect. Steph has been teaching acting in Chicago Public Schools with
Playmakers Lab, Silk Road Rising, Chicago Children’s Theatre, and Play in a Book. Steph is so excited to
be part of PAS. She can’t wait to help coach young actors and knows all the secrets to get an agent in the Unites States.
Janyce Caraballo
Coach
Janyce is an actress and teaching artist from Chicago. She is so excited to work with the Performing Arts Studio. She currently works as a Teaching Artist and Recruiter with college students-post grads for the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s Educational Programs- The National Theater Institute. Past teaching artist experience includes work with ages K-12th grade at: The Chicago High School for the Arts, Silk Road Rising’s EPIC programming, and the Hyde Park Arts Center. Chicago acting credits include work with: Teatro Vista, Raven Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre, Theo Ubique, Emerald City Theatre, New American Folk Theatre, and Artemisia Theatre Festival. Regional Theatre: Marriott Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, First Folio Theatre, and American Players Theatre. TV/Commercial: Chicago PD Episode #701, Discover Credit Card, Orbit Gum, ULTA 21 Days of Beauty, The Onion, Quartz Open Enrollment, Illinois Secretary of State PSA, and 2026 FIFA World Cup Bid Video. Also check her out in Lazos De Familia’s web-series ‘A Nice Ring To It’. She is a proud peacock, represented by Paonessa Talent Agency!
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