MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

The RC Theatre Arts Academy provides classes which are instructional and skill building as well as social and recreational. Our instructors are local area professionals with excellent backgrounds in the arts. Please take a moment to read about our instructors here or stop by and say “hello” before or after a class session.

Our adult participants and the parents of our youth participants often provide feedback through our ongoing surveys that they increase their skill level sometimes as much at 70 or 80%. Many classes vary curriculum so that several participants enjoy repeating a class from session to session.

Many of the RC Theatre Arts Academy Classes fill up within the few first days of registration. Advance registration is highly encouraged.

Carlos Baldeon (Teen Actors Bootcamp) For twelve years Carlos has been active in the world of theatre as a student of Theatre Arts at Cal Poly Pomona, an Actor, Instructor, Fight Choreographer and Director. He has been a Guest Lecturer for the Movement Class at Cal Poly Pomona, has conducted Stage Combat Workshops for C.E.T.A. and has taught the Teen Acting classes at the RCC Theatre Arts Academy based out of the Lewis Family Playhouse. He has performed on the Main Stage and Studio Theatres at Cal Poly, The Met Theatre, The Armory Northwest, The Lewis Family Playhouse and at the D Gallery. His training has included Clown and Mask work, Linklater Voice Technique, Meisner Method Acting, Stage Combat, Contact Improv and Movement for the Stage.

Teen Actors’ Bootcamp
Tuesdays & Thursdays Ages: 12-18
In this intense, fast paced course, participants kick their talent into high gear through training in voice, movement and acting.
Fee: $105/Resident Discount Fee: $95
Class begins: 6/16/09 8 weeks

Jessica Bernard (Showstoppers Musical Theatre, Youth Theatre Workshop & Performance) Jessica Bernard has been teaching for the RC Arts Academy for 5 years. She co-teaches, with husband Jeremy Bernard. In addition to her passion for teaching, Jessica has an extensive performance resume. Some Credits include: CATS (Cabrillo Music Theater), Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown-Performance Riverside & Candlelight Pavilion), My Fair Lady (Eliza–Candlelight Pavilion), The Music Man (Marian Paroo–California Theater.), Pirates of Penzance (Edith-California/Pechanga Theaters), Oklahoma (Laurey-Marmac Repertory), Showgirl of 52nd Street (The Colony), The Secret Garden (Lewis Family Playhouse), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Marguerite) and Hello Dolly (Irene Malloy). Jessica also recently returned from singing in Hong Kong Disneyland. Jessica received her BA in Theater Arts from Azusa Pacific University.

Jeremy Bernard (Showstoppers Musical Theatre, Youth Theatre Workshop & Performance) Jeremy has had the privilege of teaching performing arts classes with his wife Jessica for four years now. In addition to teaching, Jeremy is also a working musical theater actor having performed regionally in THE PRODUCERS (Lead Tenor/ Musical Theater West), LES MISERABLES (Enjolras/ Moonlight Stage Prod.), GUYS AND DOLLS (Sky Masterson/ Candlelight Pavilion), MY FAIR LADY (Freddy Eynsford Hill/ Candlelight Pavilion), PIRATES OF PENZANCE (Frederic/ California Theater), THE MUSIC MAN (Quartet Tenor/ The Pechanga Resort ),THE SHOWGIRL OF 52nd STREET (Colony Theater). Jeremy holds a B.A. in Theater from Azusa Pacific University.

Showstoppers Musical Theatre
Wednesdays & Thursdays Ages: 7-18
Students learn songs from Broadway musicals, combining singing, dancing and acting. The program ends with a showcase for family and friends.
Fee: $90/Resident Discount Fee: $80

Youth Theatre Workshop & Performance
Mondays Ages: 11-15
Wednesdays Ages: 6-10
Audition, memorize lines and rehearse for a play while gaining basic acting skills, performance techniques, self-confidence and teamwork. $5 supply fee due to instructors.
Fee: $105/Resident Discount Fee: $95

Misty Cooper (First Steps: Beginning Acting, Story Time Players) Misty Cooper has been involved in the arts for over 30 years. Her talents have taken her through many facets of the artistic world, from performing to stage directing, to music management for Boyz II Men and New Kids on the Block to feature film production at Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Pictures, and Warner Bros.. Ms. Cooper spent three years at the Pasadena Playhouse developing new projects for production in Los Angeles and New York. In 1998, Misty co-founded and served as the Managing Director for a non-profit children’s theatre company in Pasadena. She left the program in 2002, to move to Rancho Cucamonga where she and her husband are raising their son and daughter.

First Steps: Beginning Acting
Thursdays Ages: 5-7
Learn basic theatre skills, terminology, stage directions and beginning acting techniques. Valuable acting skills are built through improvisionat, theatre games and scene work.
Fee: $75/Resident Discount Fee $65

Story Time Players
Thursdays Age: 3-4
Step into your favorite stories as we use creative drama to bring them to life! Students will gain an appreciation of the arts as they learn to play with others.
Fee: $75/Resident Discount Fee: $65

Julie Edwards-Matanga (RC Adult Choir) received both a B.M. and M.M. in Music from the University of Redlands. She is currently the director of music at Unity of Pomona, and on staff at Valley College. She has experience as a teacher of music in public schools, and works as an accompanist, composer, performer as a pianist, vocalist, and instrumentalist. She enjoys exploring diverse styles of music: ancient to modern, folk, jazz, popular music, and music from around the world.

RC Adult Choir
Mondays Ages: 18 & Up
Learn Broadway songs and jazz standards. No auditions necessary, just a
desire to sing! Session concludes with a concert.
Fee: $90-$110/Resident Discount Fee: $80-$100

Vil Towers (Adult Improv) For more than 20 years, Vil Towers has been involved with all aspects of theater, television and even movies. For the last 5 years, he has sharpened his comedic skills with Fred Willard and The MoHo group, a comedy 'league', sort of akin to a celebrity Saturday Night Live. He has worked with Joanne Worley, JM J. Bullock, even Judy Tenuta. His ability to think quick and keep his momentum flowing, gives new meaning to the term "ad-lib". This class is designed to help people in any situation, be it in real life situations, a professional Improv troupe or in a nightclub somewhere in Temecula.
Adult Improv Workshop
Wednesdays Age: Adult
Learn skills and games used by improv groups. Work in a friendly environment while developing a stronger foundation in the basics of impromptu comedy.
Fee: $80/Resident Discount Fee: $70

Qualified instructors may propose new classes for the community. Please contact Patrick Hediger, Cultural Arts Coordinator at 909 477-2775 ext. 3735 or by clicking HERE.

For detailed information on all of these classes and more, see your current Grapevine or click on the Classes link.