Meet the Team
Current Instructors
Mandi Lynn Griffith
Dance Instructor Fall 21, Spring 21
Choreographer: Now. Here. This, Legally Blonde, Footloose
Co-Director: Footloose
Mandi Lynn Griffith is a Rochester native with a BFA in Dance. While in college she studied under teachers such as Tim Draper, James Payton, Clyde Morgan, and Santo Giglio. She then worked in NYC at Ensemble Studio Theatre where she interned and took part in improvisational theater. Soon she went on to own and direct New York Academy of Dance, for twelve years, here in Rochester. Mandi has been involved in the local theater community as a choreographer, performer and director for a wide range of organizations including Blackfriars Theater, JCC CenterStage, Webster Theatre Guild, OFC Creations and RWCCT. Mandi also co-founded Last Fool Productions, responsible for the hit “Altar Boyz” during Rochester Fringe Festival 2019. Whether working with a large cast, staging small ensembles, or private-coaching college hopefuls, Mandi loves reaching people with this art form and helping everyone find enjoyment in movement.
Sandy Nagar
Acting Instructor Fall 21
Sandy has been a theatre educator, artist, and administrator for over 30 years and is thrilled to be joining the staff of RMTA as the Acting instructor for the 2021-22 school year. He is the owner of Sandy Nagar Studio LLC, providing Acting coaching and Theatre Arts College Consulting services for students considering going to college for Theatre.
Having received his B.A. in Theatre-Acting/Directing from SUNY New Paltz, and his M.A. in Directing and Theatre History from the University at Albany, Sandy is a Theatre “jack-of-all-trades,” so to speak. Consequently, he brings a wealth of diverse experience to his students, emphasizing the multi-disciplined and collaborative nature of Theatre as an art form.
In the arena of educational Theatre, he has taught and directed at Bishop Kearney High School; directed, technical directed, and designed for Webster Schroeder High School and Webster Spry Middle School; and was the Technical Theater Manager for the Greece Central School District for 10 years. Most recently he was the Theatre and Film teacher at Rochester Prep High School for several years, where he also built and directed a vibrant Drama Club and the RPHS house improv troupe, The Underground Players.
Sandy has also worked as a Theater administrator and production manager in several regional theaters across the country including the Mercury Theater in Chicago, Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany, and Rochester’s very own Geva Theatre. Additionally, he was the founding Producing Artistic Director of both the Webster Shakespeare Festival and Working Class Theatre Company.
As a director, favorite credits include Eurydice and Peter and the Starcatcher (Rochester Prep HS); Chicago and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Webster Schroeder HS); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and Hellcab (Working Class Theatre Co.); A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night (Webster Shakespeare Festival); Little Shop of Horrors and Godspell (Bishop Kearney HS.)
Sandy’s approach to actor training comes from his own extensive background and training in the Meisner technique, which emphasizes actors on stage living truthfully under imaginary circumstances as their character. Under his tutelage, young actors study the craft of Acting supported by the following four pillars: Circumstances & Point of View, Listening & Observing, Reacting, and Honesty. In a “performance lab” environment, exercises, skills, techniques, and text analysis are all crafted to provide students with opportunities to explore and experiment with these pillars in a safe and meaningful way.
For more info on Sandy Nagar Studio LLC, visit www.sandynagarstudio.com
Sean Michael Flowers
Repertoire Class Instructor 21
Music Director: Footloose
Brian White
Ensemble Vocal Instructor 21
Brian White is the conductor of the Mount Hope World Singers and the band director at The Aquinas Institute of Rochester, and is excited to teach Ensemble Vocals with the Rochester Music Theatre Academy. Holding a degree in music education from The Eastman School of Music, Brian has extensive training and experience singing in vocal ensembles, teaching music, and conducting. He began musical direction as the assistant music director for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Newtown High School, and has since music directed Shrek: The Musical, The Wizard of Oz Jr., Into the Woods, and Beauty and the Beast Jr. at Aquinas. He has also performed in the pit orchestra for Avenue Q and The Rocky Horror Show at Blackfriars Theatre in Rochester and Something Rotten! at the Jewish Community Center in Rochester. Brian has conducted several concerts with the Mount Hope World Singers throughout Rochester since 2017. Brian is thrilled to be able to make music with the wonderful young musicians at the Rochester Music Theatre Academy.
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Administrative Team
Susan Delly Cotroneo
Executive Director
Andrea Gregoire
Program Director
Past Instructors
J. Simmons
Drama Instructor Spring 21, Fall 20
Director: Now. Here. This; Legally Blonde
Angela Seyrett
Vocal Coach: Spring 21, Fall 20
Andrea McGaugh
Vocal Coach: Fall 20
Melanie McBride
Drama Instructor Spring 21
Administrative intern: Fall 20
Assitant Director: Now. Here. This; Legally Blonde
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Carl Del Buono
Vocal Coach Spring 21
Julie Covach
Ensemble Instructor Spring 21, Fall 20
Music Director: Now. Here. This
Laura Jean Diekmann
Dance Instructor: Fall 20
About
Become a true triple threat at Rochester Musical Theatre Academy!
Each registered performer will spend time studying dance, drama and vocal techniques in small (under 25 performers) group settings. The focus is on giving you the skills you need to nail your college and professional auditions and work as a performer.
This 8 week course is a process driven course ending in a showcase on November 4th. The fall will be all about "getting back to basics" and will focus on musical theatre pre-1960 while the spring session will have a more contemporary curriculum.
Who can join us?
When?
Fall Semester:
September 14th - November 4th
Showcase November 4th at 7PM
In RMTA you will study:
Ensemble Singing at the Rochester Music Theatre Academy will focus on building the skills necessary to sing in an ensemble in a musical theatre setting. Students will develop their auditation and listening skills in order to build their solo singing into a cohesive ensemble sound, while continuing to develop their vocal technique and musicianship skills. Rehearsals will consist of physical, breath, and vocal warm-ups, discussion of individual and ensemble singing skills as they pertain to musical theatre, and rehearsal of assigned repertoire, to be performed at the end of the session. Brian White, an experienced conductor and music teacher, will lead the session.
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Dance instruction, led by Mandi Lynn Griffith, will always begin with one of her heart pumping warms up, but will also consist of technique Classes (including ballet) and choreography with a focus on learning quickly and accurately to help you in all audition situations!
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Actors Studio will be weekly sessions focused on
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Serious performers in grades 7-12 who wish to enhance their dance, vocal and acting skills.
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Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30PM-9:15PM