KATE KENNEDY
Director/Producer
www.imdb.com - Kate Kennedy (I)

Established in 2005, PeachCraft Studios of Drama, Voice & Filmmaking (PDVF) offers professional training for actors, vocalists, dancers, musicians and filmmakers. A member of the Screen Actors Guild since 1991, Kate Kennedy, actor, writer, director and producer, has developed her own distinctive imagination based technique for inspired acting now used by the Members of the PeachCraft Studios of Drama, Voice & Filmmaking. Building upon the Russian based techniques of Constantin Stanislavski, Michael Chekhov and Stella Adler infused with Kennedy's own organized technique developed over two decades as a Casting Director working with Dreamworks, Paramount, Disney, Miramax, HBO, NBC, CBS as well as with A-list directors, actors and producers in film, television and stage. The PeachCraft Actors Studio advocates defining energies in order to absorb the tone of the writer which then informs the actor's senses on choices for the character's psychological and physical core. Kate's modern approach, inspired by the Masters of yesterday, brought to PeachCraft Actors Studio a new wave of professional actor training.

Kate is a professional producer who began her career in Film, TV and Stage as a Casting Director and Master Acting Coach with now over 25 years of experience in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City. After graduating with a bachelors degree from Marymount Manhattan College, Kate began her acting career touring with San Francisco's famed Lilliput Players Theatre Troupe and made her television debut in NBC's “Midnight Caller.” Beginning with “JOY LUCK CLUB”, Kate amassed a distinguished strand of Casting Director credits from the Major Motion Picture Studios and TV Networks in Los Angeles. Her film, stage and tv credits can be viewed on the professional film database IMdb.com under Kate Kennedy I.

Since its inception, PeachCraft Studios has launched the acting, singing, dance and filmmaking careers of many talented actors, singers, broadway performers and filmmakers alike. Some lucky ones have worked along side Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Brad Pitt, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Kyra Sedgwick and many more. PDVF Film Studio has produced over 34 films, launching the acting, writing, directing, camera operating and singing careers of many young talented artists. The students have distinguished themselves by gaining entrance into the colleges, professional schools of their choices, being cast on film sets and festivals as well as being cast on some of the most glamorous and professional sets for TV,  New York stages.   PeachCraft's focus is on enhancing the artist's special abilities through focused training with the highest level of distinguished professional faculty in the industry.  Established in 2005,  artist development at PeachCraft Studios of Drama, Voice & Filmmaking is simply wonderful.

Originally a student of PeachCraft herself, Melissa started off her career in an Off Broadway Production of “The Peoples Garden'' at age 11. Her recent credits can be seen on HULU, PEACOCK, NBC, OXYGEN, multiple film festivals, a number of commercials, and just completed a 10 month theater contract produced by NETFLIX. She received her BFA in Acting at Syracuse University and studied classical work for a year in London, where she played Portia in “Merchant of Venice” at the Globe Theater. Represented by Innovative Artists, Eris Talent Agency and Merging Artist Management Bicoastly. Melissa has been teaching scene study and audition technique for 6 years for all ages and levels of experience.

www.melissajuiletlawson.com

Craig Newman holds a bachelor's degree in theatre studies and film studies from Emory University, where he was an active performer and award winning director. In addition to directing a number of short films, he was the recipient of an Award of Distinction for his direction of Sarah Kane's Cleansed and awarded a Research Grant for his documentary film on freight-train hoppers.

Since arriving in New York City in 2008, Mr. Newman has been cast in a variety of Off-Broadway productions while continuing his training in Chekhov technique with Innovative Artists, NYC. Catch CV Newman opposite Michael Strahan in National Commercial Metamucil!

In January 2009, he began teaching this technique to members of the Michael Chekhov Theater Company in workshop settings and one-on-one sessions. A student of Lenard Petit, Mr. Newman works with Kate Kennedy, a Master Michael Chekhov acting coach who trained under Mala Powers, in her commitment to the philosophy and foundation of her training the Michael Chekhov technique at Kennedy's PeachCraft ACtors Studio Master Class.

Baritone Gideon Dabi’s “earnest interpretations” have thrilled audiences from his home State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ, through the Music Festival of the Hamptons working with Norman Dello Joio, to Israel, Italy, and back again. In addition to his performing career, Gideon has been a voice instructor for nearly twenty years working with Broadway professionals as well as preparing singers for university and conservatory study. He has been the director of the PeachCraft Vocal Conservatory since 2012. In the 2018-19 Season, he returned to The Dallas Opera as Schaunard in La bohème. He made his Tulsa Opera debut in 2019-20 in Carmen as Morales. During the 2020-21 season, Gideon was a featured singer on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and has upcoming roles with American Opera Projects. Gideon received his Doctorate in Music from the Manhattan School of Music.

www.gideondabi.com

Kristin Carbone is thrilled to be on staff at PeachCraft Vocal Conservatory Faculty now going into her third year! Kristin has performed on Broadway in: Mary Poppins ("Katie Nana" and the u/s for "Mrs. Banks/Birdwoman"), Fiddler On The Roof ('04 revival - "Tzeitel/us), Into The Woods ('02 revival - "Milky White", "Stepsister"). 1st National Tours: Hal Prince's Show Boat ("Magnola"), disney's Beauty and the Beast, and Principal Vocalist in An Evening with Michael Crawford in Concert. Regional Shows: PHANTOM ("Christine") at Walnut St Theatre, Kiss Me Kate ("Kate", "Lilli") 1776 ("Abigail Adams", The Music Man ("Marian"), Carousel ("Julie"), She Loves Me ("Amalia"), Dear World ("Nina"), Passion ("Clara"), and The Fantasticks ("Luisa").

SANDY RUSTIN
Actor's Studio
Guest Artist: Improvisation

Sandy Rustin is a Chicago native and graduate of Northwestern University's renowned theater department. Over the last decade she has worked professionally in New York City as an actress & improviser and can now say with certainty that acting is 95% improvisation and 5% knowing what to say and where to stand. She works with PeachCraft students on the improv part! At age 11 she was introduced to the freedom of improvisation by Joyce Piven, (the mother of Jeremy Pivin of Entourage) at the famed Chicago Piven Theatre Workshop. The endless opportunities to create characters & environments through improvisation, remain the greatest joy of her professional life.

Sandy improvises regularly in NYC at Upright Citizen's Brigade. She has toured the country playing "Sandy" in the Nat'l Tour of Grease! and starred in the Drama Desk Winning Musical, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." She has appeared in numerous plays, musicals, commercials and on TV (Law & Order; SVU, All My Children, & Guiding Light). In addition to performing and teaching, Sandy is a comedy writer. Her new show, "Rated P; An Exploration of Parenthood in 24 Scenes" is in development.

Sandy joins Kate Kennedy in her committment to her philosophy and foundation in PeachCraft Actors Studio for the necessity of the creative individual to "own one's freedom" in order to create and transform believably.

ADAM MUSKIN
Guest Faculty, (Acting Technique and Improvisation)

Adam Muskin was born and raised in New York City, where he graduated from LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts and Visual Art in 2000. Adam then journeyed to Moscow, graduating from the Moscow Art Theater School in 2005 with his fellow members of Studio Six, and staying on for two extra years at Moscow Art as an interpreter/teaching assistant with the A.R.T institute for Advanced Theater Training and Eugene O'Neil National Theater Institute abroad segments. During his time there, Adam worked with the Russian students as an assistant director as well.

After leading seminars at Skidmore University, assistant teaching/interpreting with the Moscow Art Theater Summer School in Cambridge, MA, and leading workshops at the Baryshnikov Arts Center in October, Adam is looking forward to officially continuing his studies at The Moscow Art Theater School as a candidate for an M.F.A. in acting and theater art with a minor in directing.

Adam has enjoyed acting on both continents, and hopes to actively continue Studio Six's activities as a unique cultural bridge between Russian and American art.