Howard Meyer's Acting Program
The leading acting school in Westchester for those who are serious about learning the craft.
Howard Meyer
Howard Meyer is a playwright, director and founding Artistic Director of Axial Theatre and Howard Meyer's Acting Program. Howard’s plays include The Kiss, All That’s Fair, The Contract, Lost in Paradise, AngelBeast, Cherrie & Jerry, the monologues Calculus and Horus, WELCOME, This is a Neighborhood Watch Community, Radiance, Maybe Never Fell,(Roundtable readings at Lark Play Development Center, May and October 2013, directed by Lisa Rothe), the ‘Number Trilogy,’ a collection of one acts (Three, Five, Twenty) and Paint Made Flesh, (Roundtable reading at Lark Play Development Center, April 2014; semi-finalist for the 2015 O’Neill National Playwright’s Conference). Radiance was produced at Axial Theatre in spring, 2013 featuring Obie award-winning actor Chris McCann. Radiance was a two time semi-finalist (2011, 2012) at the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and a finalist (2012) at the Hormel New Works Festival at the Phoenix Theatre. Lost In Paradise is under an option for a motion picture. WELCOME, This is a Neighborhood Watch Community was read at The Barrow Group, Naked Angels’ Tuesdays at 9 and Pacific Resident Theatre and was presented at Axial Theatre in November, 2010 directed by Drama Desk award-winner, Josh Hecht. The production featured LABrynth Theater Company co-founder, David Deblinger, and Emmy-nominated actor, Jon Lindstrom. Howard was recently selected as one of the 50 artists to be honored as a part of ArtsWestchester’s 50th anniversary celebration. In 1998 Howard co-founded Axial Theatre, now in its 16th season developing and presenting new and classic plays in Westchester County, NY. Under his artistic direction, Axial has produced over 50 premieres of one-act and full length plays since the theatre’s inaugural performance in the winter of 2000. www.axialtheatre.org www.howardmeyer.info
Rachel Jones
Rachel Jones is a member of Actors' Equity and Screen Actors' Guild. She toured the US and Canada with the first national tour of David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly and has acted in several films and commercials. Rachel was a founding member of New York's Avalon Repertory Theatre where she both acted and directed. She has studied the acting techniques of Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen. Ms. Jones currently acts with and directs for The Axial Theatre.
Perryn Pomatto
Perryn Pomatto wrote his first play at the age of 7, a pirate fantasia starring many of his favorite stuffed animals including Sugar Bear and Fuzzy Wuzzy. Perryn also designed and created all of the costumes, and was the "puppeteer" behind all of their brilliant performances. His next great work was the one man, plus a few extra characters, autobiographical show Sin, Sex and Sacrilege which was presented as part of his thesis at the University of Montana. Upon arriving in New York, Perryn became involved in several theatre companies devoted to developing and creating new work, most notably The Woodstock Fringe, The Negro Ensemble Company, Shades of Truth Theatre and, most recently, The PlayGround Experiment and The New Ambassadors Theatre Company. It was in conjunction with these last two companies that Perryn developed his latest opus, the web series This Encounter May Now Begin, a raucous comedy based on his experiences working with medical students as a Standardized Patient. In October of 2021, Perryn co-produced a live reading of This Encounter with New Ambassadors which aired on the NATC YouTube channel. Perryn was also the Artistic Director and head writer of the sketch comedy group The Grease Monkeys, which aired on the egarage.tv website. You can view some of those sketches, and some of Perryn's work as an actor, on his website www.perrynpomatto.com.
Charise Greene
Charise is a coach, teacher, actor, director and playwright, creating works all over the world. She has helped young people prepare audition materials for BFA programs, high school theater opportunities, and professional auditions and she has taught acting and voice/speech at universities and training programs across the U.S. She directed MEN ON BOATS and PERICLES at Barnard-Columbia and Ovid’s works at NYU, Stella Adler studio. Charise has worked as a voice/dialect coach on sets for Showtime, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Netflix, Apple TV, NBC, CBS and many films. Most recently, Charise coached Emma Corrin in the upcoming tv miniseries A MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD, as well as Matthew MacFadyen and Gael García Bernal in the upcoming film HOLLAND, starring Nicole Kidman. A downtown theater actor, Charise has been seen at Irondale, The Flea, New York Theatre Workshop, Ensemble Studio Theater, JACK, The Signature and others. Her acting work has also been seen on DICKINSON, YOUNGER and THE AFFAIR. She wrote and starred in the short film OFF THE GRID, which won Best Short at the International New York Film Festival, and was an Official Select at four other festivals across the globe. She also stars in FULL DISCLOSURE, which has been an Official Select at 14 film festivals and is still riding the festival circuit. Her play, CANNIBAL GALAXY: A LOVE STORY (previously directed by HAMILTON’s Associate Director Tiffany Nicole Greene at Xavier University, and workshopped by Faultline Theatre Company) was recently seen at The New Ohio Theater, where it was produced by Between Two Boroughs. MFA in Acting, Brown/Trinity Rep (Stephen Sondheim Fellow), BAs from UC Berkeley. www.charisegreene.com
Najah Imani Muhammad
Najah is a NY based multi-hyphenate artist and educator, with main disciplines in acting and directing. She received her BA in Theatre Education and Acting from Emerson College in Boston, MA. Najah frequently hosts live events such as open mics, film festival red carpets, comedy shows, and cabarets. Regardless of the project, her goal is to use the arts as a communicative tool to bring people together, and start a conversation. Najah enjoys directing thought provoking pieces, and had the opportunity to develop a new work entitled, “Why Women Cry,” which was featured in NYC’s EstroGenius and Fringe Festivals in 2019. Most recently, she has used this drive to direct and coach young people, helping to foster an environment of leadership and growth, while finding cultural relevance in each performance. When not performing or directing, Najah can be found working in arts education with organizations such as Disney Theatrical Group, Girl Be Heard, Beacon Performing Arts Center and Leaders by Choice. Outside of the theater, you may catch Najah talking to strangers on camera or offering her “two cents” through writing, with her advice brand, "Najahknows," and podcast “UnderRepresented Representatives.” www.najahknows.com
Alexandra Fortin
Alexandra is a NYC city based actress and teaching artist. She loves teaching all ages and encouraging creativity and storytelling. Alexandra has taught comedy, improv, and musical theater classes at Trinity Repertory, Child’s Play NYC, and at New Hampshire’s Theater Under the Stars. In 2020, she was the founder and creator of Indoor Recess where she taught theater classes and voice lessons to children online. Currently she teaches across New England, and just recently had the pleasure of directing Annie the Musical in partnership with the Norwalk Housing Authority here at MTC! Favorite acting credits: Annelle in Steel Magnolias at The Gallery Players, Margot in The Diary of Anne Frank at Ocean State Theater Company. Additional favorites: Thea in Hedda Gabler, Babe in Crimes of the Heart, Agnes in Agnes of God, Young Woman in Machinal, Duckling in Our Countries Good, and Rosalind in As You Like It. AEA. alexandramariefortin.com