Mission Statement
The mission of ACT is to educate, inspire and empower children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through the arts.
Our primary objectives are to:
- Inspire creativity and innovation in each student by recognizing and nurturing their individual talents.
- Empower each student by cultivating positive self-esteem and confidence and by providing opportunities to show completed works of art.
- Teach life skills through a curriculum that emphasizes an understanding of the creative process that can be used in all areas of life.
Our secondary objectives are to:
- Provide the Austin, TX community with opportunities for cultural enrichment.
- Maintain an inspiring and uplifting working environment for students, teachers and staff.
- Instill a greater appreciation for the need to art and expression in everyday community life.
- Offer specialized evaluation of handicap and learning disabled children in order to create specialized learning programs
About the Staff
Talena Martinez, Executive Director
Talena comes from a family of entertainers, one could say it is in her blood. Her mother would tell you that Talena saw a stage at the age of three, climbed up to center stage and that was the beginning of a life long love. That love was nurtured into a passion for creation and art. Talena has a strong belief in children and their abilities and talent. She has spent countless hours training tomorrow’s artists and hopes to continue to offer excellent training to the Austin area youth through ACT.
She has worked in the local Austin theater scene since she moved here three years ago from her hometown, Indianapolis. She has been nominated for her costume design for the Ethos production of Bell(e) as well as a nomination for best costume design for the Different Stages production of The Beard of Avon, which she was the assistant-designer for. Her national credits include costume design of a youth production of Jekyll & Hyde , stage management for a youth production of Les Miserables, technical work on shows including Madame Butterfly, The Good Doctor, Guys and Dolls, Othello, All in the timing, which traveled to the Scotland Fringe Festival, as well as many theater workshops, camps and classes. Talena has also worked on independent films and TV news shots geared to teens.
Emily Krauser, Business Consultant
Emily Krauser is a devoted arts patron and administrator. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University, Emily’s organizational interests lie in development, management and communications. She received a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in Psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational management and a minor in Spanish.
Professionally, Emily has an extensive background in children’s camps including organizing and helping run an inner city summer music camp called Strings and Jazzy Things for the past seven years. She has also worked in research and statistical analysis for a leading educational institution and is published in Giving USA 2007 and for Campbell & Company, a national fundraising consulting firm.
She also likes PUPPIES and WARM FUZZY BLANKETS! But most of all Emily likes toys and chocolate and her pretty little apple computer. Oh… and friends too – they’re fun and always great to have.
Jon Roberts, Web Designer / Developer
Jon is currently the Senior Web-designer at Digital Cheetah where he has designed several sites including the Autodesk Student Community, in FIRSTbase, 40+ unique sites for Junior Leagues around the country, hospital foundations, and others.
Jon was the lead computer animator of the MTV2-affiliate television series ‘360 Degrees’ (1998-2001). As co-founder of Banded Artists, started in 2001, Jon did several animation, web and system administration projects. He was a lead computer animator on the feature-length documentary ‘9/11 Press For Truth’ while working with Banded Artists.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Art at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia and his Maya Character Animation Certification from Alias. Jon uses software including Maya and Lightwave for his computer animation work and Shake for his movie compositing and digital effects. He has produced computer animations for national television spots, including the Black Expo’s 2000 and 2001 “Summer Celebration”, the largest culture event in the nation, as well as original industrial animations for such major organizations as the U.S. Department of Energy and Centex Homes.
Jon has been with ACT from the very beginning. He is responsible for this website and the logo design, in fact, some might even credit him with the first good idea for the company’s name, Austin Children’s Theater otherwise known as ACT.
Edna Parra, Development Director
Edna graduated from University of Texas in Austin with her degree in Retail Merchandising and minor in Business. She is currently the Managing Director for The Vortex. Edna has a deep appreciation for the arts and what they bring to the community. She can carry a tune in a bucket… if it has a lid, so she has decided instead to continue her education in non-profit management in hopes to better serve the arts community she calls home. We are proud to have Edna on our staff, because she is awesome.
Becky White, Technical Director and Teacher
Becky is currently the Technical Theater Director for Westlake High School’s TEC program, where she teaches students the ins and outs of technical theater. Before she was at Westlake High School, Becky worked at Zach Scott as the Assistant Technical Director. She has also sailed the seas as a cruise ship theatrical lighting technician. Becky has her B.F.A. in theater from Texas State. She has two beautiful daughters and a husband who was also very involved in theater. Becky’s many talents include set design, lighting design, working with children of all ages and she gives an excellent hug.
Erik Potter, Music Director
Erik has a solid background in music, a love that was instilled in him by his mother, a life-long elementary school music teacher, and his father, a loving husband and renowned tenor. He comes to Austin by way of Indiana, where he performed with multiple groups, worked as a web designer and as a computer artist. He is very excited to be renewing his focus on music and to be working with the children at ACT. Music and children are Erik’s two greatest passions and to be able to teach in such an environment is his perfect job. Erik is a former Americorps member and has volunteered over 900 hours for The Boys and Girls Club of Indiana.
Adam Roberts, Musical Theater Teacher
Adam Roberts has served as the artistic director, musical director or choreographer for over sixty musicals to date. He has taught theatre dance styles in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and his choreography credits include two European concert tours with The Sound of America. In addition, he has served as musical director at Calvary United Methodist Church in Tallahassee, Florida and Covenant Presbyterian Church in Wellsville, Ohio, and is currently resident pianist at Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. He holds a Master’s degree in Music and a College Teaching Certificate from the Florida State University and received undergraduate degrees from Youngstown and Kent State universities in addition to having pursued doctoral work at the University of Texas-Austin. He is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), the National Registry of Dance Educators (NRDE) and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE).
While director of the Musical Theatre Laboratory at Ballet Austin Academy and the Dancers Workshop Musical Theatre Ensemble, Roberts was responsible for curriculum design and implementation, coordinating faculty, conducting student performance evaluations, and teaching musical theatre dance, ensemble vocal technique and musical theatre history/industry. He continues to fulfill many of these responsibilities as present director of the pre-professional musical theatre training program at the Jewish Community Association of Austin. His work at the Zachary Scott Theatre includes designing and teaching classes in musical theatre dance, cabaret writing and performance, an Introduction to the American Musical Theatre, improvisation for the musical theatre, and musical theatre performance techniques. Adam looks forward to training student performers in the ACT summer musical theatre intensives.
Sandra Coelho, Musical Theater Teacher
Sandra Coelho, an Indianapolis native, is a multi faceted entertainer and graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her performance in Scotland’s famed Edinborough Fringe Festival, singing with popular Chicago indie rock band Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, and most recently, portrayal of ‘Karen’ in Columbia University MFA’s workshop of David Mamet’s Speed the Plow are testaments to her artistic versatility. Ms. Coelho currently resides in Manhattan as a working actress. She is “absolutely thrilled to be taking part in Austin Children’s Theatre’s summer musical theatre intensives!”.
Susan Busa, Acting and Screenwriting Teacher
Susan Busa made her first short film while still in high school: a thought-provoking comedy about feet. She began her college career in music, dazzling the back row of the chorus playing a peasant with the Texas Opera Company.
Susan received a Radio-Television-Film undergraduate degree from UT Austin and completed a year of servitude as a television camera person at a NBC affiliate near Waco, Tx. At age 24, she became the producer/director for Software Video Productions in Austin, Tx. during that time she wrote, directed and edited corporate and commercial videos for clients such as Unisys, First City Bank, the U.S. Coast Guard and Burroughs Corp., among others. She also created and produced a financially successful series of educational videos entitled “A Video Guide to…” In addition, she designed and supervised the building of a small video production facility.
During her first semester as a James A. Michener Fellow in Screenwriting at the University of Texas, Susan optioned a screenplay to Hallmark Hall of Fame. She continued to work professionally as a screenwriter while pursuing her Master’s degree and completing her Fellowship. Susan was also twice a semifinalist for Don and Gee Nicholls Fellowships in Screenwriting, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. she graduated with an M.F.A. from UT at Austin in May 2000.
Susan continues to work in the industry as a screenwriter and director. She currently resides in Austin with her two brilliant kids.
Susie Gidseg, Dramaturgy and Acting Intensive Teacher
Susie Gidseg is a BFA Dramaturgy graduate from the University of Oklahoma. In Austin, Susie has taught kids theatre for the past 8 years through the Dougherty Arts Center, Rude Mechanicals “Grrl” Action, JB Entertainment, and the Academy of Acting at the JCCA. Some of her favorite directing and dramaturgy credits include: Dramaturgy: Anton in Show Business, The Laramie Project, Urinetown. Direction: halfway to beautiful, Cloud Tectonics, Autobahn, Fat Pig (regional premiere), The Muses: Memories of a House (world premiere), My Name is Art (Best of Fest Frontera Fest 2007), Anton in Show Business, Brilliant Traces and The New Jersey Book of the Dead. Susie is the co-founder of Orasi Productions in Norman, OK, and the co-founder/artistic director of the vestige group, a local austin theatre company. She is passionate about teaching children to love the arts as much as she does and very excited about teaching at ACT this summer!