St Martins Youth Arts Centre

St Martins tutors are industry professionals selected to provide a diverse range of skills and methods. Term 3 tutors include:

Lucy Angell

Lucy Angell is currently completing her professional certification in Laban Movement Analyst (CLMA), and as of August 2008 will become only the fifth LMA practitioner in Australia. She uses LMA in her work as a teacher, performer/theatre-maker and dramaturg to facilitate embodied performance and somatic awareness for both performer and audience. She has taught for St Martins Youth Arts Centre (Creative Ensemble 2006-2008), as well as movement workshops at Cecil Street Studio, Melbourne. Her history of international theatre training includes a BFA in Acting from the Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts, USA (2003), Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater, USA (2005), RADA, London (2001), and numerous developments and workshops in Melbourne and around Australia. These reflect her passion for improvisation and movement, including the Australian Contact Improvisation Convergence (2006-2008), Red Spoon clown training (Brisbane, 2005), Theatre of the Ordinary (with Al Wunder, 2006-2007). In 2005, Lucy formed Concrete Cloud Theatre, a collective of Melbourne theatre artists working in collaboration with Chicago’s Anatomy Collective to produce 2 trans-global performance works written by US and Australian playwrights, have/hold (2005) and waking (2006). As a theatre-maker and performer, Lucy has most recently created a number of solo physical theatre works, including Kate and the Umbrella (Hatched Festival and Melbourne Fringe 2005), Isabella and her risk…(Esquisse ’06 with Leisa Shelton and Embodiment of the Actor) and Beast /Beauty, a 2008 work-in-progress. Her past performance work has included waking (dir: Stephanie Acosta for Concrete Cloud Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (dir: Tim Ocel for Webster Conservatory), Two Rockin’ Gents dir: Steve Woolf for St Louis Repetory Theatre), Blood Wedding (dir: Liz Shipman for Webster Conservatory).

Hayley Butcher

Hayley began workshops at St. Martins when she was 14. Upon completing her Bachelor of Arts (Theatre & Drama major) Hayley trained with the 2004 St. Martins Performance Ensemble and in 2005 was accepted into the inaugural St. Martins Creative Ensemble where she developed her one woman cabaret Meet Hayley Finkelstein, wrote two plays; Flipside (for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival) and Clothes Horse (which she directed as part of St. Martins Next Gen Season 2006). During all of this activity at St. Martins Hayley also began teaching the 5 to 8 year olds with Jacqui Hoy. Hayley has appeared in numerous independent theatre and film productions, but is best known for her portrayal of Daphne in Adam J A Cass' The Audition, a monodrama, performed at La Mama in 2004 and again in 2005, to sell out crowds and rave reviews. In 2006, Hayley was accepted to train at the Ward Acting Studio in New York City. Hayley completed her training in the Meisner technique and Linklater voice technique as well as training at the Actors Movement Studio. Hayley is a member of the Ward Acting Studio Company for 2007-2008 where she developed, produced and performed in three short film pieces that were incorporated into the Company's four-month season on Off-Broadway.

Ana Maria Belo

Ana Maria graduated from NIDA in 1998. Theatre credits include Sarah in THE LISTMAKER for Bell Shakespeare Company; Australian tour of FAME the musical playing Serena Katz; NOISES OFF for Ensemble Theatre Company playing Brooke/Vicki; Connie in DR. AKARS WOMEN for Griffin Theatre Company; Fantail in Company B’s production of SNUGGLEPOT AND CUDDLEPIE and she was nominated for a green room award for her performance of Jeanie in HAIR the musical. Television credits include ALL SAINTS, HOME AND AWAY, WHITE COLLAR BLUE and in the UK ACCORDING TO BEX and LIFE BEGINS. Ana Maria has appeared in the feature films A COLD SUMMER and THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

Ana Maria’s teaching career began while she was a student at NIDA. She is a regular acting and singing tutor with the NIDA open program, touring program and Young Actors Studio. Her dedication to teaching young performers led her to exciting projects such as directing students at Newtown Performing Arts College and MacDonald College of Performing Arts. Most recently she was asked to help direct SCECGS Redlands in their Australian Premiere of ALL SHOOK UP.

Danielle Carter

Danielle graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and has a Diploma of Education from UWS. Some credits include:
Theatre: Shadow Passion (Chapel off Chapel), A Mid Summer Night’s Dream (Theatre Works), Europe ( VCA Directors Season), Still (Malthouse/La Mama and Tour), Face to Face (Ensemble Theatre), The Quartet from Rigoletto (Cue Theatre/Ensemble Theatre), All Things Considered (Marian Street Theatre), Property of the Clan (Theatre 20/20), Away and Hypothalamania (Sydney Theatre Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Original Shakespeare Company) and the national tour of Dags.
Television: Underbelly, City Homicide, All Saints, Elephant Princess, Holly’s Heroes, Stingers, Salem's Lot, The Secret Life of Us, Blue Heelers, Lost World, Halifax fp, Something in the Air (series 1 & 2 ), Beast master, Fearless, Flipper, Murder Call,Tales of the South Seas, Medivac ( series 1 & 2 ), Pacific Drive, Home and Away, GP, Heartland, Neighbours and Richmond Hill (series 1).
Film: Knowing, Eustice Solves A Problem, The Blue Lady,The Fortune Teller, A Few Things I Know About Her, Kid in a Bin and Sweet as a Peach.

Danielle has also written a book called Racing Against Time - the actors handbook for film and television, published by Currency press. It reveals the hard won tricks of the trade with invaluable contributions from leading industry practitioners.

Naomi Edwards

Naomi is an accomplished teaching artist, working with many youth theatres, schools, universities, community groups and arts organisations in Australia, UK, USA and Japan – including: Australia – Cochlear Impact Voice Empowerment Project, Bell Shakespeare, Deakin University, Monash University, Billilla Saturday Arts, National Theatre Drama School, Victorian Arts Centre, Prahran Mission, Victorian College of the Arts Summer School and Open Program, UK - Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Graduate Program, Birmingham School of Acting, Lyric Hammersmith Gifted and Talented Program, Islington Arts and Media School, USA - Circle in The Square, Japan - Modern International School. Naomi’s most recent directing credits include: Il Re Pastore Lyric Opera of Melbourne; Actors At Work Bell Shakespeare Company; Carmen – Assistant Director Opera Australia; Big Sky Town St Martins Youth Arts Centre; Rabbit Hole Red Stitch Actors Theatre; The Ash Girl Monash University; Crave Verve Studios; Top Acts – VCE Season of Excellence, Hamer Hall; Who’s Afraid of The Working Class VCA Second Yr Actors; Blackrock 9minds; Noye’s Fludde Victorian Opera; Black Cat Kinda Day – finalist in 2005 Short and Sweet Festival; Assistant Director to Peter Evans on Don’s Party Melbourne Theatre Company/Sydney Theatre Company; Assistant Director on Brian Lipson’s Berggasse 19 Melbourne International Festival of the Arts; The Sustainables for the Department of Sustainability; collaborator on cabaret musical Trash – winner of Best Original Musical for Melbourne Fringe and nominated for a Green Room Award. She has also written Mer for the Arts Centre’s Small Bites program.

Naomi directed BIG SKY TOWN by Amelia Roper early this year and remains on our Tutoring Staff working with the 17 -25 year olds.

Melanie Hillman

Melanie is a qualified Music and Drama teacher. As well as working at St Martin’s, she works at The Knox School, and lectures at Charles Sturt University on developing Performing Arts in primary and early childhood teaching.Melanie has performed in many musicals, plays and appeared in advertisements, T.V programmes and film. She has directed, choreographed and musical directed school and youth musicals, plays and revues. Melanie is the Director of Pengana Voices, a youth female choir that performs throughout Australia and overseas.

Petra Kalive

Since graduating from WAAPA (Acting) 2004, Petra has diversified and has moved into directing, dramaturging and writing as well. Petra’s most recent acting credits include a supporting lead role in Channel 9’s Underbelly, Blue Heelers and various short films. She has also performed with a variety of companies/festivals including Melbourne Playback, Complete Works & VCA. Her directing credits include ‘When Sand Becomes Glass’ for St Martins in 2007, various independent productions for the Fringe, Short & Sweet and Holmesglen TAFE and Assistant Director to Anthony Crowley twice for ‘The Wild Blue’; She has written and performed her own one woman comedy show for the Melbourne Fringe, adapted a Peter Goldsworthy novel for production in May this year.

Petra is currently dramaturging our end of year production "The Suitcase and the Storm"

Rob Lloyd

Rob has a BA (Acting for Stage and Screen) and a Grad Dip Ed (Secondary-Drama). He is currently taking leave from his full-time teaching position as Head of Drama Department at Dandenong High School-Cleeland Campus (a position he has held since 2003) and has previously tutored drama at The National Theatre (2007) & St Martins Youth Theatre (2007). His TV credits include:Theatre Games LIVE 2007 – Channel 31 (Series Winner) 2007, Thank God You're Here – Channel 10 (Ensemble cast) 2006 and Comedy Channel Short Cuts – Comedy Channel (Featured with The Crew) 2006. Rob is the Co-Founder and former Artistic Director of improvisational/comedy group The Crew (a position he held for six years) and a member of comedy group 'Hound of the Baskervilles'. Their most recent show 'Every Film Ever Made' has had sell-out seasons at the 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival, the 2008 Adelaide Fringe Festival (where they were Nominated for Best Comedy Show) and the 2008 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Jenny Lovell

Jenny is one of St. Martins most respected and loved tutors. Jenny has been performing on stage, screen and TV for over 20 years. TV includes PRISONER, BLUE HEELERS, MDA and SENSING MURDER. Film work includes PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, GALLIPOLI and DARKNESS FALLS. Theatre includes IRON, DEAD TRAGIC and RABBIT HOLE as well as a long career in improvisation, performing in Sydney, Melbourne and overseas. Jenny is also a teacher of Shakespeare, contemporary text and performance making with Monash University, VCA and St Martins and has directed productions of COMEDY OF ERRORS, OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD and GRIMM TALES. She was an International Fellow with the Globe Theatre, London in 2002.

Jenny will taking the DRAMA SCHOOL INTENSIVE in Term Four.

Sarah McCusker

Sarah has been directing for 10 years and is a graduate in Directing from NIDA and Arts Management from the VCA. In 2006 she received a Besen Family Bursary to assist Neil Armfield on the Malthouse / Company B co-production of It Just Stopped. In 2005 she co-ordinated NIDA’s Year 12 HSC workshops for Cosi . Directing credits inc: The Bones Love Gringo (fortyfivedownstairs, 2008) Her Aching Heart (Midsumma, 2007), A Glass of Twilight (NIDA 2005) , If You’re Ever in Sydney (NIDA Playwrights Studio), Shelf Life (fortyfivedownstairs, 2004), Hugs and Kisses for Captain Brap (la Mama Melb Fringe 2001) Parish Hall Project (UHT, 2000), Top Girls (UHT, 2000), Rewberry High ( Melb Fringe1999) Assistant directing credits inc: Cosi dir. Tim Maddock (NIDA, 2005), Grazing the Phosphorus dir. Tony Knight (NIDA 2005)

Robyn McMicking

Robyn McMicking studied theatre at the School of Creative Arts at the VCA. Robyn has performed in Henry V, Part 1 with The Actors Furniture Group, The History of the Devil with Reel Theatre, The Yellow Wallpaper with Glass Theatre and The Kyogen Project as part of the Creative Arts graduate show. In 2001 and 2002, Robyn travelled to Germany with Openheart Theatre and the Beautiful Monster theatre companies to perform in Die Hamletmaschine, and Einst Zu Einer Zeit- and if they’re not dead yet they live there still at the Arena Theatre Festival in Erlangen. In 2003 she co-devised and performed in The Angel Show at La Mama, and the VCA Animateuring project, Off Track. In 2004, she performed in Beehives and Brylcreem (Next Wave Festival), 2005 Uninvited Guests (Melbourne Fringe Festival), and in 2006 in The Mysteries of the Convent. Most recently, Robyn co-devised and performed in Out the Window, a work in development as part of the Wee Theatre season at the Footscray Arts Centre. Robyn has trained with the Filhos da Bahia school of Capoeira since 1996.

Kate O'Keefe

Kate has been working as a dance and drama teacher for the last ten years with companies such as Stagecoach Theatre Arts School and the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia. She has directed and choreographed many primary and secondary school productions both in Australia and Canada.
Kate completed a Bachelor of Theatre Arts at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2005 and spent 2006 touring Quebec, Canada with The Montreal Shakespeare Theatre Company in Hamlet and Twelfth Night.
Kate worked as a freelance artist in London in 2007, performing in a BBC 3 documentary ‘Help! I Smell of Fish’ and working with various improvisational theatre companies.
Kate is happy to be back in her home town Melbourne and will perform in a devised Commedia dell’Arte theatre piece at the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival.

Kate will be teaching the Butterfly Studio on Tuesdays, as well as Act Sing Dance with Ally Bennett in Term Four.

Sharni Page

Sharni Page completed a BA in Musical Theatre at WAAPA in 2000. Stage credits include “Laura” in Dosostias, (Parallelo productions), “Zoe” in The Gates, (MTC), “Fougere” in The Four Twins (VCA Director’s Season),“Hermia” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ASC), ”Lulu/trumpet”, in the Australian tour of Cabaret (IMG/Fran & Barry Weissler), of which she won a Green Room award for “Best Ensemble”. We saw her in “Lucy” in Scratching for Answers (Knockabaout Theatre), and winner of “most special event 2005”, Camelot and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (The Production Company). Screen credits include Blue Heelers (Channel 7), “Alison” in Big Reef (Beyond Simpson Le Mesurier/Channel 9), as well as the feature film Emulsion and the short films The Interview (2004), Love on a Roll (2001), and Clerks (2000), not to mention dabbling in a few commercials for Coles, Holden, and McCains. Sharni has also been involved in the development of two new musicals Dreaming the Pink Dingo, and The Wild Blue (Homemade Musicals), and the new screenplay Be Near Me (Screenplay). Writing credits include, Cultural Time Bomb, Web of Life , Lola, and Don’t Give Up Your Day Job (a 10 minute play as a part of the Short & Sweet festival Melbourne, and Sydney 2005).

Kylie Trounson

Kylie trained in acting at The Method Studio, London and the National Theatre Drama School, Melbourne and is currently completing a Masters in Playwrighting at QUT. She also has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne. Kylie wrote and performed in the acclaimed productions of ‘The Hyacinth Project’ (La Mama), ‘Uninvited Guests’ (Melbourne Fringe Award Winner) and ‘HOTEL’ (Melbourne Fringe Award Winner). Her play, 'The Man with the September Face' was performed at Playwriting Australia's 2008 National Play Festival. From 2003 – 2004 Kylie trained and performed with ‘Quiddity’, John Britton’s physical theatre ensemble. Her theatre performances include ‘Horsegirl and Her Young Gentleman Friend’ (La Mama), ‘Green Wolf’ (La Mama), ‘A Black Cat Kinda Day’ (The Arts Centre) and ‘In Train’ (The Arts Centre Education). Kylie’s screen performances include ‘City Homicide’, ‘Underbelly’, ‘Syllable to Sound’, ‘Exit’ and the feature film ‘Noise’.

Lucy Withers

Lucy’s career in the arts started at the age of sixteen when she became World Irish Dance Champion. This ignited her love for performing and subsequently Lucy attended the UK’s top drama school in London, the Central School of Speech and Drama. This is a drama school that was also attended by Dame Judi Dench and Laurence Olivier. Lucy graduated with a BA (Hons) in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education. Following this Lucy has performed, directed, choreographed and written for the following institutions; The Edinburgh Festival, BBC, Minack Theatre and the Embassy Theatre, West End. Lucy has also performed in the BBC TV series Casualty for 2 years as a junior doctor (2005 - 2007).
Lucy’s experiences of working in an educational setting are vast. She has facilitated programs in primary and secondary schools, drama clubs and community initiatives. Lucy has worked with a range of groups over the past years, these include; Special Educational Needs, ADHD, Disability, English as a Second Language (ESL), and has worked with people ranging from 3 up to 90 years of age across the UK and Melbourne. In the UK she has facilitated drama programs for companies such as the Metropolitan Police in a Theatre in Education (TIE) tour of London, English Pocket Opera, YMCA and The Central School of Speech and Drama. Lucy divides her time between St. Martins and the Arts Centre where she is a teaching artist both performing and facilitating educational drama workshops in Schools and Universities across Victoria.