The Acting Performance faculty includes some of the finest professional artists working in the Dallas/Ft Worth theatre, film and television community. Our faculty's commitment to student success is a primary factor behind the popularity and success of KD Studio.

Producer, Director, Photographer - Has overseen numerous commercially successful and award winning feature and television productions including: Horton Foote’s Academy Award winning, The Trip to Bountiful; NASCAR: The IMAX 3D Experience for IMAX/Warner Brothers, and Universal Pictures’ The Fast and the Furious. He oversaw 27 movies that won 51 major awards including And the Band Played On and Barbarians at the Gate as VP of Production for HBO Pictures. He produced the critically acclaimed pilots, Dexter for Showtime and Cane for CBS. He commenced his feature work in Texas as a Location/Unit Manager on films such as Local Hero. Currently Director of Lone Star International Film Festival & Lone Star Film Society, He was a resource advisor for the Sundance Institute’s Summer Workshop and has moderated, participated in and created film festival panels and workshops for several festivals. As an educator, he has served as an adjunct professor at USC, guest lectured at universities, trade schools and high schools, and mentored for both the Producers Guild and Directors Guild programs. He is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, The Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Lynn Ambrose –Acting Performance Program--Camera; Musical Theatre Program-- Voice

University of Kansas – BFA in Theatre. Post Graduate work, University of Nebraska/Omaha

Casting Director- Dallas area for 18 years. Her most recent film casting project, Karma Police, had its world premier at the AFI Festival last April. Other projects include hundreds of commercials for clients such as TXU, AT&T, Denny’s, Texas Lottery, TGI Fridays and Miller Beer, as well as the PBS series Barney & Friends.  Prior to casting in Dallas, Lynn was a staff casting director in New York for Crossroads Films, casting assistant at DDB New York and an agent at the William Morris Agency.  Lynn also serves as a musical director for Imagination Players, our children’s theater program, jointly produced by Trinity River Arts Center and KD Actors Conservatory.  Shows she has worked on include Footloose, Into the Woods, Les Miserables and many others. She has also directed musical shows at KD Actors Conservatory Black Box Theatre, Highland Park Middle School , Forney High School and the Jewish Community Center. She is a vocal coach for a select group of students, focusing not just on singing technique, but also acting the song.

Emily Scott Banks - Acting Performance Program—Voice and Diction; Shakespeare

University of Texas at Austin – BFA in Acting

Director and Actress - trained extensively as a Teacher Trainee with Shakespeare & Company in MA, has studied The Meisner Technique with for several years with WaterTower Theatre Artistic Director Terry Martin. Since returning to the Dallas area, Emily has worked constantly on local stages, and has performed lead roles at WaterTower, Circle Theatre, Stage West, Shakespeare Dallas, Uptown Players, Dallas Childrens Theatre, among others.  In 2007 her theatre company, Vox, premiered an original adaptation of Shakespeare’s narrative poem, The Rape of Lucrece, to critical acclaim. This past year, Emily was awarded a Dallas Theatre Critics Forum Award for her work as the Portuguese maid Matilde in A Clean House at Stage West.

Producer, Actor - With his improv training, has created memorable moments on the stage and screen, including  as Ashley Judd’s husband in Where the Heart Is. His production company "Hinterland Pictures" creates  video projects for companies here in the DFW area and abroad. His acting talent has been seen in many TV commercials, TV shows, short film projects, features, independent movies and radio spots. He takes pride in teaching the craft to aspiring actors here at KD Studio.

Actor, Director - In a 25 year acting career, he has played almost every professional stage in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex in work ranging from Shakespeare to hot-off-the-presses. Recent appearances include Willy Brandt in Democracy at Theatre Three for which he received a D/FW Theater Critics Award. On film he has been seen in starring roles in the independent features Positive ID and Learning Curve (aka Detention) and in smaller roles in a variety of major studio releases including RoboCop, JFK and Magnolia. He has appeared in some 25 TV movies and series episodes including a recent five episode run of Fox's Prison Break and will appear soon on NBC’s Friday Night Lights as energy tycoon Doyle Cook. He is also a director.  Among his directorial cre dits: Richard III, Shakespeare Dallas; A Few Good Men and Ad Wars, Circle Theater.  He is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency

                     All Programs-- English, History of Film
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee - BFA in Theatre Studies.
University of Texas at Dallas - MA and PhD in the Humanities

Director, Actor, Writer -Has participated as a director, dramaturge, and performer in over thirty-five productions, collaborating and/or studying with such noted theatre practitioners as Robert W. Corrigan, Richard Schechner, Aaron Frankel, Israel Horovitz, Alexa Visarion and Ljubisa Georgievski. He has written articles on a broad range of topics in the areas of theatre, dance and somatic practices. Most recently, he chaired a panel session on Irene Fornes' dramas at the Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference in which Ms. Fornes acted as a respondent to the presentations.

Director, Counselor- For 12 years, she taught Drama and Speech in Oklahoma, directing school and class plays as well as one-act plays for competition. She served as sponsor for the National Forensic League and International Thespian Society, and coached students to Regional and State Award recognition. In 1990, she served as a counselor in secondary schools for 12 years in Oklahoma and Texas.  In addition to her formal training in Theatre and Counseling, she was chosen to participate in the Oklahoma Adult Institute of the Arts’ Film Acting Program with Lou Antonio, and has received training from Dr. Scott Poland in trauma response and crisis intervention.

Producer, Director, Actor - Began his 35 years career in film and television as a stuntman in Los Angeles.  After 8 years he propelled himself through the ranks to producing (3.5 years for Bill Cosby) and directing episodic television and feature films. His expertise encompasses both sides of the lens; acting in over 100 national commercials, 50 television shows, and 15 feature films.  His spare time in Los Angeles was devoted to training actors and directors at the Film Industry Workshops (FIW). Acting alumni included Sally Field, Debra Winger, Sam Elliott, James Brolin, Susan Dey, and Bonnie Franklin. Directing alumni included Ron Howard, John Heath (Producer/Director Chicago Hope), Penny Adams (Producer E.R.), and Jim Hallowes (award winning commercial producer/director). The Southern California Motion Picture council presented Clarke their Bronze Halo Award for his tireless mentoring of first time film and television directors.

Actor, Voice Coach - Has performed locally at Theatre Three, Dallas Theatre Center, Dallas Children's Theatre, Labyrinth, Stage West, Shakespeare  Dallas, and the Trinity Shakespeare Festival in Ft Worth. He received special recognition from the D/FW Critic's Forum for his work in TOMMY at DTC and for his work at Theatre Three in A Dog’s Life, The Goodbye Girl, and Pygmalion, for which he also won the 2008 Column Award for Best Actor. Nationally he has appeared at Victory Gardens in Chicago, the Genesis Shakespeare Festival, Upstart Crow and the Theatre at Lime Kiln. He has served as voice coach for the Folger Shakespeare Theater, Theatre of the First Amendment, and the Round House, all in DC. He has taught voice at Ohio University, Oklahoma State, and Collin College. He is a member of Actors Equity Association and is represented by Core Talent.

Actor, Director, Writer -Has been an actor and director since graduating from KD in 1994. She has performed onstage with Echo Theatre, Water Tower Theatre and Second Thought Theatre (Ensemble Member). She was recently seen on TV in a Direct Energy commercial and in HBO's Temple Grandin. Her voice-over work varies from Joe's Crab Shack where she impersonated Sarah Palin to on-hold messaging to kid's shows. She has directed for Imagination Players and Echo Theatre.  She has performed in and written sketch shows for many improv and comedy groups around Dallas, as well as performing in live corporate events with Four Day Weekend.  She is represented by The Kim Dawson Agency.

Actor, Writer - Has been acting professionally since 1981. Her dedication to tomorrow's arts patrons has led her to work with The Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration, Children's Arts & Ideas Foundation, and the Dallas Children's Theater, as well as popular TV shows Barney and Wishbone. She was commissioned to create a one-woman series of curriculum-based performances for middle schools and also created the KD acting curriculum for kids. She  serves as the commercial spokesperson for Children's Medical Center and has been seen/heard on thousands of TV, radio and print ads.  She hosts her show, Backyard Boomers, on  the Veria  network, where she also co-hosts a segment on Empty Nesters. She has appeared in regional theater from Texas to Virginia, and on several major network series, including Lifetime Movie Network's Inspector Mom, where she is a series regular. She is a Founding Member of Lone Star Comedy and is represented by the Kim Dawson Agency.

Director, Actor, Dancer, Mime - Is an actor and director who has received rich European training ranging from drama and mime to dance and mask work. With his great knowledge of the work of such masters as Decroux, Marcel Marceau and Grotowski, he became a leading actor in the Szczecin Mime Theatre. His long acting career includes stage and television work and participation in many international theatre festivals. Over the years, Andre has toured in England, Germany, Poland, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Sweden where he performed and directed. Prior to joining the faculty at KD Studio, Andre taught at the University of Texas at Dallas and other area colleges.

Actor, Director - Has taught theatre history, film history, voice, and performance at Baylor University, Brookhaven College, Tarrant County College, Trinity Valley College, and Mountain View College. He has acted in over 70 productions including venues in New York City, Detroit, Atlanta, Nashville, and Dallas. In addition to performing, Mike has directed professionally in New York and Dallas. In 2004, he co-founded the Second Thought Theatre in Dallas where he served as public relations coordinator for two years and is currently on the advisory board. Mike currently works in broadcast, having just appeared in several national and regional commercials ranging from NASCAR and Toyota to Hasbro and Texas Lotto. He was nominated for Most Valuable Performer by the Oakland Press for his work with the Hilberry Repertory Theatre in 1999 and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by the Detroit Free Press for his portrayal of Henry McNeil in the play Some Americans Abroad in 2000.

Actor, Director - Has performed at the Dallas Theatre Center, Addison Center Theatre, Open Stage, the New Arts Theatre, Stage West and Shakespeare Dallas . He has also appeared at numerous regional theatres including the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, the McCarter Theatre and the Virginia Stage Company. T.A. has worked on numerous commercials and training films as well as the television series' Walker Texas Ranger, As the World Turns, Guiding Light and Another World, and in supporting roles in the feature films, Late Bloomers and The Message.

Director, Choreographer, Actor, Singer, Dancer - Over 30 years of professional (AEA and AFTRA) experience as a singer and dancer. She has been an adjunct instructor at TCU, North Dakota University, UC Santa Barbara and Indiana University. She was Education Director for WaterTower Theatre and coordinated youth theatre programs for Casa Manana Theater and Lifesong. She has worked professionally in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Europe with national and European credits including Cats, Showboat, 42nd Street, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. Recent film credits include "W"; Cleaner; A Killer Within; Fat Girls; The Deadbeat Club and Wonderful World. Favorite stage roles include Amanda in The Glass Menagerie and Mae West in Dirty Blonde for City Rep on OKC.

Dancer, Choreographer - Studied with Nathalia Krassovska, Victor Moreno, and Fernando Schaffenburg. Recent choreography credits Sweet Charity, Godspell, Grand Night for Singing, Oliver!, Liberty, The Siege of the Alamo, Joseph and the Amazing……, Funny Girl, Funny Thing Happened…, A Chorus Line, Grease, Oklahoma!, Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Cotton Patch Gospel, Nunsense I&II, Gypsy, The Boyfriend, The Fantasticks,(Garland Civic Theatre); Joseph and the Amazing…,Once Upon a Mattress, When I was a Dinosaur  (an original work), Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty –(an original work), Rags to Riches (GCT’S Children On Stage);  Gypsy, West Side Story, The Music man, Fiddler on the Roof, Brigadoon, Showboat, South Pacific, Camelot, Carousel, King & I, Oklahoma - Dream Ballet (Garland Summer Musicals); Fiddler on the Roof (Music Theatre of Wichita, Kansas);  Carousel (Kincaid Regional Theatre, Kentucky); Urinetown, It Ain’t Nothin’ but the Blues, The Mystery of Edwin Drood (WaterTower Theatre); A man of No Importance, Love! Valour! Compassion!, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Uptown Players),  Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof (Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Dallas);  Manchild in the Promised Land, A Funny Thing Happened…. (Theatre Three); Nunsense I, Blues in the Night, Closer than Ever (Dallas Repertory Theatre); 110 In the Shade,  Romance/Romance (Lyric Stage, Irving); The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Sojourner, Monkey Magic, Wiley and the Hairy Man (Dallas Theatre Center Teen/Children’s Theatre); A Chorus Line, Floyd Collins, My Favorite Year, Pal Joey, She Loves Me, Goodbye Girl, Company, Once Upon a Mattress, Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof  (Plano Repertory Theatre); Ramona Quimby, Beauty and the Beast (Dallas Children’s Theatre); The Boy Friend, West Side Story, Showboat, Die Fledermaus  (Irving Community Theatre).

Director, Singer, Dancer, Actor, Choreographer - Mr. Serrecchia was an original cast member of A Chorus Line for which he received a Special Drama Desk Award and the Theatre Critics Circle Award. Other  Broadway credits include The Rothschilds; The Selling of the President; Heathen, Lady Audley’s Secret; Seesaw and Sing Happy.  He spent four and a half years circling the globe three times as Chita Rivera’s dance partner in “Chita Plus Two”, for which he won a MAC Award.  Dallas directing credits include Some Enchanted Evening for Plano Repertory Theater and Steel Magnolias, Genderella and Pageant for Crossroads Theatre (Column Award for Best Direction of a Musical). In 2002 – 2003 as adjunct professor of Musical Theatre at UNT, he directed and choreographed A Little Night Music, the first co-production of the Dance, Theatre and Opera Departments. For Theatre Three in Dallas he directed Seven Keys to Baldpate, I’ll Leave it to You, A Class Act  (Dallas Critics Award for Best Direction of a Musical), The Full Monty (Column Awards: Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Musical), and The Light in the Piazza (Regional Premier).  He also directed NINE the Musical for ICT Mainstage; ; On Golden Pond  for Contemporary Theatre of Dallas; Moonlight and Magnolias (Stoney Award Best Direction of a Play) and Almost, Maine for Theatre Arlington; and  Lobby Hero for Second Thought Theater.  Most recently he directed Spelling Bee for Theatre Arlington.

Producer, Director, ScreenWriter - In his twenty-five year career in film and video, he has worked on hundreds of feature films, documentaries, television shows, commercials, music videos, and corporate/industrial/training programs. His involvement has spanned every aspect of bringing script to screen from writing, directing, and producing, through all aspects of post-production. He has participated in numerous panel discussions, seminars, and workshops’ including the Sundance Institute Producer’s Project.  He is a former member of the Motion Picture Editors’ guild and Senior Lecturer at the University of Texas at Arlington.