NYFA
Faculty Directory

Faculty Directory

Mike Magliocca

Mike Magliocca is a teaching artist with experience in acting, stunts, and both stunt and intimacy coordination. He has worked on studio, independent, and graduate student films, as well as Off-Broadway and Regional theaters. As an educator and artist, Mike has worked at NYU Tisch Graduate Program, Barnard University, PACE University, Brooklyn College Feirstein Graduate School, Skidmore College, Long Island University – Brooklyn, and many others. MFA in Acting – Brooklyn College. Coordinator of the NY Summer Sling, one of the world’s largest and longest-running workshops for stunts and stage combat. Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors.

T.J. Mannix Associate Chair of Performing Arts
(Acting for Film)

T.J. Mannix has been teaching acting and auditioning for the camera and the stage for almost two decades. His former students can be seen on Broadway, in films, and on television as series regulars and guest stars. He is an alumnus of the University of Miami, Florida and has taught master classes across the U.S., Canada, and 14 countries.

T.J. has appeared in 85+ TV and radio commercials and roles on “Law and Order: SVU,” “Law and Order,” “Law and Order: Criminal Intent,” “All My Children,” “One Life to Live,” “As the World Turns,” and numerous appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”

He is 24-year veteran improvisor in NYC and Chicago, and has toured with several casts of The Second City/NCL. He was an original cast member and host of the innovative, “NY Times approved,” ”BLANK: the Musical” off-Broadway.

He is the founder of the 12th annual New York Musical Improv Festival http://www.NYMIF.com and is currently touring with the epic one-man improvised musical “LimboLand.” He admits to spending a very dark year working as a Mouseketeer.

Peter Marciano

Peter Marciano is a New York-based actor and teacher from Syracuse, NY. He has been teaching at The New York Film Academy since 2015 and currently serves as the Head of Acting for The Professional Conservatory of Musical Theatre and Head of Voice for the Acting For Film program. He is a Designated Linklater Teacher, having studied voice and Shakespeare under master teacher, Kristin Linklater, in Orkney, Scotland. He trained with Louis Colaianni and is a Certified Colaianni Speech Practitioner, specializing in phonetics and dialects. He has most recently performed in St. Lucy of the Eyes, Richard III, If Stars Are Lit, and Twelfth Night. He has taught voice, movement, and acting on three continents, and coached actors appearing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and National Tours. He is a Co-Founder of Purple Ribbon Shakespeare, a NYC based nonprofit theatre company. He holds an MFA in Acting from The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.

George McGrath

George began his career as an actor in New York. He performed with the Groundlings in Los Angeles from 1983 – 1992, where he also taught, directed the Sunday Show, and directed and created the long-running “Your Very Own TV Show.” He was one of the original writers of “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” and was a series regular on that show. He was inducted into the TV Theme Song Hall of Fame for co-writing the series theme song. He co-wrote the Paramount film “Big Top Pee-wee,” and created and starred in Nick-at-Nite’s first original late night series, “On the Television,” which he also co-executive produced. He co-starred with Tom Hanks and Sally Field in the feature film “Punchline.” He wrote the FOX TV movie “Based on an Untrue Story,” and had a recurring role on HBO’s “Tracey Takes On,” a series he also wrote and produced. Other TV appearances include “Whose Line is It Anyway?” (the London and New York productions). He has received four Emmy nominations – for writing “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” writing and producing “Tracey Takes On,” a series for which he also won a GLAAD Award.

Mark Mocahbee Chair of Acting for Film

Mark Mocahbee has over 35 years of professional experience as a director, writer, actor, and producer. His extensive work on both sides of the camera includes numerous film and theatre productions with such distinguished artists as Barry Levinson, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Jory, Edward Albee, David Petrarca, and Rebecca Miller. Mocahbee holds his BS and MFA degrees from The University of Miami, and has worked at many of the nation’s premier theatre venues, including the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Shakespeare & Company, and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Mocahbee has served on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Xavier University, and Miami University at Oxford.

Keshav Moodliar

Keshav Moodliar is an actor from New Delhi, India. He graduated from Delhi University and majored in English Literature. After graduation Keshav applied to, and is the first Indian, to be accepted into The Juilliard School’s MFA in Acting program. At Juilliard in his final year he played the swimmer ‘Ray’ in the play ‘Red Speedo’. Since graduation Keshav has performed Off-Broadway with The Acting Company. He played the role of The Duke in Measure for Measure and was also in Native Son which was heralded as one of the best plays of 2019. He also played Romeo in The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s production of Romeo and Juliet. He recently wrapped shooting the pilot for a new television show for FX which stars Chris Messina and Ari Graynor. He can also be seen in the mini series SINK SANK SUNK starring Laura Linney which is available on Revry TV

Anne Moore Chair of Performing Arts Department

Anne Moore has been teaching at New York Film Academy since 2010, and has been an Associate Chair in the Acting Department since 2014. In that time, she has created and produced the Student-Directed Plays Series and Alumni Industry Showcases. Her TV credits include: GREY’S ANATOMY, LIFE, VEGAS, SEX AND THE CITY, and LAW & ORDER. Her NYC Off-Broadway theater credits include: SUMMER ’69 the Musical (Douglas Fairbanks Theater) and SIT N’ SPIN, co-written by Ms. Moore (Atlantic Theater). She also was one fourth of the critically acclaimed sketch comedy group, “THE FLYING QUEENS,” and had her own multi media show at Catch a Rising Star entitled, “Anne Moore and More and More.” In 2006, Ms. Moore directed and produced the award winning short documentary, CZECH DAZE. She graduated Fordham University at Lincoln Center in New York City with a BA in Theater and Film, and studied Meisner Technique at William Esper Studios.

Corey Pepper

BA, SUNY at Binghamton. Founding member of National Lampoon Players, studying improv with Chris Barnes and Michael Haggarty. Graduate of Warner Bros. Comedy Writers program. Thirty years experience as actor, writer, comic and teacher. Has appeared in such projects as “Studs Lonigan” for NBC, and “The Quickening” for A&E.

Ben Mehl

Ben Mehl is best known for playing Dante on Netflix’s YOU and for his lead role in Hallmark’s, My Christmas Guide. He has taught
and directed at the NYU Graduate Acting Program, where he received his MFA in acting and completed a teaching mentorship
in Movement under Jim Calder and Voice under Scott Miller. He has taught at a number of other New York institutions, and as a private coach. He is a member of The Actors Center and a volunteer at the 52nd Street Project. Acting credits include: TV: YOU, THE GOOD WIFE, SUPERNATURAL INVESTIGATOR. Film: MY CHRISTMAS GUIDE, VIRAL BEAUTY, THE FLY ROOM, OFF-DUTY. Off-Broadway Theater: THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL; (Red Bull Theater); PERICLES, COMEDY OF ERRORS (Public Theater). Regional: THE CRUCIBLE, YENTL (Cleveland Playhouse); TROUBLEMAKER (Berkeley Repertory Theatre); SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Williamstown Theatre Festival); HENRY V (Two River Theater); LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST (Chautauqua Theater Company). Other New York: DANNYKRISDONNAVERONICA, JULIUS CAESAR (Wheelhouse Theater); AT THE TABLE (Fault Line Theatre); HABIT (P.S. 122).

Julio O. Ramos

MFA in Film Directing and Production from UCLA; BA in Journalism from Universidad San Martin de Porres (Peru). Julio is the Writer/Director of “A Doctor’s Job” and “Behind the Mirrors,” films that were showcased in Telluride, Camerimage and CFC WorldWide, awarded with top prizes at Palm Springs ShortFest, Nashville and La Habana. He is an Alum of the Berlinale Talent Campus.

David Robinette Associate Chair of Performing Arts Department

MA in Performance Theory/Playwriting, California State University, Northridge and BA in English/Creative Writing, Hunter College. Television actor with appearances on “The Young and the Restless,” “Law & Order,” “As the World Turns,” and “All My Children.” Film role in “Cry Funny Happy,” Official Selection at Sundance.

Rico Rosetti

Rico Rosetti has been acting, directing and coaching actors for over two decades. He is currently the lead acting teacher at The New York Film Academy. Past teaching credits include classes or workshops at Rutgers University, The Pratt Institute, UW-Milwaukee, Delaware County Community College, in Media, PA, The Acting Studio in Philadelphia, and The Mississippi Summer Arts Institute. He has directed plays in many places across the country, with a focus on new works, including the award-winning A Gentleman From Mississippi, which debuted Off-Broadway and toured nationally, as well as the New York premieres of Lia Romeo’s Green Whales And 5Boys.si by Simona Semenič. Rico was a founding member of several regional companies including The Actor’s Lab Theatre of Philadelphia, The Acting Studio in Philadelphia, and Cornerstone Theater Co in Milwaukee. TV acting credits include Law & Order (prime), Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Guiding Light and All My Children. Other acting credits abound, primarily in regional theater and off-off Broadway. Rico received his MFA in Acting from Rutgers, Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Micah Spayer

Micah is an award-winning filmmaker and actor who grew up in the theater and hails from Central Illinois. His work spans regional theatre, national tours, television, film, and commercials. As a director, he uses a teaching-centered approach to help actors rebuild their imagination and grow into powerful, insightful performers. He composes music for film and his ongoing solowork. In addition to film, Micah has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Western Illinois University (2009), loves flatbread pizza and collecting and repairing typewriters. His most honorable performance to date is the role of Father to his brilliant daughter.

Federico Spiazzi

Federico Spiazzi is an Italian director, screenwriter, cinematographer and educator. He graduated from the Italian National Film School and earned an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. His works have played at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Hamptons Int. Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest and many others and were showcased in important venues such as Lincoln Center and Anthology Film Archives in New York City. Federico has been a recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarship, the National Board of Review student grant and was awarded with the Excellence in Filmmaking award by Kodak. His teaching career began at Columbia University and in some important acting workshops in New York City. From 2021 he teaches Directing, Screenwriting and Acting for the Camera at NYFA Florence.

Liz Stanton

Liz Stanton teaches Acting (Meisner), Voice & Movement, and Improvisation at the New York Film Academy. As an actor, singer, sound designer, composer, director, and teacher, she is a multifaceted theatre artist. She is the Theatrical Development Producer for Convergences Theatre Collective. She has performed in numerous professional productions in New York City, regionally and internationally (England and India). Her opera, based on The Bacchae, was featured as a work in development at the EstroGenius Festival. She has created award-winning devised theatre pieces, composes music for theatrical sound designs, and teaches physically embodied acting and voice. Liz received her MFA in Theatre: Contemporary Performance from Naropa University. One of her most recent projects is The Woman Who Was Me – a play for one woman. The show was nominated for five Innovative Theatre Awards, including for Outstanding Solo Performer.

Micah Stathis

Stathis was a Production Manager for Manhattan Neighborhood Network for over four years. He quickly expanded his skills as a freelance Cinematographer and Director. He has experience directing a wide variety of television and film shoots, commercials, music videos, narrative films, documentary films, and live events.

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