Faculty Directory

Matthew Toronto Acting for Film Instructor

---

MATTHEW TORONTO – After a two-year stint on Netflix, Matt’s coming-of-age feature, FACE 2 FACE, which he wrote and directed, continues to inspire audiences on Paramount +, Epix and several other platforms. Besides an array of award-winning features, shorts, pilots and web series, Matt recently directed two features to be released by Artist View Entertainment in 2023 and is scheduled to direct two more this year. Matt earned his MFA in directing from Penn State University where he later joined the faculty and taught acting, directing and musical theatre for eight years. On stage, Matt directed the world premiere of the widely renowned musical ORDINARY DAYS as well as a long list of plays and musicals in New York City, Los Angeles and across the country. He began his professional career as an actor, performing in national tours, Off-Broadway and in celebrated regional theatres. He also spent five seasons in the RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR dancing alongside the Rockettes! A father of three, Matt loves to tell stories that reveal humanity in unexpected ways.

Charley Tucker Acting for Film Instructor

---

As a teaching artist, Mr. Tucker has worked at New York University (co-teacher with Phylicia Rashad), American Globe Theatre (Shakespeare First Folio Technique), University of Texas/ Austin, Muhlenberg College, Penn State University and New York Film Academy where he is currently teaching Scene Study and the Meisner Technique.
HEDDA GABBLER (American Globe), UNCLE TOM’S CABIN (The Drama Dept.- Workshop Co.), MISALLIANCE (Pennsylvania Center Stage), DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS (American Stage), SIX DEGREES OF SEPERATION (Florida Studio Theatre), and AMERICAN BUFFALO (Asolo Conservatory Theatre- guest artist). Film and T.V.: CURDLED (Miramax), AMY SCHUMMER SHOW (Comedy Central), TENNESSEE (Lee Daniels Entertainment), and several television and radio commercials. Currently Mr. Tucker has 2 films in production.

David Vando

---

Mr. Vando’s works include the award winning THE KING’S CLOWN performed both in America and England, the book and lyrics for a musical adaptation LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST for the Folger Library Theatre, an English adaptation of THE THREEPENNY OPERA, BUGLES AT DAWN a musical based on THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE, SONG OF THE LARK, a musical passion play of Saint Joan, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LEONARDO DA VINCI, EROICA, about the deafness and death of Beethoven and SHAKESPEARE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, now in its third printing, which teaches you how to “translate” and use quotes from the Bard in the new millennium for everything from corporate mottos to epitaphs with over 700 outrageous examples. His latest work is the film HAMLET/HORATIO, the story of Hamlet told through eyes of Horatio, in which he wrote the screen play and acts two roles.

Amy Van Horne Acting for Film Creative Director

---

Creative Director of the Acting for Film Department in New York

Amy Van Horne is an actor, teacher, and professional on-camera audition coach. She holds an MFA from Rutgers University-Mason Gross School of the Arts where she studied under the tutelage of Master Teachers William Esper and Maggie Flanigan. Amy has been a professional film and television actress for over 20 years, working in both LA and New York. Having firsthand knowledge of the many technical challenges actors face working in front of the camera on professional film/TV sets, Amy developed and led on-camera acting technique, scene study, and audition technique classes that she taught for over 10 years in LA. Teaching actors to find freedom on camera became Amy’s passion, and she returned to New York in 2013 to train as a master teacher under her mentor Maggie Flanigan. Selected film/TV credits include: Cost of Living, The City, The Big Easy, Hitz, Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place, Push, Veronica’s Closet, Family Rules, The Beach Boys: An American Family, Judging Amy, Strong Medicine, Cold Case, and Final Sale. She has also appeared in dozens of national network commercials. Amy joined the New York Film Academy in 2017.

Victor Verhaeghe Acting for Film Instructor

---

Victor is currently workshopping a musical he wrote: Doormen, The musical, with Royal Family Theater. COP-DOC, a short film/web series that he wrote, produced and starred in, has picked up several awards in festivals this year, with more on the way. Currently in development with a production company. As an actor, Victor continued his work on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” as Antonio, the doorman, which is ironic since he is writing a musical about doormen. He shot the feature film, Bad Education, with Hugh Jackman, Alison Janey and Ray Romano, that is now running on HBO.

Other recent work: Feature Film, Peel with Emile Hirsch and Amy Brenneman, guest starring role on The Americans, and the lead in another feature, Bride in the Box. Victor is also producing a series of videos called, What if… based on the idea of what if we tried love instead of guns, love instead of hate. He has already produced and shot four of these videos and continues writing and raising funds for more in the series.
He also has another short film that he wrote and starred in, doing well on the festival circuit called, The Parker.

Paul Warner

---

Paul Warner is an award-winning director and educator, whose more than 50 productions span film, theater, and opera. He most recently directed the feature film, HAMLET/HORATIO, which premiered on Amazon in June 2021, and subsequently enjoyed limited theatrical release in 2022. HAMLET/HORATIO has been the recipient of 15 international festival awards. Prior to HAMLET/HORATIO, Warner directed a new musical, RIVER OF STONE by Drama Desk nominee Peter Melnick with book by Ty Defoe which premiered at the Jaffa Festival as well as Wendy Whelan of the New York City Ballet in the premiere of WOMEN: THE WAR WITHIN, a dance-opera by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Du Yun and Obie-winning writer Matthew Maguire, which premiered at The Baryshnikov Arts Center. Film credits include the feature FALL TIME (Lionsgate) starring Mickey Rourke (nominated for The Grand Jury Prize in competition at Sundance), IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER (Sundance premiere), the disco movie musical, KAYA: TASTE OF PARADISE (lyrics and music by Anna K. Jacobs (Teeth) and book by Jerome Parker as well as David Michalek’s PORTRAITS IN DRAMATIC TIME, with Alan Rickman, William H. Macy, and Holly Hunter (Lincoln Center Festival premiere), for which he directed the actors and served as Executive Creative Consultant. Warner is a graduate of Harvard and The American Film Institute and the recipient of numerous honors including The Statue Award from the Princess Grace Foundation for sustained achievement in directing. He has served on the faculties of: NYU, SVA, and SUNY Purchase, amongst others. Currently, he is a senior instructor of Directing, Acting, and Producing at The New York Film Academy. Paulwarnerofficial.com

Matthew Webster

---

Matt Webster is a New York City based actor and writer. As an actor, Matt has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on National tours, and recently won Best Actor for his portrayal of Johnny Pope in A Hatful of Rain (BroadwayWorld.com). As a writer, Matt’s plays and musicals include: BACK; JAY AND THE CONTEST; ALEX FOX: AMERICAN HERO; and his original musical KINGDOM COME. With his frequent collaborator Taylor Ferrera, Matt has co-written several shows, including: a new 4 actor version of CINDERELLA; DEMOCRACY, DAY 1; COUNTY FAIR – A COUNTRY HITS MUSICAL; and PROPAGANDA! THE MUSICAL. Matt’s pilot script, BACK, won Best Pilot at the 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Fest. Matt received his BFA in Acting from West Virginia University where he was named the outstanding graduate from the College of Creative Arts. Matt is a founding member of the Magic Forest Theatre Company, and co-owner of the production company Propaganda Theatricals. Matt won the Johnny Mercer Award for Songwriting and currently works as the Creative Director for Broadway’s Andrew Lippa. www.TheOtherMattWebster.com

Lori S. Wyman

---

Lori S. Wyman, CSA, one of the most prominent Casting Directors in the southeast, has been casting films, television shows, and commercials in South Florida since 1979. Lori attended the University of Miami and she graduated with her Bachelors Degree in Speech and Communications and her minor in Education. She received her Master’s Degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) with a concentration in Drama Therapy. She pursued this degree in order to help actors with Audition Anxiety.

Upon graduating with her undergraduate degree, she aggressively pursued a casting career and immediately started working for ACT I Talent Agency. At the time, ACT I was the biggest talent agency in the State of Florida. Quickly building a reputation as one of the most outstanding talent agents in the business, she was asked by the company that was handling the Miami Vice casting if she would be one of their staff casting directors. While there, she worked on the Principal casting for “Miami Vice” during the 2nd and 3rd seasons. At the end of the 3rd season, she was approached by one of the producers of “Miami Vice” and asked to come work for them directly and head up their entire casting division. She did that for the duration of the series.

When “Miami Vice” wrapped, she was immediately asked to head up the casting offices of the Burt Reynolds series, “BL Stryker” and to cast the Florida episodes of Stephen J. Cannell’s “21 Jumpstreet” and “Wiseguy.” After these 3 series, Lori decided to make the lucrative move to commercials and feature film casting. In 1989 Lori was invited to become a member of the Casting Society of America, the professional organization of casting directors in the U.S.

She opened her own offices in North Miami Beach in the spring of 1990. With her own studio space, offices and equipment,
she was able to expand her business opportunities and provide a wider variety of services. Lori has also served on the Miami-Dade County Film, Print and Broadcast Advisory Board, helping to make decisions regarding the Film industry in Miami-Dade County. Lori is also a past vice-president of WOMPI, Women of the Motion Picture Industry, to whom she has contributed her casting services for many of their not-for-profit films that the organization produces for the good of the community.

Some of Lori’s more recent casting credits are MARCEL by Warner Bros on Apple TV, The Right Stuff on Disney Plus, HBO’s Ballers, Bloodline for Netflix, USA’s Burn Notice, The Glades and Graceland, and Starz’s Magic City. Lori is an EMMY nominee for HBO’S Recount and she has been nominated for 8 Artios and has won the prestigious Artios casting award 2 times for HBO’s Recount and Bloodline on Netflix.

Tina Zaremba

---

Tina Zaremba is a professional voice over actor. Based in New York City, she brings fifteen plus years of experience and has lent her voice to hundreds of commercials, promos, and corporate videos that include clients such as: BNY Mellon, Tide Plus Bleach, Airwick, Pantene, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the United Way.

In addition to working as a voice-over talent, Tina works with artists 1:1 as well as in workshops helping them create a blue print to developing a career in entertainment/new media as a soloprenuer.

She also teaches voice overs at New York Film Academy in NYC.

Tina studied theater at Western Michigan as well as The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute where she was a recipient of the Sidney Kingsley scholarship.

When Tina isn’t providing her voice to various voice over work, you can find her venturing around Harlem with her husband; son and French Bulldog Jojo.

To learn more about Tina go to http://www.tinazaremba.com