Actors Training Ground | Guest Teaching Artists | Acting Classes in the Raleigh

ATG'S GUEST ARTISTS

Wendy Zier (Voice-Over) has been a successful Voice Over Artist for over 20 years. Wendy voices for such clients as Hasbo, Citgo, Disney, and Blue Cross and Blue shield , just to name a few. While most of her work is live sessions in her studio with clients and agents around the country she does work here locally as well with some of the bigger studios. She has voiced on every platform you can imagine from broadcast commercial, to narration, to e-learning , to the voice in a kiosk, to an internal voice of an electronic toy! She offers coaching on occasion and has taught a few classes for Actors Training Ground. Wendy is looking forward to getting you all prepared for VO!!

David Henderson (Directors' Panel) is a Morehead Scholar graduate of UNC and the founder and co-artistic director of Honest Pint. Most recently, he was seen as Charlotte in I am My Own Wife, (Theatre Raleigh) Tracy in The Legend of Georgia McBride (Honest Pint) and the title role in Lombardi (Theatre Raleigh); which earned him a Broadway World award for Best Actor. Prior to that, he played the title role in Hamlet which earned him the Broadway World award for Best Actor in a Play. He also starred as Sweeney in Sweeney Todd at RLT and understudied the role at Playmakers Repertory Company. Favorite roles include, Ulysses in Annapurna, Joey in A Steady Rain, Fr. Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, Edward in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, John Adams in 1776, Bobby in Company, and Henry in Henry V. For the past 23 years, he has had the pleasure of playing Jacob Marley in TIP annual production of A Christmas Carol. Thanks to all of you that support the arts! Drink Deep!

Ray Walker (How an Actor Prepares panel) returns to Raleigh after 4 years as Asst. Dept. Chair of Fine Arts and Theatre instructor at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont. While there, he produced and directed plays and musicals while providing instruction in all aspects of theatre and vocal music. Prior to that, Ray served as Artistic Director of North Carolina Theatre Conservatory which provided robust arts programming for youth ages 5-18, from entry level through pre-professional training in musical theatre, acting and dance. Ray was the creator and lead instructor for the LIVE ON STAGE programming which introduced musical theatre to thousands of youth in Raleigh NC.

As a performer, Ray appeared on Broadway in the original production of Les Misérables as Marius as well as Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar and Falsettos. He understudied Donny Osmond in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and was featured in Sir Andrew Lloyd Webbers concert tours across the world. Local audiences may remember him for his many roles on the stage of North Carolina Theatre.

Ira David Wood III (Directors' Panel) A partial list of honors include: The North Carolina Award in Fine Arts, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, The Wilson Hayman Vocational Service Leadership Award, The Halifax Resolves Award, The Morrison Award, Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of The NC School of the Arts, Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, & the Builder of Bridges Award from the Babcock Center Foundation. He is an inductee into the Raleigh Hall of Fame. David has been presented three keys to the City of Raleigh and honorary citizenship awards from Columbia, SC, and Compiegne, France. In honor of his many achievements, Raleigh’s City Council voted unanimously to rename the theatre’s facility “The Ira David Wood III Pullen Park Theatre.” Tony Award-winning Artistic Director of The Lost Colony outdoor drama for seven seasons.

D. Anthony Pender (On-Camera Technique, Shakespeare, and Stage Combat) is an award-winning actor and stage director. His reputation as a Shakespearean actor has garnered praise for his performances as King Richard in Richard III, Prospero in The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet with Evan Rachel Wood. His television credits include Windmills of the Gods, Smokey and the Bandit-The Series, and several guest appearances on Matlock. His film acting credits include Ramblin' Rose, Road to Wellville, Twilight Zone-The Lost Episodes, and Radioland Murders. From the beginning of his career, Tony has consistently been involved in coaching and education, developing educational programs and workshops throughout the southeast. His students have gone on to perform on major television shows like Sonny With a Chance, in feature films like The Hunger Games, and off-Broadway in shows such as Camino del Cielo (Way to Heaven).

Wally Hurst (Improvisation) has served as the Managing Director of the Lakeland Cultural Arts Center (15 years), and as Director of the Norris Theatre at Louisburg College (5 years). He has produced over 400 shows, and has directed over 150 theatrical presentations in professional, academic, and community theatre venues, in additiont to his television and film work. Wally studied theatre, among other things, at Duke University, working with Dr. John Clum and Dr. Scott Parker. Other teachers and mentors include Cecily Berry and Jack Lynn of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Wally is one of three Americans with a Master's Degree in Shakespeare Authorship Studies from Brunei University in London. He is considered an authority on the Shakespeare Authorship Question, and has lectured internationally on various aspects of the controversy. Wally has been teaching theatre since 1992. His former students are now working professionally in all levels of theatre and performance all over the world.

Andrea Black (Script Analysis)

Renee Wimberley (Devise Theatre) is an actor, director, playwright, and arts instructor based in the Triangle area of North Carolina. She is passionate about arts integration and training parents, teachers, and ministry leaders to enhance their learning environments through creative arts activities. Renee has participated in the local theatre community for over 35 years. She is the Creative Director of Seed Art Share and teaches at Applause Youth Theatre, Christy’s Dancexplosion, and Actor’s Training Ground. In real life, she is Joe’s other half and mama to Max, Cana, and Stella. BA Theatre Arts Education (UNC-G).

Janice Baker (Business of Acting) After a long break since her college years, Janice resumed her acting career by studying with Actors Training Ground as a “mature adult,” crediting this training with launching her professional career in acting on camera. Although her favorite roles are quirky characters and improvisational comedy, Janice also claims the honor of having played the “body” on television crime shows multiple times. (You have to start somewhere). In commercials, Janice can be seen admiring produce for Food Lion, tolling away in an office for Lenovo and Avid XChange, having dental work for Smile Solutions, getting IV treatment for Duke Healthcare, and inquiring about Medicare plans despite claiming to not be old enough for that quite yet.

Vanessa Neff (Business of Acting) After a successful career and a profound personal loss, Vanessa stepped into the world of acting in 2018—proving that it’s never too late to begin a new chapter. Since then, she has appeared in over 20 films, with three feature films currently streaming, and built a thriving career in commercial work, modeling, and indie film. Her long silver hair and distinctive style have made her a sought-after face for local boutiques, designers, and advertisers. Vanessa has trained with seasoned professionals, co-hosted workshops for emerging talent, and learned to navigate the acting world from outside the traditional industry hubs. One of her proudest accomplishments is Dear Daughter, a short film she wrote, produced, co-directed, and starred in, which earned numerous international awards during its festival run. Vanessa is currently represented by Talent One Agency in Raleigh, NC, and continues to book roles that reflect both passion and purpose.

Dean Garris (Acting for the Camera: Film) - is an accomplished filmmaker from North Carolina. He has produced and directed many films and commercial works. Currently his 2014 award winning web series The Super Femmes and his 2011 award winning feature documentary Nathan Davis Still Lives can be found on Amazon Prime.

Learn more at his website: deanopictures.com

Jane Bonin (Headshot Session) grew up in London and has been in the modeling/acting industry for the past 35 years. She traveled the world working with many famous photographers, appearing in numerous high fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan. She later moved to NYC where she continued to work as a commercial model and actress through Ford and Wilhelmina Model Agencies. In 2014 Jane moved to North Carolina with her family and for the last 8 years has enjoyed being on the other side of the camera - giving her a whole new appreciation for the art of photography. However, she still believes it is her valuable experiences as a model and actress that enable her today to help both men and women achieve that contemporary 'covershot' look that everyone loves.