Brittney Buffo (Program Manager/ Actress/Producer/Writer) : Brittney is an experienced Teaching Artist with a BA in Theatre from Cal Poly, Pomona. She is a co-founder of HARA Motion Picture Conservatory with her husband, Michael Buffo. She serves as program manager, creating the unique curriculum for HARA and specializes teaching classes in acting and ensemble screenplay writing. Her teaching credits also include performance classes with Pac Rep School of Dramatic Arts in Carmel, CA, The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, Virginia Avenue Project and Theatricum Botanicum. Under the mentorship and direction of Linda Bisesti, a Designated Linklater Voice Teacher, Brittney has had the unique opportunity to work one-on-one as a disciple of one of the most sought after vocal technique teachers in the world. She as performed in dozens of classical and contemporary plays in Los Angeles, as well as in independent films she has also produced, “Instructions Not Included,” “Carnation” “A Long Shot” and “Camp Hero-Time.” S he produced and directed her first short, Truant Moon last year and is cast in the upcoming feature film, JANE.
Marq Hawkins Biography (Musician/Writer/Director/Actor/Producer): Since childhood Marq Hawkins has worked to develop his craft as an actor, performer and writer. He grew up in South Los Angeles and Compton, California. He attended California State University, Fullerton and earned a B.A (Ethnic Studies/Theater) and the University of Phoenix where he earned an M.A. Degree. He is an actor, writer and musician. Marq has been a Director and Technical Director for the COLSAC (Coleman and Smith Artistic Company) for the past three years. Marq has also been featured in stage plays such as A Raisin in the Sun (Walter Lee), A Soldiers Play (Captain Davenport), Sistah Girl (Clayton) and Porgy and Bess (Sportin Life). His feature film credits include Surviving Paradise, Frost, Grab Tha Mic, Brothers On A Corner and Finding the Boom Bap . In 2001 he appeared in the Hip Hop documentary The Journey of Dr. Dre as Cli-N-Tel. His writing credits include Creepin on a Come Up, Crackin, The Right Game, The Brothers Jones, A Guide to Survival in the Hood and Nzinga: Queen of Kings. He has performed in various countries around the world including Japan and has produced several CDs with the pioneering hip-hop group The World Class Wreckin Crew. He is also a member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Honor society, A Robert Zemeckis Fellows and President and founder of Showdown Productions Inc. With some ten years of experience in the film industry, he continues to hone his craft.
Liz Blanchard (Actress/Teaching Artist): Liz Blanchard is a New Jersey native. She holds a BFA with a concentration in acting from Pace University in NYC, where she lived and worked for ten years. As a teaching artist, Liz has created and developed curriculum for The Merchants and Drovers Tavern Museum, Beginnings Nursery, LREI, and most recently, SoDA in Carmel. As an artist, Liz is creatively influenced by Stanislavsky, Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal, and Dorothy Heathcote. Through her work in process based dramatic expression, she seeks to discover the interconnectedness of life and invites class members to challenge the conventional structure of theatre to uncover the transcendent power of drama.
Curtis August ( Actor/Musician/Director/Writer): A Carmel native, Curtis graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, he went on to complete the graduate program at the ART/MXAT institute for advanced theatre training at Harvard University. He moved to New York City where he lived for ten years. Curtis has had the honor of working on stage under the direction of Anne Bogart, Andrei Serban, Robert Woodruff, and many others. He has also worked as an actor on national and international commercial campaigns for Mountain Dew, Burger King, Travelocity, Campari, Dr. Scholls, IBM, and Office Max. He has been a member of several New York based bands. He has worked as a coach and teacher for LREI in Greenwich Village, Super Soccer Stars, and the Performing Arts Conservatory of Carmel. As a teacher Curtis seeks to help communities develop compassion through open communication, self-reflection, and the truth.
Janet Caliri (Coach/Actress/Teaching Artist): Janet Caliri is known for her perceptive and supportive approach to serving people in the community, whether it’s through photography or facilitating a workshop. With her life’s mission to ignite human potential, she gently and clearly shines a light upon that which no longer serves and gives action oriented direction on how to make positive and realistic steps to be a better leader. For over 12 years, her tremendous gift of creative wisdom and intuitive truth has been an enjoyable blend that transformed many lives both personally and professionally. Ms. Caliri has worked with at-risk youth in a Los Angeles area after school community arts program, published a book on loving yourself first and is currently a full-time honors student studying human and behavior science.
