About Desean
Desean K. Terry (Founder) is an actor, director and educator. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and earned his MFA in Acting Pedagogy from CSULB. Series regular on The Morning Show, he is also the Artistic Director of Collaborative Artists Bloc, a Los Angeles-based theatre company dedicated to producing new works that promote social change.
My studies at The Juilliard School laid the foundation of my training. However, soon after graduating I learned that even studying at one of the top schools in the world didn’t give me all the tools I needed to work in our fast-paced, ever-changing industry. That is not a criticism of Juilliard, that is an encouragement to continually train - which I did. As I kept training, I was consistently frustrated by studios that centered the teacher, the technique, or the “trick." When confronted with any of my own acting challenges, if I could not find the answer in the teacher, technique, or "trick," often the explanation offered was that there was some inadequacy or lack of talent in me, the actor. But I have come to learn that issues concerning craft are not barometers of talent. Sometimes, they are personal, and buried deep in our psyche; but oftentimes the answers are simple, pragmatic tools. We just need to be introduced to them. That's why I believe in continual training. I'm always collecting more tools, even when I'm teaching.
To work on a film/tv set, we need a practice that is comprehensive and actionable, yet personal and authentic. It's a challenge. For most of us it takes decades, so we have to be comfortable working as we grow. Being in-process works in our favor, because humanity is imperfect and the audience wants to see that. It's a dynamic task we are being asked to do, working on a movie set. We have to have our toolkit ready to go. Hence, The Last Acting Studio was conceived as not only a place of its own robust study, but also a locus and intersection point for other pedagogies.
Though I am always striving to create an even more substantial résumé for myself as an actor and director, my teaching is the most personal part of my work. Through The Last Acting Studio I hope to create a space where all types of people can feel seen and safe, and be granted the permission to play and thrive.
Welcome to our home.
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To coach with Desean, click HERE
Behzad Dabu is an actor, writer, and producer, based out of both Los Angeles and Chicago. He grew up in Syracuse, NY and got his BFA in Acting from Columbia College Chicago, where he also worked after college as the Senior International Admissions Officer; traveling all over the world working with students and their families on creating careers in the arts.
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He has worked extensively on stage at some of the best theaters in the country, especially in Chicago, and is a proud company member at TimeLine Theatre Company which presents stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues.
With a passion for working with playwrights and new play development, he originated the role of 'Amit' in "Samsara" at Victory Gardens Theatre, for which he was nominated for a Jeff Award - Best Actor. He also originated the role of 'Abe' in the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play, "Disgraced" which he performed at American Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory, and the Mark Taper Forum at Center Theatre Group.
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On screen, you can see him as 'Simon Drake' on Seasons 3 and 4 of How To Get Away With Murder on ABC, as 'Amir' on the Showtime series The Chi, on Disney’s The Lion Guard. He also appeared in episodes of All Rise, The Good Place, Chicago P.D., Drive Share, You're So Talented, Dealbreakers, and many more; and in the films Hoop, King Rat, Mondo Hollywoodland, Imperfections, Older Children; as well as various national commercials.
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Behzad is the Director of Acting for the HillmanGrad Mentorship Lab and an adjunct professor in the theatre department at Columbia College Chicago and also leads their Semester in LA program.
Behzad strives to be a strong advocate for social justice and equality, particularly in regards to representation in the arts and media; and is a founding member of The Chicago Inclusion Project, which seeks to level the playing field and provide resources in the arts for people of color, women, LGBTQ, and people with disabilities. He is a skilled audience engagement facilitator and experienced post-show discussion leader.
Behzad is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA.
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To coach with Behzad, click HERE
About Behzad
About Meera
Meera Rohit Kumbhani is an actor, clown, and teacher with over fifteen years of experience working across television, film, and theater. Her television credits include series regular and recurring roles on FOX’s Weird Loners and USA’s Donny!, and appearances on Julia, This Is Us, The Lincoln Lawyer, Shameless, the upcoming Wonder Man, and more. Her film work includes The Best You Can (opposite Judd Hirsch and Kevin Bacon), Uncorked, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and cult favorite Dave Made a Maze. Onstage, she has originated roles in multiple world and Off-Broadway premieres and performed with companies including Classic Stage Company, Ensemble Studio Theater, Playwrights’ Horizons, Ma-Yi, La Jolla Playhouse, and American Conservatory Theater. She holds an MFA in Acting from Columbia University, where she trained with Kristin Linklater, Olympia Dukakis, Anne Bogart, and Robert Woodruff.
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As a teacher and private coach of nearly a decade, Meera is on faculty at The Last Acting Studio, the Elysian Theater, and The Idiot Workshop, teaching scene study, on-camera acting, and clown. A graduate of the National Alliance of Acting Teachers’ Teacher Development Program and a self-professed “pedagogy nerd”, she brings a wide range of techniques—including Linklater, Meisner, Viewpoints, Demidov, and Michael Chekhov Technique—into her work, centering the importance of impulse and imagination in all of her classes. She has taught acting and clown in many diverse communities including prisons, shelters, and migrant farmworker communities.
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To coach with Meera click HERE.
Rosanny Zayas is a Dominican-American actress born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Ozone Park, Queens. She received her MFA in Acting from The Juilliard School and has studied theater all over the world ( Midsummer at Oxford Program, Barcelona International Theater Program) and is the current recipient of the Ron Van Lieu scholarship for the National Alliance of Acting Teachers. With her performance as Helena for The Public Theater in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The New York Times reviewed,"Best is Rosanny Zayas as Helena, who demonstrates nimble comic timing and always seems to be completely in the moment — a rarer ability than you’d think, even among the best actors.” Some of her series regular roles include “Sophie Suarez” in Showtime’s THE L WORD GENERATION Q and “Detective Paola Martinez in ECHOES on Netflix. On THE L WORD, her solo song “ All About Me” was nominated for “Outstanding Original Music- and Lyric” at the 2023 Emmy Awards. Some of her recurring roles include ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, THE CODE, ELEMENTARY and INSTINCT. On the film side, she was seen opposite Patricia Arquette and Angela Bassett in Cindy Chupack's independent film, OTHERHOOD, and she appears in Jonathan Lisecki's indie film MODERN PERSUASION. You can currently see her recurring on Netflix’s half hour sitcom THE UPSHAWS starring Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes.
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To coach with Rosanny, click HERE
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About Rosanny
About Patrick
Sean Patrick McGowan is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and educator. He grew up in New Jersey and attended Regis High School in Manhattan. During his teens, he performed stand-up sets at Caroline's, Gotham Comedy Club, and more. He earned his Bachelor's in Theatre Arts from Brown University.
Upon graduation he received the department's award for academic excellence. Since then, highlights include sharing the screen with Alan Cumming in The Outs and Hugh Grant in The Rewrite.
He wrote and starred in the short film Townmouse, which won the Hollyshorts audience award. He values his daily mindfulness practice and the opportunity to help students across disciplines recognize and hone the infinite potential within. He believes in the power of stories and the inimitable genius of You.
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To coach with Patrick, click HERE
Gabrielle Salinger is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, educator and dialect coach. Originally from Boston, she was a touring company member of the Boston Center for the Arts where she originated the role of Parker in the award-winning original play, “The Island of the Beholder". She studied with NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts program in Paris before returning to the States to graduate from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
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Gabrielle takes a physiological approach to training, with a strong belief that small changes in the body are the fastest way to free the mind, let go of self-limiting beliefs, and allow the character and performance to emerge truthfully and organically.
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An established dialect coach, her impressive roster of clients can be seen appearing in major television series and films. Utilizing a similarly kinesthetic approach, Gabrielle is able to quickly and effectively impart the nuances of specific accents and dialects in a way that allows seamless
integration with character development and performance. Her unique system applies an intuitive phonic method that enables clients to master accents and dialects much faster than typical IPA-based coaching techniques and allows them to audition or perform with confidence.
In addition to dialect training, she specializes in character vocalization, accent reduction, and accent/ dialect creation for fictional language.
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Her voice-acting work includes credits alongside John Cena, Anna Chlumsky, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Will Forte and Jay Pharoah. As well as within the “Harry Potter” franchise and for Frogwares Games’, “The Sinking City”.
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To coach with Gabrielle, click HERE
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About
Gabrielle
About Tessa
Tessa Claire Hersh (she/her) believes acting should feel alive, playful, and just the right amount of weird—in the best way possible. She brings her background as a performer, writer, singer, and somatic therapist to help actors find freedom, connection, and joy in their work.
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Her Off-Broadway musical earned praise from The New York Times, and she’s appeared across network and streaming television, in indie films, and in multiple commercial campaigns—including several years as a national spokesperson. So yes, she’s probably popped up in your living room more times than you realized.
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Tessa’s work has earned Best Actress awards at Slamdance, the New York Film and Television Festival, and the Urbanworld Film Festival. She also starred in a pilot that won the Audience Award at Just For Laughs and was featured in the ABC Diversity Showcase.
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She’s performed at Upright Citizens Brigade in both Los Angeles and New York, delighting audiences with improv and sketch shows ranging from brilliantly absurd to unexpectedly profound.
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With a Master’s in Somatic Psychology and extensive training in yoga and mindfulness, Tessa blends body-based awareness with practical performance tools to help actors unlock truthful, embodied work. She also has deep experience supporting neurodiverse artists and is passionate about finding creative approaches that honor each performer’s unique way of learning and processing.
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When she’s not coaching, Tessa is always happy to chat about your pets, your favorite desserts, or those deep questions this mortal coil tends to bring up between takes.
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Above all, Tessa’s coaching is about helping you celebrate what makes YOU compelling—and having a whole lot of fun along the way.
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To coach with Tessa, click HERE
