Mission Statement
The mission of ACT is to educate, inspire and empower children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities through the arts.
Our primary objectives are to:
- Inspire creativity and innovation in each student by recognizing and nurturing their individual talents.
- Empower each student by cultivating positive self-esteem and confidence and by providing opportunities to show completed works of art.
- Teach life skills through a curriculum that emphasizes an understanding of the creative process that can be used in all areas of life.
Our secondary objectives are to:
- Provide the Austin, TX community with opportunities for cultural enrichment.
- Maintain an inspiring and uplifting working environment for students, teachers and staff.
- Instill a greater appreciation for the need to art and expression in everyday community life.
- Offer specialized evaluation of handicap and learning disabled children in order to create specialized learning programs
About the Staff
Talena Martinez, Executive Director
Talena comes from a family of entertainers, one could say it is in her blood. Her mother would tell you that Talena saw a stage at the age of three, climbed up to center stage and that was the beginning of a life long love. That love was nurtured into a passion for creation and art. Talena has a strong belief in children and their abilities and talent. She has spent countless hours training tomorrow’s artists and hopes to continue to offer excellent training to the Austin area youth through ACT.
She has worked in the local Austin theater scene since she moved here three years ago from her hometown, Indianapolis. She has been nominated for her costume design for the Ethos production of Bell(e) as well as a nomination for best costume design for the Different Stages production of The Beard of Avon, which she was the assistant-designer for. Her national credits include costume design of a youth production of Jekyll & Hyde , stage management for a youth production of Les Miserables, technical work on shows including Madame Butterfly, The Good Doctor, Guys and Dolls, Othello, All in the timing, which traveled to the Scotland Fringe Festival, as well as many theater workshops, camps and classes. Talena has also worked on independent films and TV news shots geared to teens.
Emily Krauser, Business Consultant
Emily Krauser is a devoted arts patron and administrator. Currently pursuing a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from Indiana University, Emily’s organizational interests lie in development, management and communications. She received a bachelor’s degree from Ball State University in Psychology with an emphasis in industrial and organizational management and a minor in Spanish.
Professionally, Emily has an extensive background in children’s camps including organizing and helping run an inner city summer music camp called Strings and Jazzy Things for the past seven years. She has also worked in research and statistical analysis for a leading educational institution and is published in Giving USA 2007 and for Campbell & Company, a national fundraising consulting firm.
She also likes PUPPIES and WARM FUZZY BLANKETS! But most of all Emily likes toys and chocolate and her pretty little apple computer. Oh… and friends too – they’re fun and always great to have.
Jon Roberts, Web Designer / Developer
Jon is currently the Senior Web-designer at Digital Cheetah where he has designed several sites including the Autodesk Student Community, in FIRSTbase, 40+ unique sites for Junior Leagues around the country, hospital foundations, and others.
Jon was the lead computer animator of the MTV2-affiliate television series ‘360 Degrees’ (1998-2001). As co-founder of Banded Artists, started in 2001, Jon did several animation, web and system administration projects. He was a lead computer animator on the feature-length documentary ‘9/11 Press For Truth’ while working with Banded Artists.
He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Art at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia and his Maya Character Animation Certification from Alias. Jon uses software including Maya and Lightwave for his computer animation work and Shake for his movie compositing and digital effects. He has produced computer animations for national television spots, including the Black Expo’s 2000 and 2001 “Summer Celebration”, the largest culture event in the nation, as well as original industrial animations for such major organizations as the U.S. Department of Energy and Centex Homes.
Jon has been with ACT from the very beginning. He is responsible for this website and the logo design, in fact, some might even credit him with the first good idea for the company’s name, Austin Children’s Theater otherwise known as ACT.
Cynthia (Cies) Charbeneau, Fund-raising Director and Teacher
Cies has lived in Austin most of her life. She started performing at age five and hasn’t really stopped since. In 2002 she graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan as a vocal performance major and proceeded on to the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. In 2005 she joined the chorus of Austin Lyric Opera in their production of Il Travatore and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk; as well as a chorus member this past season in Carmen and The Bat. Starting the summer of 2007 she became a theatre instructor with the Armstrong Community school summer camps: Opera Odyssey and Musical Splash. She loves the class atmosphere and is influenced by the creativity and inventiveness of her students.
“The fantasy and imagination that we have as children is overwhelming and all encompassing. It is truly an amazing thing; and though we lose a lot of our wonder as we grow older, working with children, teaching them to cultivate their gifts, is one of the greatest things I can accomplish. The children always remind me why I want to be an artist and I want to give each and everyone of them the courage to pursue their talents and relish in them.†–Cies C
Becky White, Technical Director
Becky is currently the Technical Theater Director for Westlake High School’s TEC program, where she teaches students the ins and outs of technical theater. Before she was at Westlake High School, Becky worked at Zach Scott as the Assistant Technical Director. She has also sailed the seas as a cruise ship theatrical lighting technician. Becky has her B.F.A. in theater from Texas State. She has two beautiful daughters and a husband who was also very involved in theater. Becky’s many talents include set design, lighting design, working with children of all ages and she gives an excellent hug.
Nathan Dunton, Composer in residence
Nathan has always had a passion for music. He wrote his first classical composition for his high school concert band in Port Aransas, TX. Nathan went on to get a degree at the University of Texas at Austin in Liberal Arts Plan II. Since then he has produced 3 albums and 2 EPs including The Dicky Comstock Show, which he wrote. He records with the studio band, The Springheeled Jacks and composes movie scores and musicals for ACT. His favorite instruments include sleigh bells because they bring all the wonderful feelings of the Holiday Season anytime of year and, of course, the piano because it is a great composition tool. His favorite part of the last Original Musical Project, JUST AS YOU ARE, was “watching the songs being brought to life by the dances, story and characters. The girls bring so much energy and eagerness to everything.â€
Emily Fagan, Teacher
Emily Fagan entered the world of theatre at age 7 in the musical Oliver! Emily continued to perform from then on staring in over 40 plays and musicals by the time she entered college. She also spent all of her weekends as a child and young adult building sets, constructing costumes and props, hanging lights…you name it she had a hand in it. Emily attended countless theatre workshops and camps throughout her childhood and was able to teach some of her own! Del Mar College in Corpus Christi snagged Emily her Freshman year where she stared in every show during her stay there and worked in the set shop between classes. The next year she gladly attended Southwest Texas State University and was a member of the theatre fraternity. Following her year in San Marcos, Texas A & M University- Corpus Christi had Emily as a Theatre major with a switch from acting to directing. One more move and Emily became a regular director at The Victoria Community Theatre in Victoria Texas and finished her degree at University of Houston – Victoria. Upon graduation in December of 2004 Emily quickly made her way to Austin (the day after her last class!). She has directed at University of Texas, stared in shows at Concordia University, produced her own show, and is a company member at The Vortex. After years of theatre, teaching, and many other adventures Emily is thrilled to call Austin home and is absolutely excited about being a part of Austin Children’s Theater!
Dave Buckman, Comedy-Improv Teacher
Raised in East Philadelphia (full compliance: New Jersey), Dave Buckman has directed, taught and performed at some of the world’s leading improvisational comedy institutions. He studied improv in Chicago with Mick Napier and the legendary Del Close. Dave has worked as a director and teacher at The Second City – Chicago and Cleveland, directing Cleveland’s Main Stage revue, “Who’s yer Baghdadi?” He served as Artistic Director of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam for two-and-a half years, culminating in only the second stage-swap with The Second City’s Main Stage in its 47-year history.
Dave has been in Austin since 2005 and performs with his award-winning troupe, The Frank Mills, a member troupe of the Austin Improv Collective. The Frank Mills performs and teaches regularly at the Hideout and ColdTowne Theaters. Dave has been fortunate to work with, and direct, some of the funniest people working in television and web-based sketch comedy.
Susie Gidseg, Dramaturgy and Teacher
Susie Gidseg is a BFA Dramaturgy graduate from the University of Oklahoma. In Austin, Susie has taught kids theatre for the past 8 years through the Dougherty Arts Center, Rude Mechanicals “Grrl” Action, JB Entertainment, and the Academy of Acting at the JCCA. Some of her favorite directing and dramaturgy credits include: Dramaturgy: Anton in Show Business, The Laramie Project, Urinetown. Direction: halfway to beautiful, Cloud Tectonics, Autobahn, Fat Pig (regional premiere), The Muses: Memories of a House (world premiere), My Name is Art (Best of Fest Frontera Fest 2007), Anton in Show Business, Brilliant Traces and The New Jersey Book of the Dead. Susie is the co-founder of Orasi Productions in Norman, OK, and the co-founder/artistic director of the vestige group, a local austin theatre company. She is passionate about teaching children to love the arts as much as she does and very excited about teaching at ACT this summer!
Fritz Blaw, Teacher
Fritz Blaw first brought his own little thespian (Emma Sky age 11) to an ACT summer workshop as a “trade” with ACT for Motorblade Postering Services(his flyer delivery service) this summer. He was so inspired by the ambiance , he chatted Talena up about teaching for her. Fritz has oodles of kid experience, with a B.S. in Drama Education and 20+ years of time served as a skate teacher for his own camps , lead teacher at Pease elementary afterschool ,and many and sundry other programs from WAYA to Pecan Springs and back again. Just try playing “Six Degrees from Fritz” at a party sometime…..just yell out “Who knows Fritz the Motorblade Poster dude?” ….You see, after three Austin Chronicle Awards and reffing the banked track roller derby you pretty much can’t avoid him .He’s worked in theater/dance with Sally Jacques, Deborah Hay, Big State Productions and in a sort of John Malkovich moment, he was portrayed by another actor in the Zachary Scott Production “Keepin It Weird” . So tell tell your kids to hold on tight, cause they are in for more fun than Schlitterbahn. Call it Fritzerbahn!!!
Sarah Brooks, Choreographer in residence
Former Broadway dancer Sarah Brooks has toured with the road company of THE KING AND I, starring Shirley Jones. She trained at Butler University’s Jordan School of Dance. Before moving to Austin, Sarah was the owner/operator of a dance school in the heart of Chicago’s Theatre District.