About the Instructors
DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATORY / INSTRUCTOR: Howard Shangraw Howard Shangraw An award-winning actor, director, and teacher, his professional acting career includes productions off-Broadway, summer stock, feature films, episodic television, day time soap operas and regional theatre productions for South Coast Repertory Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, Laguna Playhouse, Grove Shakespeare Festival, and various equity waiver theatres in the Los Angeles area. His directing resume includes productions of classical and contemporary repertoire and musicals for professional theatres, community theatres, colleges and high schools. He has directed shows at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Matrix Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Stella Adler Theatre, and over thirty productions for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts acting company. He directed internationally for Theatre Mediterranean in Barcelona, Spain. Also, a playwright and composer, his original musical, The People Versus B. B. Wolfe, was produced by South Coast Repertory and toured Orange County under a special grant from Target Stores. Howard has been a teacher of acting for over thirty years with the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, South Coast Repertory’s adult and youth conservatory programs, and the Pasadena Youth Conservatory, and chaired the Theatre department at the Idyllwild Arts Academy from 2004 – 2014.
OUR INSTRUCTORS
TERI RALSTON
Celebrated actress Teri Ralston shares her many years performing on Broadway and around the world, providing students with a unique insight into the art of and joy of singing. Her extensive acting career, includes the Broadway shows YOUR OWN THING, JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS, and the original productions of Stephan Sondheim’s COMPANY and A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Her association with Sondheim has continued over the years performing or directing 10 of his works, which includes playing Sally in 3 productions of FOLLIES, Madame Armfeldt in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and SIDE-BY-SIDE-BY-SONDHEIM in which she starred with Peggy Lee. She was also in the original cast of BAKER’S WIFE, with music by Stephen Schwartz, and had the pleasure of being the leading lady in Cy Coleman’s HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN. Favorite roles she performed are Mama Rose in Gypsy, Mame in MAME, Dulce Mae in BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE, Sally Bowles, and later, Fraulein Schneider in CABARET, Cousin Nettie in CAROUSE and Maria, and Mother Abbess in productions of SOUND OF MUSIC. Teri has performed worldwide in cabaret and was the soloist with Michael Feinstein and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl and the New Mexico Symphony. She is featured on 7 original cast albums, 3 CDS recorded in London, and a solo CD, I GOTTA GET BACK TO NEW YORK.
Teri has also been teaching for most of her professional career. She got her BA and teaching credentials in Theatre and Music at San Francisco State University. Through the years, she has continued to coach voice, teach seminars, teach at performing arts high schools, and teach and direct at USC, UC Irvine, San Francisco State University, University of Louisville, Chapman, and Cal ST. Fullerton. She taught at AMDA (American Music and Dramatic Arts) in New York for 13 years, and part of the year teaching at the Musical Theatre University in Palm Springs, CA.
Coachella Valley Repertory
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