PEOPLE

James Hart, Founder of ACPA

Hart is the founder and former Dean of TITAN Teaterskole (The International Theatre Academy Norway) in Oslo, Norway and former artistic director of TITAN Teatergruppe, a professional theatre company—both of which are located in Oslo, Norway.

As an actor, Hart has performed in a number of venues including Williamstown Theatre Festival, Yale Repertory Theatre, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Dallas Theatre Center, Shakespeare Festival of Dallas, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, (where he received the Judy Award for his performance of Puck), Theatre Alliance in D.C., and Internationally in St. Petersburg, Russia and Taichung, Taiwan.

He has directed numerous Tony award winning and/or nominated actors and actresses including Dylan Baker, Roger Rees, Marian Seldes, Kate Burton and Kerry Butler. Hart is currently directing “The Story of a Mother” www.sleepinghero.com

Hart is a Fox Fellow, having received a grant to study ritualistic mask dancing in Bali and India. He spent nearly a year in Asia, studying ritualistic theatre in Nepal, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong, and is one of the founders of The World-wide Art Collective, the largest theatre festival in the history of Taiwan.

He served as founder and Artistic Director of the New York-based theatre company Etudes Workshops (2001 to 2003). Etudes explored multi-cultural theatre forms of the Fantastic (focusing on rhythm, physical aesthetics, and masks and puppets). This venue, drawing teachers from a multitude of disciplines and mediums within New York, exposed artists to varied artistic aesthetics and provided ground for new collaborations to occur.

Hart’s teaching credits include The International Theatre Academy Norway, Yale School of Drama (Graduate school), New York University, Yale University (undergraduate program), the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Tufts University, Univ. of Alaska at Anchorage, Fu Ren Univ. in Taipei, Taiwan, Harlem School of the Arts, Capital Hill Arts Workshop in D.C, Classical Theatre of Harlem, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Utah State University, Rowan University, Peridance in NYC, Kirkenaer Ballettskole (Oslo), and others.

Hart holds a MFA in Acting from Yale School of Drama.

The Struggling Artists Movement is over. The Entrepreneurial Artists Movement has begun. Join the Movement at ACPA.

PEOPLE

Guest Artist Faculty 2010/11

Chris Henry Coffey

A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Chris Henry Coffey

can be seen in the films Trust (upcoming), The International, and Thirteen Days, as well as Play It By Ear, Walking on the Sky, and June among many independents. Selected television appearances include guest appearances on Cupid and Law and Order and recurring roles on Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Guiding Light.

Additionally, he has been seen on some of the most respected theaters across the county including the Huntington Theater, Boston in "How Shakespeare Won the West" (premiere by Richard Nelson), and at Playwrights Horizons, NYC and the Goodman Theater, Chicago in "Frank's Home", (another premiere by Richard Nelson), directed by Robert Falls. At the Old Globe in San Diego, he worked with Arthur Miller in his penultimate play "Resurrection Blues" in the role of Skip L. Cheeseboro. Other selected stage experience include the role of Hildy Johnson of "The Front Page" at the Long Wharf, New Haven; Dennis McCleary in "The Violet Hour" and Tesman in "Hedda Gabler" at the Dallas Theater Center; Rodolpho in "A View from the Bridge" and Lysander in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Alley Theatre, Houston; and Claudio in "Measure for Measure" at the Yale Repertory Theater.

Joe Reynolds:

Joe Reynolds has acted regionally at Yale Rep,

(The Skin of Our Teeth and The Beaux Strategem), Utah Shakespeare Festival, (Henry IV, Comedy of Errors and The Winters Tale) and The St. Louis MUNY Theatre in 1776. In Los Angeles he was seen in Texmas at Theatre Three, Absolution at The Court Theatre, U.S.A. at The Met Theatre, Haplet: Prince of Brooklyn (co-author) at The Globe Playhouse and many others. On television he appeared on Frasier, Medium, Deep Space Nine and State of Grace. He won best actor at the Chicago ALT Film Festival in the indie film Dead Dogs. Reynolds is also an entrepreneur and has run a number of thriving businesses in Los Angeles and Austin. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MFA in acting from

Yale School of Drama.

Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

Kirkenaer-Hart grew up studying dance in some of America’s most prestigious schools, including School of

American Ballet, Boston Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, and others and has danced professionally for years in New York City and abroad. Kirkenaer-Hart was a company member of the renowned Doug Elkins Dance Company, Darrah Carr Dance, and many others. She has performed in landmark venues including The National Theatre of Norway, The Oslo Concert Hall, The Joyce and the Joyce SoHo, The Duke and others. Kirkenaer-Hart has served as a business owner and entrepreneur, owning and developing several businesses, including acting as co-founder of The International Theatre Academy Norway. Kirkenaer -Hart attended North Carolina School of the Arts and New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

More soon...

Meet the Board

Brandon Aghamalian

Brandon Aghamalian is widely recognized as an expert on local government, transportation, economic development, property tax and cultural arts issues. As the company’s vice president of business development and co-founder of the legislative division, his primary focus is representing the needs of local governments before the Texas Legislature while also designing communication and grassroots campaigns.

Over the course of his career, Aghamalian has also become a trusted advisor and consultant to business leaders across the state regarding economic development and expansion projects.

Prior to joining Focused Advocacy, Aghamalian was a public affairs consultant at HillCo Partners where he founded the company’s local government practice, managing a multi-million dollar practice group. During his time at HillCo, Aghamalian represented dozens of municipalities before the Texas Legislature and worked with the Texas film and television industries to design and fund a $60 million incentive program to bring jobs to Texas. He also successfully managed several projects to secure millions of dollars in tax incentives on behalf of clients expanding facilities or creating new jobs in Texas.

Before joining HillCo Partners, Aghamalian was the director of governmental relations for the City of Fort Worth from 2002 to 2006, where he served under Mayor Ken Barr and Mayor Mike Moncrief. While in Fort Worth, Aghamalian represented the city at both the state and federal level, and also served as the liaison to the Texas Municipal League, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Aghamalian previously worked as the chief of staff for then-Rep. Kim Brimer (R-Fort Worth) where he assisted in the passage of HB 1200, the Texas Economic Development Act, which provides incentives for capital-intensive industries to build or expand in Texas. Previous to that, he served as the director for the House Committee on Business and Industry where he helped negotiate a massive overhaul to the state’s workers’ compensation system (HB 2600) and the state’s job training fund. Aghamalian also worked as the Legislative Director for Rep. Todd Smith (R-Euless) in 1997 and served as the legislative coordinator for the Texas Parent Teacher Association from 1993 to 1997. He has also served as an adviser and fundraiser for several political campaigns.

Aghamalian earned his J.D. and master’s degree from the University of Texas in Austin, and his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas State University in San Marcos, where he also was a NCAA-scholarship track athlete and student body vice-president.

Lawrence Collins

Collin’s work in Austin began in 1992 as an intern in the Executive Office of Governor Ann

Richards and continues today with his own independent consulting practice and entrepreneurial venture. Collins is a registered lobbyist and consults with various clients on state budget matters.

Collins has worked for Republicans and Democrats and is the only person in recent memory to direct the two most significant committees of the Legislature: the House Committee on Appropriations (under the Hon. Robert A. Junell of San Angelo) and the Senate Committee on Finance (under the Hon. Teel Bivins of Amarillo).

Collins is the founder of the internet-based start-up called Searchlight. Searchlight will soon offer a new and exciting on-line legislative service for the legislative community, private entities and the public.

In the mid-1990’s, Collins was a personal aide to the former Governor Ann W. Richards in the law office of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson & Hand. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in political science from Whittier College in 1994.

Don Cruse

Don Cruse is an attorney in Austin. He represents clients in civil cases before the Texas Supreme Court, the Fifth Circuit, and other Texas appellate courts. He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and has degrees in economics and math from the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career with a judicial clerkship at the Texas Supreme Court, practiced commercial litigation at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York, and worked as an Assistant Solicitor General in the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart See Above.

James Hart See Above.

Contact

Austin Conservatory of Professional Arts, LLC

Jim Hart 512.410.9335

jim@austinconservatory.com

ACPA is proud to announce that we are sponsored by the following entrepreneurs and companies: