Maulik Pancholy, Actor
Kathi Grau was one of the first persons to sit me down and say, “You’re funny. You’re talented. You can be an actor.” She believed in me and laid the foundations that stay with me today. I’ve continued to reach out to her throughout my career. I remember Doc teaching us to have courage because “once you hit the note, it doesn’t seem as high.” Such a great life lesson. I wish everyone could have the opportunity to study with passionate teachers like Kathi and Doc.
College: Northwestern & Yale School of Drama
Broadway: It’s Only A Play
TV: 30 Rock, Weeds, Whitney, The Comeback, Sanjay & Craig, & Phineas & Ferb
Film: Hitch, 27 Dresses
Alexis Carra, Actor
Kathi and Doc are and have always been the teachers who inspired me to use my voice--as an artist and person. Kathy inspired me to start taking acting seriously and continues to collaborate with me through my professional career. I trust both and love working with both of them.
College: Yale
Broadway: Sweet Charity, Wicked, Fosse
Regional Theater: Gypsy, A Chorus Line, Damn Yankees
TV: Mixology, Recovery Road
Arjun Gupta, Actor
None of us is truly capable of living up to our true potential until we are safe. Kathi and Doc helped me find my passion in the arts and started me on my career in the arts by providing the safety I needed to begin my journey. I still continue to call Kathi and Doc for advice.
College: NYU, Tisch
Film: Motherhood
TV: Nurse Jackie, How to Get Away with Murder, The Magicians
Haley Swindal, Actor
A great educator, Rita Pierson said, "Every child deserves a champion--an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can be." That is Kathi and Doc. Both taught me lessons I still carry with me every day. Kathi inspired me to follow my dream and to never stop learning and growing. I credit Kathi with being the single greatest acting teacher I ever had.
College: UNC, Chapel Hill
Broadway National Tour: White Christmas, Jesus Christ Superstar, Spamalot, Miss Saigon
Broadway: Jekyll & Hyde
Natalie Cortez, Actor
Art is about constantly questioning and debating. Kathy's taste in art is impeccable. She is about constantly questioning and debating. Both Kathi and Doc are passionate, educated, and experienced. When I played Anita on Broadway, I thought, "This is Broadway and Kathi and Doc do it better!"
College: NYU, Tisch
Broadway: Fame, Cinderella, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Giant, Here Lies Love
Jonathan David (Goldblatt), Actor
Kathi: inspiring, supportive, and inexhaustible, fostering a work ethic and standard that I still uphold today. I attribute much of my success to the seeds planted by Dr. Bruce Lebaron and her.
College: Carnegie Mellon
Broadway/Off Broadway: Les Miserables, Venice, A Civil War Christmas
TV: Hawthorne, Numb3rs, The Last Spin, Woods
Jeff Balis, Producer and Director
When I started making films, first in college and then professionally, Kathi became my one trusted source for theatrical story telling and advice. She was so helpful that I brought her out to LA for a week for a featured role in my directorial debut. I feel an incredible affinity for Doc's unwavering curiosity and infectious enthusiasm. The faith they had in me, and the support I got from them, had a major impact on my decision to pursue a career in the arts and this passion lives song in me to this day.
College: Harvard
Films: Waiting, Still Waiting, Redemption Road
TV: Project Green Light