Teachers at Hollywood Arts provide consistent, dedicated attention to our students and teach the techniques of the creative discipline as well as assist our students in developing other cognitive and behavioral habits that will help them be better prepared for productive futures.

Fashion: Illustration and Styling

Marina was raised between the San Juan Islands and a boat in Alaska. After studing fine art in Seattle, she attended the Advanced Studies Program at FIDM before spending 2 1/2 years apprenticing and designing in Italy. Her collections and designs have been shown on runways across the US, Europe, and China and have been featured in Vogue Italia, Elle Italia, Book MODA Haute Couture, InStyle, People,WWD, and Apparel News. Currently she is the owner and creative director for Di'Viniti, Inc.

Acting:  Improve Theater Games

ANDY COBB is a performer, writer and teacher for The Second City, who
now writes, directs, and performs satirical political videos seen over
5 million times on the web in the past year.  He and his work have
been featured on CNN, MSNBC, Newsweek, Fox News, ABC News, and
Nightline, .  His work is frequently seen on Huffington Post, Daily
Kos, Wonkette, Andrew Sullivan, Perez Hilton, Michelle Malkin, all
around the web. He's written, produced, and directed pieces for
Moveon.org, Courage Campaign, Healthcare For America Now, and AAEI.
An alum of Chicago Second City's resident company, he's recently
written and performed sketch comedy for Second City shows with
Economist Magazine, and headlining Rahm Emanuel's event at the
Democratic National Convention.  As a commercial on-camera and
voiceover actor he has been seen (and heard) in many national
campaigns.  He performs improv in Los Angeles with fellow Second City
vets The 313, set to headline the 2009 Chicago Improv Festival.  He's
been writing and creatively consulting for Current Television, most
recently for the animated show "Supernews."  As a an actor he's been
MTV's Wild N Out, Current TV, My Wife And Kids, and on the upcoming
pilot "A People's History Of The World." He directs a group of Second
City vets in a satirical group called "The Public Service
Administration."

Acting: Improv

Keith Reay began his professional acting career right out of High School with the world famous Second City (Detroit).   At 17, he was the youngest person in history to be hired for their touring company.   Within five years he opened his own improvisational theatre (The Cabinet).   Soon after, he was asked to play on the home team of a competing Playhouse (The Planet Ant) where he wrote a handful of shows through improvisation.   He has played major roles in Androcles and the Lion (The Old Globe, San Diego), Annie, Godspell, T & T's Wedding, Trumpet in the Land and has even been in an Eminem video.  Keith can currently be found teaching for The Second City, Hollywood.

Acting: Improv

Marc Warzecha is originally from Metro Detroit, and now lives in Los Angeles where he has recently appeared on MAD TV and Reno 911.  Marc served as writer/director for "Kwame a River: The Chronicles of Detroit's Hip Hop Mayor," a 2009 Wilde Award nominee for "Best New Script."  He has worked with The Second City as both an actor and director; most recently directing "BarackStars" in at the Woolly Mammoth theatre in Washington, DC.  Other directing credits include: "Pratfall of Civilization" (The Second City ETC - Joseph Jefferson nominee: "Best Director").  "War!  Now in it's 4th Smash Year!"  (Second City Chicago Mainstage- Joseph Jefferson nominee: Best Director, Best Revue, Best Ensemble), "The Not Ready for $3.99 Prime Rib Players" (Second City Las Vegas), "Woodward to your Mutha" and "Ten: The 10 year Anniersary show" (Second City Detroit).  Acting credits inclue six resident stage reviews at the Second City Detroit, "Romeo and Juliet the Musical" at Chicago Shakespeare theatre, and SCC's "An Evening with Martin Short."  Marc's work as a satirist has been featured on ABC's "Nightline", Newsweek, and in the Washington Post, and he has been a guest on CNN's "Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer" and NPR's "All Things Considered."  Marc is the host "No Waiting with Marc Warzecha," a live talk show that satirizes new and politics, most recently performed at the Comedy Central Stage in Hollywood.  Thank you to an excellent cast and crew and to family, friends, and the theatre going community in Detroit whose support made this follow up show possible.

Writing: Creative Writing and Writing for Rap

Chirag (a.k.a Chee Malabar) is a recording/performing artist, writer, and educator. He has recorded and released 5 albums with hip hop groups Himalayan Project and Oblique Brown. He continues to perform his music and speak at universities and colleges around issues of American identity and race. He was featured in the landmark South Asian-American documentary 'Brown Like Dat', and his lyrics and work are the subject of a forthcoming book 'Hip Hop Desi's and a Global Race Consciousness' by Northwestern University professor Nitasha Sharma.
Chirag is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (B.A. Political Science) and holds an M.F.A. in Fiction from Brooklyn College. He currently serves as a Teaching Artist and is working on a new album along with his debut novel. For more information about his music and work, visit www.himalayanproject.com

Music: Intro to Music Theory, Digital Music Production, and Advanced Digital Music Production

Dwayne Andres was born and raised in Honolulu, HI.  He graduated from the Recording Engineering and Music Business Program at Musician's Institute in Hollywood, California.  He, then, began working with all aspects of the music industry, from music publishing to recording engineering.  Soon enough, he was given an opportunity to produce a local R&B, Hip-Hop artist in 2008 when he learned that his passion is on the creative side of music and film.  He is currently an apprentice under Sony Music producer Bruce "Automatic" Vanderveer and gaining experience in all avenue from production, engineering, songwriting, and business.  Protools, Logic, and Reason are his preferences for his creations.  Dwayne has working with many companies, artists, and producers including Dreamworks, Disney, Nickelodean, Universal Music, Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records), Jerry Bell (Daz Band), Gina Hirazumi (Japan), Britt Nicole, Jody Banks (Inrage), and more.

Music: Elements of Music

Wes Hambright’s music has been heard in major independent films, television shows, commercials and multi-media platforms around the world. For the last 5 years his music has been heard consistently on Telepictures/Warner Brothers shows, Extra, Elimidate, Tyra Banks Show and Celebrity Justice. Film credits include scores for the feature Morristown and a the documentary The Sophisticated Misfit, which was awarded the Maverick Filmmaker award at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival. Multimedia projects include webisodes for the quirky comedy series Lawyers! which launched on StrikeTV.com in October 2008. In 2003, Wes started Orange Dog Music - a company devoted to providing a uniquely fresh sound for all media formats.

Acting: Improv

Megan Grano has been teaching improv and sketch comedy at Second City since 2004. She also teaches/taught at iO Theater and the Annoyance Theater – where she co-developed the sketch writing program.  She has had the privilege of teaching at Columbia College in Chicago, The Great American Comedy Festival in Nebraska, and The Del Close Comedy Festival in New York. She flies all over the country to work with independent improv groups and she even was flown to Paris, France to teach the French improv group: Eux. When she's not teaching, you can find her online playing Glenda Beckk, a bizarro Glenn Beck, at www.youtube.com/user/glendabeckk

Entrenprenuer: Business and Computing

Henry Vess has been an internet developer and marketer for over ten years and has developed many internet properties for clients in technology and entertainment.  Additionally, he was a consultant to the head of new media at a major film company for over five years and co-owns a television and documentary production company.  He's been a volunteer teacher for a class about computers and business at Hollywood Arts since September 2009.

Music: Vocals

Based in Los Angeles, CA for 25 years, Leo has an “up close and personal” view of the music industry in all aspects. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Leo is an accomplished guitarist with a five-octave voice range who has worked with Motown Records, MCA Records, Death Row Records, Ray Chu of Saturday Night at the Apollo, Earth Wind & Fire, Chuck Rainey, George Clinton, The Patrice Rushen Band, Cedric Martin of “Confunkshun”, The Commodores and Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson. He also has a track record of experience in studios and stage production.

Music: Digital Music Production

As a teen, Phil was like one of the youth he now teaches.  Like many youth of today, Phil had no outlet, no mentor, and no direction.  Music became his vice, his sanctuary, and eventually his career.  In the 1990s, Phil moved to the Midwest to produce Hip-Hop, tour with a rock band, and work in Broadcast Radio.  In 2001, Phil returned to California with knowledge and experience in the Audio, Video, DJ and Radio Broadcasting, Performance and Session work.  Phil’s passion for teaching has been his way to give back to his community.  By teaching inner-city youth, his goal is to be able to bring a fresh perspective and new frame of mind for students who might not have had the opportunity to be empowered with great teachers. 

Film: Editing the Documentary

Becky Nelson has been directing, shooting, and editing comedy for the past eight years.  She has worked as a video director for The Second City in Chicago and Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, as well as editing the weekly Dutch TV news satire "Comedy Central News" for Comedy Central Holland.  Her work has been distributed internationally by MTV, Fremantle, and sundancechannel.com.  Becky was nominated for a MIPCOM Mobile TV Award in Cannes for her mobile phone series, "Highly Dubious News."  She holds a B.S. in Radio/Television/Film from Northwestern University and is currently working toward a graphic design certificate in Santa Monica College.

Acting: Acting 1 and Scene Study

Bruce Ducat has a long list of clients and acting students including the stars of General Hospital, Boy Meets World, Ten Things I Hate About You, American Rhapsody, Full House, and Home Improvement. He has also worked with Julie Andrews, Jayne Meadows, Jennie Garth, Colleen Camp, Laura Kightlinger, Wil Shriner and the late Eugene Roche and Chris Farley.