Shannon Sturges
Hello, I’m the Sturges in Speiser/Sturges, I own and run the studio. I’ve been in the entertainment business for over 35 years and my roots go back even further. My grandfather was the legendary writer-director Preston Sturges, and both of my parents were working actors as well.
When I was eighteen years old, I met Aaron Speiser and he became my teacher and mentor. Aaron always recognized that I had a gift for teaching and after my long and successful career as an actor, he asked to partner with me and Speiser/Sturges was born.
I’ve starred in television series, soap operas, been in studio films, and numerous television movies as well as stage. As a coach I’ve worked with celebrities, up-and-coming actors, established directors and producers and emerging directors. I promise you that I have a unique understanding of the process of working as an actor from the perspective of a teacher, student and working actor. I’m also a graduate of UCLA
I aim to be practical and no-nonsense in my approach but create a space for you to learn in a supportive and safe environment. I make the class about the student, not about me, you are the focus, I want you to succeed as much as you do. I strive to create a vibrant and exciting community of artists and the best acting class in Los Angeles.
Aaron Speiser
Our beloved Aaron Speiser is now our “Professor Emeritus” and no longer teaching at the studio and taking on new clients. When he and Shannon partnered in 2015 to create Speiser / Sturges Acting Studio they were excited to reenergize the studio while giving Aaron the opportunity to dedicate more time to his set coaching. Since 2019 he’s been consistently on set for Will Smith and Jennifer Lopez, two clients that have studied with him for most of their careers. He leaves you in good hands with Shannon, who he has personally trained in every aspect of teaching, and believes she is his equal. “One must observe her teaching to understand what a gift she is to us all”. He feels blessed to have a person of her abilities and talents to sustain the excellence of our studio into the future.
Brandon Thomas
Brandon Thomas is a devoted actor and coach with a curiosity for more. A CSUF graduate and a working actor for fifteen years, he broke into Hollywood working for some of the biggest companies in the world like Apple, Nike, State Farm, Target, and Jeep to name a few. Brandon started training under Shannon Sturges and Aaron Speiser as a student and quickly discovered his love for teaching and coaching other actors. He has coached his peers, actors, and influencers into major feature films and series regular roles (White Men Can't Jump, The Vince Staples Show, The Wood (Paramount +), Big Shots (Disney +), Games People Play, All The Kings Men, General Hospital, All Part of the Game) He incorporates this foundation he’s learned studying as a student and teacher at Speiser Sturges, with the knowledge attained from watching directors like F Gary Gray and Marcus Nispel on set. Brandon adds a perspective of diversity and youth while maintaining a solid foundation in traditional acting techniques.
Susan Wilder
Voice & Dialect Coach
A lifelong performing artist, Susan Wilder has worked onstage numerous times at Lincoln Center Theater, regional theatres coast to coast, in leading roles on prime-time television, feature films, commercials, and has voiced video games and e-books. Ms. Wilder received her MFA in Classical Acting from George Washington University and is a proud longtime member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), and the award-winning Rogue Machine Theatre Company here in LA.
Jordan Wilson
Jordan has been performing improv for five years. He has trained with The Upright Citizens Brigade, The Pack and The Groundlings. He runs and performs in his own improv show every month with his team, Work Friends. In his Improv! class, he teaches VERY basic improv with the focus of using improv techniques to discover more about your character, listening, and getting out of your head. This class is designed for people with no improv experience and can hopefully bring the fun into every character you do.
Deena Freeman
Deena has worked professionally as an actress and voice-over artist for over 35 years and as an acting teacher for teens for 15 years. You will recognize her as Ted Knight's rebel niece on ABC's "Too Close For Comfort", and as Bea Arthur's daughter on "The GoldenGirls". Other credits include, "Newhart", "Crazy Like a Fox", "Diagnosis Murder" and many more. More recently Deena starred in the short indie film "Banana Bread" for which she was nominated for best-supporting actress at the Houston International Film Festival. She also appeared on CBS's, "Intelligence" and "Togetherness" for HBO. Deena was honored by the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her legendary body of work in commercials. She also plays one of the leads in the independent film, "Khali The Killer" to be released by New Line.
Ada Luz Pla
Youth and Spanish Coach
Is a theatre graduate of SUNY Binghamton, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in N.Y., and the Aaron Speiser Acting Studio in Los Angeles. She has performed in theaters throughout the N.Y. Tri-State area, Los Angeles, and Europe. Ada has guest-starred on FX’s “The Shield” with Michael Chiklis. She has appeared on HBO, B.E.T., and Telemundo. Ada has costarred in Indie Films such as “Shrink” with Kevin Spacey, Robin Williams and Keke Palmer, “Wheels,” “I am Gangster” and “Restored Me” to name a few.
Ada is also the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival “Rainbow” award recipient where she was recognized for her work in theater with at-risk youths in the Arts. Some of her work with the youth has been as a theater/dance teacher at Stitt Junior High School in N.Y. She also worked for P.A.L., (Police Athletic League) N.Y. as a dance and theater specialist. In Los Angeles, Ada Worked for G.L.A.S.S. (a group home facility for teens) and served as a child care worker, mentor, and in-house theater arts teacher. She also worked with the Unusual Suspects Theatre Company, a non-profit organization of professional artists who teach theater arts to teens in the juvenile justice system. Ada worked with groups of at-risk teens involved in gang intervention programs from low-income communities helping them to create and perform original plays.
More recently, Ada created and produced the first-ever Art Gallery and Gala through the nationally known PTSA Reflections Art program for nine LAUSD schools showcasing, awarding and celebrating youths from K-12 grade.
Dan O’Callaghan
Voice and Staged Combat Coach
Dan has been teaching vocal mechanics, vocal fundamentals and vocal performance.
He also teaches staged combat.
Grey Robertson
Technique & Scene Study 1 Coach
Grey is a M.F.A Acting graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He is now teaching on the east coast and is available for online coaching and classes.. Since his beginnings in theatre and acting, Grey has had a penchant for creating grounded, dynamic characters. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in theatre from James Madison University, Grey worked in Baltimore before moving to Los Angeles where he worked on a number of projects including Cold Case Files and feature film Funny Story. Training with the best, Grey grew his skills through classes with Craig Wallace, Playhouse West, Second City, UCB, and Speiser/Sturges Acting Studio. After four years of training at Speiser/Sturges, Grey decided to go back to his first love: theatre. He hopes to create a career in teaching actors across the country while continuing to perform every chance he gets. Grey is more than excited to join the team at his forever acting home, Speiser/Sturges Acting Studio.
Hiroshi Watanabe
Hiroshi Watanabe was born in Tokyo, Japan. After he has been working as an actor in Japan for several years, He moved to the U.S. to pursue his acting career. He has done many theatre productions, most notably the Odd Couple, the Good Doctor, Pillow Talk, Iphigenia in Aulis, the Trojan Women, and Two Nobel Kinsmen. He got cast in The Last Samurai directed by Edward Zwick. In Letters from Iwo Jima, produced by Steven Spielberg, he was chosen by Clint Eastwood as one of the main characters. The film won the Golden Globe Award as the best foreign-language film and was nominated for an Oscar for best picture. Hiroshi played the lead role in White on Rice directed by Dave Boyle. The film was released in more than 30 major theatre chains in the U.S.