Meet Our Instructors

Area Stage Conservatory’s Instructor Team is made up of highly qualified industry professionals who are masters of their craft and passionate about bringing their experiences and expertise into the classroom. Whether it be directing our Conservatory productions, crafting and teaching engaging group classes, or mentoring individual students through their artistic growth in private lessons, our team is eager to work with students of any age, in any discipline, at every level.

Irma becker, director of iTP

Dance, RAD Ballet, ITP

Irma Becker is an educator and choreographer from Mexico City. Irma has a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from the University of the Americas, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges, USA a Certification in Dance Therapy, and Progressing Ballet Technique. She is a Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) registered Teacher, supervisor, and tutor. Irma is also a Silver Swan Licensee Tutor (Ballet for Seniors) Irma founded and ran a professional Dance school and Special needs dance company in Mexico for 20 years. She has choreographed over 15 ITP and Conservatory ASC Productions since 2019. As a choreographer, professional credits' highlights include Annie, Matilda, Be More Chill, Beauty and the Beast, and Student-Professional Beauty and the Beast (Co-Director) at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Irma was nominated for the Community Engagement Dance Teacher Award by the Royal Academy of Dance and Outstanding Choreography by the Carbonell Awards.

katie duerr

Acting, Voice, Piano

Katie Duerr is an actor, educator and music director from Miami, Florida. She is a graduate of University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and is certified in Vocal Pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She has music directed over 30 productions at ASC since 2016, and is proud to manage the Conservatory after growing up as an Area Stage student herself! Performance credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Mrs. Potts) Shrek the Musical (Fiona), Matilda the Musical (Miss Honey), Annie (Grace), Be More Chill (Chloe), She Kills Monsters (Agnes), The Wizard of Oz (Wicked Witch), Cabaret (Frauline Kost), Peter x Wendy (Captain Hook) and The Little Mermaid (Scuttle, Allana). Directorial credits include: Aladdin Jr.

Sofia ortega

Dance, Acting, Voice

Sofia Ortega is a multifaceted artist and educator. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she holds BFA in Drama with a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. Originally from Miami, her artistic journey began at age 10 with Broadway Musical Theatre in Key Biscayne, where she discovered her love for acting, singing, and dancing. Sofia has directed and choreographed numerous summer intensive workshops and offers lessons in voice, dance (including Tap, Musical Theatre, and Jazz), and acting at numerous theatre and dance programs in Miami. Beyond teaching, Sofia is also a skilled costume designer, leveraging her strong foundation in the visual arts. Design credits include Area Stage's acclaimed productions of Lionel Bart’s Oliver!, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Alice and the Mad Tea Party, Seussical, Matilda Jr, Anastasia, The Addams Family: Young@Part, Annie Jr., and Frozen Jr. Her ultimate goal is to establish her own musical theatre school, where she can nurture aspiring artists to achieve their full potential.

Cristina Angelica

Acting, Masterworks

Cristina Angelica is a New York City– and Miami-based actress, singer and multidisciplinary artist. A proud alumna of the Atlantic Acting School’s Full-Time Conservatory, she is a member of both SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity. Shortly after graduating, she made her Off-Broadway debut in the 2019 New York Times Critic’s Pick Our Dear Dead Drug Lord and has since built a dynamic career across stage, film, and television—including a recurring guest star role as Vera Franks on CBS’s The Equalizer.

With a strong foundation in both classical and contemporary work, Cristina brings deep industry experience and genuine heart to her teaching. As an Artistic Advisory Board member for NYU’s New Plays for Young Audiences, she is actively engaged in new work development and is passionate about helping performers of all ages find freedom, truth, and joy in their craft—on stage and beyond.

Michelle Gordon

Voice, Dance, Acting

Michelle Gordon is a Miami based artist and educator. She is a New World School of the Arts Theater alumna, trained in acting under the technique of Uta Hagen. She has studied voice and dance techniques extensively under the guidance of multiple accredited professors and mentors. She holds a Marketing degree from Florida International University and has been teaching the arts for over 10 years, training young artists who have developed skills leading to their continued studies at various performing arts institutions, conservatories, universities and additional prestigious arts programs. Her performance credits with Area Stage include The Little Mermaid (Adella), Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Peter X Wendy (Wendy), and Shrek the Musical (Fiona). Michelle specializes in helping young artists bring truth and authenticity to their work. 

RHODY JEAN

Acting, Voice, Musical Theatre, ITP

Rhody Jean is a recent Theatre Management graduate at Florida A&M University. With love and passion for the arts, Rhody has worked as a Camp Counselor and Assistant Principle for the Irene C. Edmond Youth Theatre Camp for the summer of 2024 & 2025. While studying, he’s participated in various productions from behind the scenes as part of a writing crew, stage hand, sound board/light operator, and house manager, as well on stage/front-of-camera roles such as Lucky in ‘White Washed’, Trane in ‘A Cool Drink A Water’, and an ensemble in ‘The Wiz’

John Luis Mazuelos

Acting

John Luis Mazuelos is a Miami based theatre and voice over actor. He graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Music Theatre from the University of Florida (New World School of the Arts). He started his career at Area Stage Company, playing Lord Farquaad in their 2021 production of Shrek: The Musical, and has done many shows with the company since. One of which earned him a Carbonell nomination for “Best Supporting Actor in a Musical” for his performance as Lefou/Cogsworth in Area Stage Company’s award winning production of Beauty and the Beast in 2022. He has also worked professionally for various theatre companies across South Florida–such as The Wick (Boca Raton), Slow Burn (Broward), Actor’s Playhouse (Coral Gables), LOXEN Entertainment (Miami), LPAC (Lauderhill), and more.

As an instructor, John brings his experience as a working actor directly into a supportive, engaging, professional, and fun classroom. He strives to inspire young actors to be confident and creative, utilizing a toolset that can be applied to any script. 

Gabriella Alfonso

Voice, Dance, Acting

Gabriella Alfonso is a native born and raised in Miami with a BFA in Musical Theater from the University of Florida's New World School of the Arts. Her dance training has been 10+ years in jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and tap. She has choreographed for M-DCPS Middle School Thespians competition, the New World School of the Arts production of Bullet Over Broadway, and Loxen's production of Young Frankenstein as assistant choreographer. Gabriella started her classical opera training at the age of ten. For over 15 years, she has trained in vocal technique and sight reading, and her many years in training have led her to expand her musicality into musical theater, pop, and jazz vocal training. Gabriella specializes in audition prep for all ages, from college to middle school or local auditions. She will guide you through all the techniques from walking into a room to acing your dance call!

Imran Hylton

Voice, Dance, Acting
Director, Stage III, Student Professional Productions

Imran Hylton started formal theater training along with Russian Vaganova Ballet training and Jack Cole Musical Theater Jazz dance training at the age of 18 and went on to further his performing arts education at Miami City Ballet, Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, Area Stage Company. Etc. Imran Hylton is a BFA musical theater graduate and Summa Cum Laude award recipient from New World School of The Arts and the University of Florida. He has performed, directed and choreographed a plethora of professional productions including the world premiere musical and now Broadway Bound production of A Wonderful World (Banjo Ben) *under the direction of Tony nominee Christopher Renshaw*, Annie (Miss Hannigan), In The Heights, Guys & Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson), Bullets Over Broadway (David Shayne), and Beauty & The Beast (Maurice/ Madame De La Grande Bouche/ Dance Captain) the latter for which he won the Carbonell Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Musical. Some choreography credits include, The Rover, Bullets Over Broadway, Aida, SpongeBob The Musical, Little Shop Of Horror, Young Frankenstein, etc. Directorial Credits include, Jekyll & Hyde, Hairspray, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, Much Ado About Nothing, and many more. Under the tutelage of some of the hardest working professional artists in the business, he is proud to call himself an artist and excited to share the love of the passion with the next generation of theater artists.

TICO CHIRIBOGA

Voice, Dance, Acting
Director, Stage I, II Productions

Tico Chiriboga is a versatile performer  and Carbonell Award recipient. He studied for his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Florida's, New World School of the Arts. He is a seasoned performer and instructor with Area Stage. He’s taught voice, dance, and acting at schools all around South Florida. He’s making his return from New York City to continue directing and instructing here at Area Stage. 

Tico's additional credits include: Beauty and the Beast (Madame/Maurice),The Little Mermaid (Flotsam), Alice and the Mad Tea Party (White Rabbit), Oliver! (Mr. Brownlow), Lucky Stiff (Harry), Rent (Roger), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania), The Theory of Relativity (Student Director & Actor), and Pride and Prejudice (Bingley).

Maria Berasain

Conservatory Production Stage Manager

Maria Berasain is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design, where she earned a degree in Production Design, specializing in Set Design and Art Direction. During her time at SCAD, she also gained invaluable experience as a stage manager. Maria is excited to be working on her fourth production with Area Stage Conservatory, having previously contributed to Annie Jr., Seussical Jr., and Matilda Jr.

JESSICA PAZ

ITP Stage Manager

Jessica Paz is a dedicated Speech-Language Pathologist in the Broward County Public Schools and has proudly served as the Stage Manager for ITP since 2019. Her passion for theatre and commitment to excellence have made her an integral part of countless productions including Annie, Anastasia, The Addams Family, Moana, The Polar Express, Peter Pan, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, and Shrek. She is deeply grateful to the entire team at Area Stage for their unwavering support and collaboration with ITP.

Foster Fowler

Voice

Foster Fowler is a Floridian actress, singer, and educator, pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Miami. Previous credits include Into The Woods, Head Over Heels, Titanic, Young Frankenstein, and the world premier of the new musical Strawman. She has over 8 years of vocal training, Foster is excited to share the joy of music with her students! With an emphasis on sustainability and storytelling, she is sure to build confidence in young performers!

Gil Kaufman

Acting for Film Instructor

Gil Kaufman has spent 25 years acting in over 75 productions on Off-Broadway, Off-off Broadway and regional theater before moving to Miami. He studied Acting for Film with Charles McCarey and studied film at the University of Bridgeport. Mr. Kaufman has acted in 4 of Area Stage’s professional productions and has filmed their shows since 2010. He has coached numerous students in preparing for auditions and has worked on several films as an actor, editor, director, producer, and FX artist. He has written several musicals of which one will be produced this coming summer.

Karlie Kohler

Acting, Voice, College Audition Coaching

Karlie Kohler was born and raised on Long Island, New York, where she discovered her passion for performing at the age of 7, performing both in school and professionally. She received her BFA in Acting with a minor in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University before moving to New York to pursue acting professionally. Before moving to Miami, Karlie served as the Lead Teacher for Theatre Aspen Education Programs in Aspen, Colorado. For the last five years, Karlie has served as the Middle School Theatre Teacher at Miami Country Day School, where her directing credits include Matilda Jr., Beauty and the Beast Jr., Newsies Jr., The Addams Family Young@Part, and The Little Mermaid Jr. She was also the proud director of the MCDS Thespians Troupe which received numerous Superior and Critics Choice ratings at the District and State Thespians Festivals.