Meet Our Teachers

All of our teachers are fully Vaccinated.

Richard Mazda

Drama, Acting Coach, and Shakespeare

Richard Mazda is a UK-born actor, writer, and director who is now a proud American. He was the Artistic Director of the Secret which he founded and built-in 2007.

Kaila Wooten

Actor, Singer and Musician

Kaila Wooten believes the voice is an instrument just like any other. She got her start singing sessions in Nashville and she now teaches private voice lessons to all ages. BFA (NYU)

Michael Verre

Actor, Singer and Dancer

Michael is an Actor/Singer/Dancer born and raised in NY. He is thrilled to be a part of the team at the Secret Theatre. Past credits as an actor include The Peterborough Players, The John W. Engeman Theatre, The Palace Theatre, and Red Mountain Theatre Company and as a dancer, he has performed in The Queensborough Dance Festival, Broadway By The Year at The Town Hall, and Saks 5th Ave "Theatre of Dreams." He has studied with and performed in pieces choreographed by, Max Pollak, Andrew Nemr, and Marshall Davis Jr. Follow him on Instagram @michaeljverre for videos of him busking in Central Park and pictures of pizza.

Luisa Menzen

Teacher, Actor

Luisa Menzen is a NYC based, multilingual actress and teaching artist. She was born in Germany and grew up in Italy, where she started performing in theater and began to work in the arts. She moved to the Big Apple further pursuing her acting career. Luisa has been performing with The Russian Arts Theater & Studio for the past few years, select NY credits include: Crime and Punishment (West End Theater), Lady with a Lapdog (Theater for the New City), The Seagull, Dante’s Inferno (Pushkin Hall). Luisa has done voice-over work and can be seen in independent films, commercial spots and print work. Luisa loves to work with kids of all ages, teaching theater arts and passing on her true passion.

Rosie Dean

Actor, Singer, Dancer, Choreographer, Writer, and Influencer

Rosie is a NYC based creative originally from the UK, who is grateful for the opportunity to combine two of her favorite passions- Making art and working with kids. She graduated from NYU Tisch in 2019 and has since taken strides in film acting, social media content creation, and music! After choreographing Matilda with the Secret Theater, Rosie is thrilled to be back and looking forward to the new season!

Danielle Chu

Teacher, Dancer, Choreographer

Danielle is a senior at Manhattanville College where she studies Dance and Mathematics. She has been studying ballet, tap, jazz, and modern since she was 3 years old. Currently, Danielle dances in NYC with Not Shy Dance Crew and HINT Dance Team. She also founded K-Pop Dance Crew (KDC) at her college. She has choreographed several pieces at Manhattanville and has taught at Street Beatz Dance Studio. She is excited to be teaching at the Secret Theatre Academy!

Izabel Dorst

Actor/Theatre Teacher/Commercial Model

zabel is an NYC-based actor, commercial model, and teaching artist originally from West Virginia. She grew up teaching dance to children at her local dance studio, has been a college audition monologue coach for several years, and taught movement and theatre for people on the autism spectrum for four years. She is so excited to be a part of the team at The Secret Theatre. She graduated from Coastal Carolina University in 2018 and studied devised theatre in Italy for 4 months. Credits include NYC Dream Up Festival, Daniel Boone Outdoor Theatre, and Equity play readings throughout the pandemic. She can also be seen in multiple independent short films, indie pilots, and independent feature films, as well as print ads and commercial spots. Izabel has always had the teaching bug and is so excited to get to work with children of all ages who love the arts as much as she does!