Instructors

photo Heather Ballantyne

Heather Ballantyne studied theatre and received her Performer's & Teacher's Certificate from The Trinity College of Music in London. She also attended a 3 year program at The American Academy Of Dramatic Arts in NYC. She trained extensively with Amy Poehler's Upright Citizen's Brigade in long form comedy improv. OFF-BROADWAY THEATRE; THE CHERRY ORCHARD, GRAVE'S END, I AM YOURS, LEADED and THE MELVILLE BOYS. Some regional credits include  SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (Connecticut) DANCING AT LUGHNASA (Toronto). She portrayed "Suzanne" on ONE LIFE TO LIVE for 4 years, as well appeared on GUIDING LIGHT, LAW & ORDER, BODY HUMAN 2000 and Nickelodeon's REAL HOUSEWIVES OF THE PTO. She can be seen in numerous commercials like Pizza Hut, Excedrin, Miller Light, Chase Bank, Kohl's and Marshalls. She wrote and produced a short film PRE-PRE SCHOOL which premiered at The Montclair Film Festival in 2017. 

     
photo Stephen Buntrock
Stephen R. Buntrock, in the last 25 years, has been blessed to have a successful career on Broadway and off.  His latest role was in the critically acclaimed revival of A Little Night Music, staring as Fredrick Egerman opposite Bernadette Peters. Earlier in the run he was honored to play the same role opposite the show’s original leading ladies Catherine Zeta Jones and Angela Lansbury.  Other staring Broadway credits include Curly in Oklahoma!, Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, St. John in the original cast of Jane Eyre, Barrett in Titanic, Enjolras in the Tenth Anniversary Cast of Les Miserables, performing the role of the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, and creating the role of Teen Angel for the latest revival of Grease!  He has toured extensively across the United States and Canada as Rueben in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Donny Osmond, originating the role of Arnaud du Thil in Cameron Mackintosh's production of Martin Guerre and The Phantom of the Opera. Stephen has enjoyed many concert appearances as well, most recently performing alongside Dame Julie Andrews in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, he has performed with the Louisville Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Cleveland Orchestra, The Atlanta Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl. He is a very proud Papa to Haley Paige and her little sisters Anna Louise and Catherine Caroline. He is married to the beautiful actress Erin Dilly.
 
     
photo Erin Dilly

Erin was nominated for a Tony Award for best actress and Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance as "Truly Scrumptious" in the Broadway Production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG! Most recently, she created the role of “Mother” in the Broadway musical A CHRISTMAS STORY after a turn starring opposite Matthew Broderick in Broadway's NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. Other Broadway: INTO THE WOODS, BOYS FROM SYRACUSE, FOLLIES, FIORELLO! (Encores) and BABES IN ARMS (Encores).  Precious appearances at the MUNY include The Baker’s wife in INTO THE WOODS and Mrs. Banks in MARY POPPINS. Regional/National Tours: Clue (Bucks County Playhouse), Mary Poppins (PCLO), In the Mood, (BERKSHIRE THEATRE FESTIVAL) Leading Ladies (ALLEY THEATRE) and starring rolls in the the national tours of South Pacific (Nellie) Beauty and the Beast (Belle) Martin Guerre (Betrande, Helen Hayes Award Nomination).  On television, Dilly has guest starred on: “Bull” “Person of Interest” “Boardwalk Empire,” (recurring role, final season) “The Good Wife,” “Elementary,” “Gossip Girl,” "Nurse Jackie," "12 Men Of Christmas,” and all 3 “Law & Orders”.  Film credits include: JULIE AND JULIA, TOO BIG TO FAIL, EVERYDAY PEOPLE. Erin is the founder of THE LIVING STUDIO (www.livingstudionyc.com

     
photo Heather Dilly

Heather Dilly has been a professional working actress for over 20 years.  She has starred in numerous off broadway shows (Walk Two Moons, Bag Fulla Money, Screenplay) and worked regionally all over the country.  She has also worked in film/television and voice overs where she voiced Mommy and Miss Maganza in Nickelodeon’s Pinky Dinky Doo.  She wrote the award winning short film “The Look Away Life”.  For the last 4 years Heather has been a teaching artist here in New Jersey and before that an acting coach in NYC.

     
photo Kristy Graves

Kristy began working professionally in theater at the age of ten, playing the title role in a National tour of Annie. Her credits include: Broadway: A Little Night Music, A Little Hotel on the Side, National Regional Tours: The Sound of Music, A Little Night Music, The King and I. Off-Broadway: The Wild Duck, Irish Coffee, Bad Girls. Feature Film: Woody Allen’s Alice (Young Alice) and A Kiss Before Dying (Rose), TV: Ghostwriter (Series regular, Lisa), As The World Turns (Iva), Girl Crazy, Star Search and numerous pilots, commercials, voice-overs and jingles. Kristy studied classical voice at The Julliard School. She received her undergraduate degree at Columbia University, where she also studied jazz vocal performance through a joint program with Manhattan School of Music. Awards: Presidential Scholar of the Arts in Musical Theater, Level One with The National Foundation of the Arts Association in Theater. She was also acknowledged by Carnegie an award for her excellence in teaching. Kristy is currently the Artistic Director for Gas Lamp Players where she enjoys cultivating the arts in her community as well as teaching numerous talented young performers. Her greatest joy, however, is being the very proud mother of three exceptional and very special young ladies, Eryka, Mykhel and Kya Duckett

     
photo Susan Knight

Susan Knight has played leading roles across the country, most recently at Portland Stage, The McCarter and Lincoln Center.  Her film and television work includes NOT FADE AWAY, FRINGE, LAW & ORDER, SVU, ALLY McBEAL and many commercials.  She has also enjoyed many years of teaching acting at Fordham University, Pace and MSU.  A proud member of Actor's Equity and Sag/Aftra for 30 years, Susan is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the Yale School of Drama

     
photo Emily Rozek

EMILY ROZEK was most recently seen starring as Glinda in the Los Angeles Production of Wicked. Upon her graduation from the Boston Conservatory, she made her professional debut as the principle role of Winnie Tate in Annie Get Your Gun starring Bernadette Peters. She went on to understudy and perform the lead roles of Millie Dillmount and Miss Dorothy in Broadway’s Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has also been on National Broadway tours such as Sunset Boulevard and South Pacific.  Regional Credits include Marta in Company, staring with acclaimed and award winning actors Donna McKechnie and Norm Lewis, Maggie in A Chorus Line, Lizzie in Baby and Polly in Crazy for You.

She has spent the past 11 years bringing the arts to thousands of children in New Jersey as a Performing Arts teacher for one of the world’s top charter schools, North Star Academy, in addition to directing and choreographing for Gas Lamp Players. Her mission as a teacher and coach is to build confidence and character through acting, movement and music. She has a passion for meeting students at any level and building thier skills to empower them to be seen and heard in any chosen path or vocation - arts or otherwise.