Studio Team
Our qualified, skilled and experienced team is led by Studio Director, Marianna Psaltis. With over 15 years of professional practice and nearly 30 years of industry experience, Marianna brings a wealth of knowledge, experience and proven results.
Studio Director, Marianna Psaltis
BEd (Drama, English Lit), BA Applied Theatre (Acting, Film), ATCL
Marianna Psaltis is an Australian-Greek arts industry professional and qualified teacher with over 15 years of professional practice and proven results.
Marianna has worked in the industry from a young age and received many acting, teaching and directing awards including Best Director (Queensland Festival Circuit) and Best Actor (Brisbane Arts Theatre).
Her most recent credits include training and casting actors for Australian movies, including Swimming for Gold (2020) and more recently, Streamline (2021). She also appears in the movie, Streamline and had the pleasure of working with Jason Issacs and Levi Miller among others.
Marianna has worked with a slew of celebrities and industry professionals including and more recently conferenced with Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Allison Janney, Ben Falcone and Mayim Bailik to name a few.
Marianna has worked with international corporations on projects which include work for Screen Australia, Screen Queensland and Queensland Tourism (Thargomindah and Quilpie historical sites).
She specialises in teaching students with diverse abilities including ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia and more.
In 2021 Marianna made her debut as an international judge in The World Monologue Games, adjudicating actors from 51 countries.
Marianna writes poetry, prose, plays and screenplays. She has undertaken several recent applied theatre projects which include addressing contemporary issues such as youth depression and anxiety, violence against women and misogyny in the media.
The Australian Festival of Performance Arts, an online performing arts competition, was initiated by Marianna in 2020 during lockdown and was a resounding success. The Festival received entries from all over Australia as well as Singapore, the UK and America. Together with a team of industry professionals, Marianna provided the first ever national online performing arts competition. The Festival provided a much-needed platform for students of musical theatre, dance, drama and voice.
Her students have achieved stunning results at local and National Eisteddfods and several times topped Queensland and Australia for their examination results with renowned examination body, Trinity College London.
Students also work regularly in the film and theatre industry on professional projects which include TV commercials, Australian Feature Films, stage and musical theatre.
Through her expertise, training and under her guidance, graduates have gained entry to prestigious tertiary intuitions in both Australia and overseas including The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York University – School of The Arts, Griffith University Conservatorium, Victorian College of the Arts, Queensland University of Technology and Brent Street.
Her philanthropic work includes supporting the Lions Club of Australia, World Vision and other local charities, foundations and not-for profit organisations like, Celebrate Learning and Love and Hope Redlands Inc.
She also continues to provide mentoring to arts youth, upcoming actors and young women in business.
Marianna Psaltis
GRADUATED FROM
Griffith University
WORK EXPERIENCE
15 Years professional Practice in the Performing Arts Industry
COURSES
BEd (Drama, English Lit), BA Applied Theatre (Acting and Film), ATCL
ACTING
With 30 Years Industry Experience, Marianna began acting at a young age in professional productions and community theatre. Marianna has won many awards for acting from Best Performer at the age of 14 at the Brisbane Festival (Brisbane Arts Theatre) and a score of other performance awards recognised locally and nationally.
Marianna studied under Australia’s biggest gurus at Griffith University and learned from the best academics and industry professionals.
Brisbane Acting and Drama takes a holistic approach to the craft of acting.
Students learn how to produce moving literature that is authentic to their experience. Taught by skilled industry professionals and award-winning teachers.
Enrol in our acting classes to learn more about acting for stage and screen.
ACTING SKILLS
AUDITION TECHNIQUES
STAGE AND SCREEN
SELF TAKES
SCREEN WRITING
MONOLOGUES
PROFESSIONAL TUITION
ACCESS TO AUDITIONS
MENTORING
WORLD LITERATURE
And more
DRAMA
Teaching drama is Marianna’s passion and with 15 years of professional practice and dedication to the profession her students and graduates benefit from her expertise.
Marianna prides herself on the quality of education her students receive at the studio. Students become well-versed in all performance styles, learn to decipher intricate and complex texts and produce exceptional performance work. She teaches students with diverse abilities with resounding success and develops self-confidence within her students.
Students start from a very young age and learn through play-based and theatre sports based activities. They learn to improvise, role-play, create characters and memorise texts.
Students can elect to participate in festivals, eisteddfods, showcases and exams.
Many students take both acting and drama classes at the studio. Although similar, drama classes focus more on creativity, theatre sports and improvisation while acting classes develop specific skill and focus on industry training.
Katelyn Woodbine
Acting Head of Studio
Teacher, Katelyn Woodbine
Talented Studio Alumnus and experienced performing arts teacher, Katelyn Woodbine (BEd Drama English, ATCL) is now our Head StudioTeacher.
Miss Woodbine will lead our team along with our Studio Mentors Rose Traynor-Boyland and Ryan Rossiter-Buckley. Please welcome Miss Woodbine as she returns to our Studio Team.
Miss Woodbine is a seasoned performer who is also a qualified and experienced performing arts teacher. She began her journey studying Speech and Drama from childhood appearing in many theatrical productions, musicals as well as achieving exceptional exam results with Trinity College London. She is also studio alumni and graduated with honours, receiving recognition for her high Diploma marks.
Miss Woodbine has spent the last 7 years teaching Senior Drama and English classes in schools as well as directing and producing many productions.
“I am so excited to be back at the studio this semester. Having spent so many years at the studio previously, it feels like coming home again.”
Miss Woodbine brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to her position and we welcome her back to the studio!
WORK EXPERIENCE
20 Years Professional Practice in Performing and 7 years in Teaching
COURSES
Bed (Drama, English)
University of Queensland
ATCL Trinity College London
Teacher, Katelyn Woodbine
Talented Studio Alumnus and experienced performing arts teacher, Katelyn Woodbine (BEd Drama English, ATCL) is now our Head StudioTeacher.
Miss Woodbine will lead our team along with our Studio Mentors Rose Traynor-Boyland and Ryan Rossiter-Buckley. Please welcome Miss Woodbine as she returns to our Studio Team.
Miss Woodbine is a seasoned performer who is also a qualified and experienced performing arts teacher. She began her journey studying Speech and Drama from childhood appearing in many theatrical productions, musicals as well as achieving exceptional exam results with Trinity College London. She is also studio alumni and graduated with honours, receiving recognition for her high Diploma marks.
Miss Woodbine has spent the last 7 years teaching Senior Drama and English classes in schools as well as directing and producing many productions.
“I am so excited to be back at the studio this semester. Having spent so many years at the studio previously, it feels like coming home again.”
Miss Woodbine brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to her position and we welcome her back to the studio!
Declan Rix
Studio Teacher and Mentor
Declan Rix is an actor who trained with Brisbane Acting and Drama for eight years, achieving Performance Diploma through Brisbane Acting and Drama and Trinity College London in 2019. Declan has been in several of Brisbane Acting and Drama shows, including Façade, I’m Glad You Had the Confidence, All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Play, and Live Through This.
Declan completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Drama in 2022 through Queensland University of Technology. Declan has worked on three shows, including writing a stand-up show and directing two other shows through QUT’s Fresh Blood. Declan has also written and produced his own show for Anywhere Festival, 2023.
Declan enjoys collaborating with other creatives who share similar interests with him and has done so throughout his time as a creative, through Backbone Arts, Bigfork Theatre, and of course Brisbane Acting and Drama. In 2023, he looks forward to working alongside the Brisbane Acting and Drama team and helping young creatives achieve their goals.
WORK EXPERIENCE
10 Years Professional Practice in Performing
COURSES
BA Drama, QUT
ATCL Trinity College London
Declan Rix is an actor who trained with Brisbane Acting and Drama for eight years, achieving Performance Diploma through Brisbane Acting and Drama and Trinity College London in 2019. Declan has been in several of Brisbane Acting and Drama shows, including Façade, I’m Glad You Had the Confidence, All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Play, and Live Through This.
Declan completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Drama in 2022 through Queensland University of Technology. Declan has worked on three shows, including writing a stand-up show and directing two other shows through QUT’s Fresh Blood. Declan has also written and produced his own show for Anywhere Festival, 2023.
Declan enjoys collaborating with other creatives who share similar interests with him and has done so throughout his time as a creative, through Backbone Arts, Bigfork Theatre, and of course Brisbane Acting and Drama. In 2023, he looks forward to working alongside the Brisbane Acting and Drama team and helping young creatives achieve their goals.
Model/Actor
Meghan Carmella Triandis
Graduate, Model, Actor
Mentor and Graduate Performer
Ryan Rossiter-Buckley
Studio Mentor and Graduate Performer
Actor
Claire Dewar
Studio graduate with Honours
Studio Mentor
Rose Traynor-Boyland
Studio Mentor and Graduate Performer
Our team promotes an inclusive and creative environment that focusses on learning, achievement and fun. Each teacher and mentor is a senior member or graduate of the studio who is qualified, trained and hold Queensland Blue Cards. Our teachers and mentors are skilled performers and embrace the studio ethos of inclusion and achievement for every child.