Coaches

STEPH –
Stephanie Waites

She / Her

DRAMA SCENE Founder (Head Coach and Writer)
Drama Scene Players Inc. – DRAMA & CREATIVE ARTS DIRECTOR / President
BA Theatre, Theory & Practice (Hons)
PROUD MEMBER OF ACTORS EQUITY since 1978
Theatresports® Teacher Accreditation
St John Emergency First Aid certificate
International Thespian Society, Life Member

Trained in Theatre, Drama, Voice, Singing, Dancing (RAD Ballet, FATD Tap, Jazz Ballet), with fourteen years professional performance experience including Title roles in professional musical theatre productions and roles in film, television, voiceovers and radio plays, Stephanie Waites worked across Australia and in the United Kingdom before establishing Drama Scene back home in Sydney in 2003.

In response to working professionally from the age of 8 years old and with fifteen years’ experience working with; pre-school aged children, school students, children with special needs, teenagers and professional child Actors, Stephanie continues to write for children and to develop a range of unique programs for children and young adults in the creative, practical and performing arts. This includes over two decades writing original, Process Theatre inspired programs for Drama Scene’s classes teaching 5-14 year olds.

Steph is trained in Improvisation and a former Judge for Impro Australia’s TSC (Theatreports® Schools Challenge).  She also acts as a mentor to Student Primary Drama Teachers and since 1999 she has been invited to run workshops training Primary Teachers to use drama in the NSW Primary School Curriculum for Drama NSW, Drama Australia and the Sydney Theatre Company. Steph has presented at Drama conferences Australia wide on a range of topics from Puppetry for 5 year olds to developing performances from found objects and using Drama to teach subjects such as Literacy, Maths and History. Specialisations include Acting Techniques, Voice, Movement, Mime, Improvisation, Musical Theatre, Puppetry, Mask, Characterisation, Shakespeare, Script Analysis, Playwriting, Playbuilding, Theatresports®, Monologue Creation, Theatre/Film Audition Technique and Drama Scene’s unique ‘DramaDance’ program.

Steph’s play for 5-12 year olds, Puppy Wishes was developed and performed in three Sydney Primary Schools and she was invited to the Drama Australia National Conference held in Perth, Spaces Of Performance to present a process workshop.

Steph continues to pursue funding for the Drama Scene Players Inc., particularly for projects promoting the work she and her Drama Scene trained Coaches do using Drama for; positive mental health in Teens, for children on the Autism Spectrum, for young people with Special Needs, as a tool to encourage resilience.

In collaboration with Ever After Theatre (the only NSW Company for Adults with an Intellectual Disability) and Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre, Stephanie ‘s DSP Inc. project from 2012 – 2018 was the facilitation of weekly Drama classes for Disabled children including children with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities and children on the Autism Spectrum.

Through DSP Inc., Stephanie Waites was also the Creative Arts Director for DS Teens original theatre projects – Time, 11.11, Space and DramaScener performances of group devised Play, Toyshop.

2020-2021 saw Drama Scene move on to digital learning and the discovery of Zoom as a tool to teach Acting On Camera & Onscreen. Stephanie Waites wrote and produced original “Zoom” Plays including, Zooming Off To Zigibob and SSSHh!, and she delivered online Drama programs to students across Australia with support from Create NSW & the NSW Government.

2026 brings the opportunity for a new cast of young Actors to experience the production of a Play as Steph is Directing a new project for Drama Scene Players in Sydney, March to September.

In her personal time, Steph is a volunteer with The Pyjama Foundation and she provides mentor care for children and young people living in Out Of Home Care / Foster Care, (and she always seems to be getting ready for another roadtrip or overseas adventure).

https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn569682

Amy Hack

Actors Centre Australia
Atlantic Theatre Company (USA)
Patrick Studios (Australia)

Amy has been working professionally across theatre, music theatre and film/television around the country for 15 years. Training at the Actors Centre Australia, Atlantic Theatre Company in NYC and Patrick Studios Australia for dance, Amy loves to explore different creative mediums within the Perfoming Arts Industry including writing, devising, choreographing and teaching. Amy has performed in various productions for Griffin Theatre Company, the Hayes Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare and other theatre companies across the country, at such venues as the Sydney Opera House and the Arts Centre Melbourne. Amy is thrilled to be able to share all she’s learnt about creative expression, play and story-telling with the next generation of artists.

Andrew Waldin

Performing Arts (Stage and Screen) – ACA
Diploma of Musical Theatre – NIDA

Andrew Waldin is a Sydney Theatre Award Nominated Actor (Best Newcomer, 2022) and some of his recent credits include the Original and AUS Tour of Marvelous (AR Entertainment), the AUS/NZ tour of The Shrek Rave (Like It Love It), The Front Page (New Theatre), Nice Work If You Can Get It (Michelle Guthrie Presents). Andrew has a Diploma of Musical Theatre (NIDA) and a Bachelor of Performing Arts (ACA). Andrew has Directed, Musical Directed and Choreographed shows including Matilda, Seussical, Into the Woods, Shrek, and Mary Poppins for school’s across Sydney including; Arden Anglican School, Stella Maris College, and SCEGGS Redlands.

Ash Sakha

Advanced Diploma in Stage and Screen

Ash Sakha is a motivated and passionate, Sydney based actor of Middle Eastern Descent (Iranian) who also speaks Farsi. His fascination towards the craft lead him to studying at the Actors College of Theatre and Television, completing his Two-year Advanced Diploma in Stage and Screen. His TV Credits include Home & Away (Chanel 7) and Doctor Doctor (Chanel 9).

Bonnie Cowan

Bachelor of Creative Arts (Deans Scholar), majoring in Theatre

Bonnie is a dynamic and perceptive performance facilitator with ten years of experience working across Sydney.
Facilitating meaningful and radical interactions with art for all people, and creating pathways to connect with art and one another are the threads that weave throughout all aspects of her extensive career. She sees her work as a teaching artist as an opportunity to embed performance, curiosity and play into learning spaces, utilising drama strategies to support social and emotional learning.
Bonnie has facilitated workshops with Stellar Performing Arts, The Song Room, Marian Street Theatre for Young People, Sydney Opera House, Kids Upfront, Shopfront Arts Co-Op.

Ella Sullivan (El)

Bachelor in Dramatic Arts
Diploma in Screen Acting

Ella Graduated from the Los Angeles Performance Conservatory with the Excellence in Drama Award and was nominated for “Best Villain” at the AVSDA Awards in 2025. You might have seen El on screen in After She Spoke, Remembering You, The Party, Salt Waters, Tough Love, The Billionaire’s Daughter, Baby on the Way, and Lucid. Her stage credits include The Money Shot, Right Now, Stop Kiss and Dumb Kids. El works across stage and screen, with a performance background in ballet, contemporary dance and physical theatre. She is skilled in accent work, including; American, British, Russian and Scottish dialects. Her writing and producing credits include; Things Left Unsaid (Erskineville Theatre, 2023), Remembering You (Short film, 2025), The Party (feature film 2026) and Boxes (Short Film, 2026). El is currently a contributor on the ATYP Youth Advisory Board and is a resident creative with BearTiger Productions, a Sydney / LA based production company.

Isabel Thurgar (Bel)

Bachelor of Arts (Honours First Class) – Theatre and Performance Studies
Masters of Teaching (Secondary) – Drama and English – Current

Bel is a long-time lover of theatre and the performing arts. A proud alumnus of Drama Scene, Bel was one of Drama Scene’s first students, participating from Kindergarten through to Year 6, writing and devising with our non- profit Drama Scene Teens group, working as a Junior Coach for our Petersham School Holiday Workshops. Bel has gone on to other performances and is extremely dedicated to engaging in meaningful creative workshops. Graduating from their Honours (First Class) in Theatre and Performance Studies, Bel continued to develop an understanding and involvement in theatre, as director and performer in a variety of student productions. Bel is currently completing their Masters of Teaching (Secondary) in Drama and English, continuing their goal of engaging young people in the power and potential of performance and highlighting the benefit of experiential learning in all classrooms.

Jessica Louise Smith (Jess)

Theatre & Performance Degree (current)
PROUD MEMBER OF ACTORS EQUITY since 2026

Jess started her training with Drama Scene classes at school in 2011 and is now well placed to step back into our groups as a Support-Coach for students. As an emerging creative based in Wallumattagal, Jess is currently studying Theatre and Performance Studies and Music at the University of Sydney and Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She is becoming a prolific theatre reviewer in the Sydney scene, frequently publishing her work with Honi Soit. Jess has also ventured into writing for the stage, directing her debut work, The Apple Doesn’t Fall, at the Cellar Theatre. Her credits in theatre are diverse, as is her expertise, some of these include; Godspell (Celisse, Backstage, 2026), Othello (Lead Designer, Studio One, 2026). Devil’s Pardon (Hair and Makeup Design/Artist, Cellar Theatre, 2026), Call of the Void (Ensemble, Flightpath Theatre, 2025), Enron (Set Designer, Studio One, 2025), Rent: The Musical (No, Not That Rent) (Music Director and Assistant Director, PACT, 2024), Pippin (Berthe, Concourse Theatre, 2023). Along with theatre, journalism, and her work as a musician, Jessica specialises in disability education and accessibility, working for Sydney Catholic Schools as a Learning Support Officer, and at the University of Sydney in Disability Support. She works one-on-one with students with a wide range of disabilities, as well as providing Primary classroom support. Being on the ASD spectrum herself, she finds it incredibly rewarding working with neurodivergent children, creating accessible environments. Jess also enjoys giving talks at high schools and universities s a Storyteller for Batyr (a mental health not-for-profit).

Jordana Wegman

UNSW – BA Theatre and Performance
Graduate – Improv Theatre School

Jordana is an Improviser and Comedian with a BA in Theatre and Performance from the University of NSW. She have been featured in the Sydney Comedy Festival as well as Sydney Fringe Festival and has worked with Directors such as Kevin Jackson, Tessa Leong and Imara Savage. Most recently she graduated from the Improv Theatre School and performed with her improv team in the ITS Smackdown Finals. Jordana has taught Drama and Public Speaking at numerous NSW schools.

Lily MacNevin

Bachelor of Performing Arts

Lily MacNevin is a bubbly and energetic performer whose love for acting and storytelling began as soon as she was able to think. When she was in Kindergarten, Lily ran straight into Drama Scene classes, barley missing a week through 7 years of primary school. She went on to perform with Drama Scene Players as a DS Teen and worked as a Junior Coach in Drama Scene’s school holidays programs. Lily never stopped training stopped as she attended Newtown High School of the Performing Arts through the drama stream and continued to hone her craft while also enhancing her skills in other areas, such as singing, movement, and production. At the end of 2025, Lily completed a Bachelor of Performing Arts at Actors Centre Australia and has already had the pleasure of appearing in two professional productions. In January of 2026, she appeared as Beth in A Lie of the Mind at the New Theatre in Newtown, and then as Amanda Prynne in Private Lives, which took her to the 2026 Adelaide Fringe Festival. Lily is excited to share her knowledge and passion for the arts with the next generation of performers at the place where for her also, it all began.

Luke Visentin

Bachelor Fine Arts (Acting) – NIDA

Luke Visentin graduated with a BFA in acting from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 2020. Luke is busy participant in the Sydney arts community, directing Plays, teaching Drama classes, performing on stage, often accomplishing three roles in one day. Luke’s most recent directing credits include; director for A View from the Bridge (New Theatre), The Unburdening (Sydney Fringe), assistant director for The Flea (New Theatre) and The Pigeons (KXT), movement director and text and vocal coach for 3 Billion Seconds (KXT) and acting coach for The Tempest (Such Stuff). Luke’s on stage acting credits include; Present Laughter, Hir, The Vibrator Play, Control, and Atlantis (New Theatre), The Seagull, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, Black Rock, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Summer and Smoke, and Next to Normal (NIDA), Hamlet and Cinderella (Opera Australia), Rhomboid, Come Again, and Lunch with Bernays (KXT), Manic Pixie Meltdown and Fairytale of My Life (Shopfront Arts Co-op), Chasing Dick (Melbourne Fringe), A Czar is Born (Sydney Fringe), Morning to Midnight (The Opera Centre), assorted puppet shows (Horizons Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet (tours for Such Stuff Productions), Wind in the Willows, (The Australian Shakespeare Company). Short films – Small Wounds, Icarus, Puncture, Lady May, Salt and Death Drive.  Luke regularly works with auteur director Patrick Kennedy, collaborating on The Flea (New Theatre), Perfect Arrangement (New Theatre), Sophia=Wisdom: The Cliffs (Patrick Kennedy Theatre Machine), Did You Mean To Fall Like That (KXT), and up next, Paradise Hotel (KXT). Luke is a teaching artist in schools, specialising in Shakespeare (Sport for Jove).

Savannah Melvin (Sav)

Bachelor of Dramatic Art

Savannah Melvin is a Sydney based actress. Sav is also an acting graduate with Bachelor of Dramatic Art and she spent 3 months studying screen in Los Angeles in 2024. Sav enjoys exploring accent work having completed accent courses at NIDA. You may have seen her in role as Claris From Paris at The Grounds (Alexandria). Savannah gained extensive experience guiding and helping children when she managed a jungle gym and children’s arcade for two years while completing her tertiary studies.

Tahlia Merlino

Diploma of Stage and Screen Performance- NIDA 2018
16th Street Actors Studio Full Time Program 2019/20
PROUD MEMBER OF ACTORS EQUITY since 2018

Tahlia is a NIDA trained actor experienced in stage and screen and a graduate of Melbourne’s 16th Street’s Full Time Actors Studio Program.  Her recent theatre credits herself include New Theatre’s The Park (2022),  Factory Space Theatre Company’s, A Peculiar River (2019) and The House That Dan Built’s, Tender Young Creatures (2017/18).

Tahlia is an experienced Drama Tutor, working expansively with  ATYP, NIDA,  Ettinghausens and The Next Step Performing Arts and Arts Theatre Cronulla.

Veronica Clavijo

Cert IV in Performing Arts
BA (Media and Philosophy)
MA (Creative Writing)

Veronica was already an accomplished dancer as a teen when she stepped into Drama Scene classes and added her talents for acting and singing. She went on to build a professional career as a Sydney-based actor, writer and teaching artist. Her recent screen work includes a supporting role on F Ward (Stan), a lead role in a Bankwest television commercial, and appearances in campaigns for Tylenol, CitiBank and Real Insurance. She has also featured in music videos for Keith Urban and P!nk (One Too Many) and Mike Williams and Justin Mylo (Face Up To The Sun). Additional screen credits include Final Broadcast (Williams Street Productions). On stage, Veronica most recently played Sarah in Atlantis (Subtlenuance Productions, KXT Broadway). Her theatre credits span both musical theatre and contemporary works, including Lina Lamont in Singin’ in the Rain, Marion in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Louise in Alison’s House (Depot Theatre), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof, Maria in 9 to 5: The Musical, and Kiss Me, Kate. She has also performed in original and ensemble-driven work, including A Blobfish Who Knew How to Dance Salsa. Alongside her performance work, Veronica is a passionate teaching artist, working with young performers to build confidence, creativity and strong foundational skills in acting and storytelling. With formal qualifications in performing arts and dance teaching, as well as a Master’s degree in Creative Writing, she brings a holistic, supportive and process-driven approach to her classes. Her practice is grounded in emotionally intelligent storytelling, with a focus on work that is both honest and impactful.

Ziggy Resnick

Bachelor Fine Arts (Acting) – NIDA
Diploma of Arts (Musical Theatre) – AIM

Ziggy is a performer, writer and graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art. Ziggy’s most recent theatre credits include; The Shiralee (Sydney Theatre Co.), Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Belvoir Street Theatre), Henry V (Bell Shakespeare), Much Ado About Nothing (Sport for Jove), Rumbleskin (45downstairs), Feminazi (Belvoir’s 25A), A is for Apple (Griffin Theatre), The Bugalugs Bum Thief (dir. Jessica Arthur), Girls in Boys Cars (dir. Priscilla Jackman), Twelfth Night (dir. Jim Sharman), Probe (Old Fitz Theatre), The Eisteddfod (Old Fitz Theatre), How to Defend Yourself  (Old Fitz Theatre), Pear Shaped (Theatre Works, Melbourne). Ziggy also toured nationally with The Bell Shakespeare Players in 2022 and worked as a clown on Opera Australia’s Ernani (dir. Priscilla Jackman). Ziggy’s short film credits include Billie and Jesse (Thousand Mile Productions), +One (Bus Stop films), Oi (dir. Sophie Serisier) – selected for MIFF’s 2024 short film program, Sometimes You’re Eating Grapes (dir. Bokkie Robertson) and Binchook (dir. Alana Stewart). Ziggy is also a part of the acclaimed Aussie series Touch (by Monique Terry and Hannah-Mae). Ziggy’s writing credits include Pear-Shaped (Theatre Works Naarm and Monkey Baa Sydney, 2022), and Billie and Jesse (Mardi Gras Film Festival 2026, WINNER best screenplay).