Guest Artists

In addition to the working, professional artists who make up Lovett’s permanent Fine Arts faculty, the school brings in guest artists to augment the students’ instruction. Some of the recent guests to visit Lovett and work with the Fine Arts students include:

Susan V. Booth

Susan V. Booth serves as artistic director of the Alliance Theatre, recipient of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. As a stage director, her work has been seen at theatres including the Alliance, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cincinnati Playhouse, St. Louis Repertory, New York Stage and Film, and many others. During her tenure at the Alliance, the theatre has produced the world premieres of The Color Purple, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and Sister Act: The Musical and has launched the national tours of Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Before coming to Atlanta in 2001, Booth was the director of new play development at the Goodman Theatre, co-artistic director for the City of Chicago’s Professional Summer Theatre, and associate artistic director of Northlight Theatre. She holds degrees from Northwestern and Denison universities and was a fellow of the National Critics Institute. She has held teaching positions at Northwestern and DePaul universities and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and currently serves as adjunct faculty with Emory University. She is a member of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2003 and was cited as a Lexus Leader for the Arts by WABE-FM, “Atlanta’s Best New Visionary” by Atlanta Magazine in 2004, one of Atlanta’s “25 Power Women to Watch” in 2006 by Atlanta Magazine, and was chosen as the Best Local Director in The Sunday Paper’s 2006, 2007 and 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards. Ms. Booth serve on the board of the Metro Atlanta Arts and Cultural Coalition, is the co-chair of the City of Atlanta’s One Book, One Community program, and serves as President of the Board of Directors for Theatre Communications Group, the national service organization for regional theatre.

Ted Brunetti

Ted Brunetti is a Los Angeles and New York-based producer, director, acting coach, and actor. Ted Brunetti has his own studio and production company, The Ted Brunetti Studio in Los Angeles, where he produces, directs, does extensive coaching (for the industry's top agencies, networks, and studios), and teaches on-camera acting classes. In addition he is also a faculty and guest faculty at the AFI (American Film Institute), University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate film directors and producers (including the prestigious Graduate Stark Program for Producers), The North Carolina School of the Arts, Carnegie-Mellon, USC Theater Department, South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts, Bennington College, and many others. He is an Ovation Nominated Director, and directs the Company from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He is also on the faculty of The Howard Fine Studio in Los Angeles where he teaches acting, the business of acting, and audition classes. Ted is a protege of Uta Hagen (over 18 years), a member of the faculty of HB Studios in NYC, and an invited member of The Actors Studio. He also studied with Mike Nichols, Austin Pendleton, F. Murray Abraham, Horton Foote, Francis Sternhagen, Elizabeth Wilson, and Anne Meara. He holds a BFA from The North Carolina School of the Arts. Ted is always honored to return to Atlanta to be part of the One Act Festival, and conduct Master Classes.

Rhoda Griffis

Rhoda Griffis, an Atlanta actress, can be seen in the soon-to-be-released feature films American Summer, The Year One, and Blood Done Sign My Name. She is also known for her work on the hit Lifetime series Army Wives as Lenore Baker. Outstanding feature films include Walk the Line, One Missed Call, Big Momma’s House 2, Runaway Jury, Road Trip, Songcatcher, Cobb, and Love Field, and over 35 TV movies, national commercials, and numerous voice-overs. Currently, Rhoda has a Georgia Power commercial running. In theatre since she was eight years old, Ms. Griffis has worked seven seasons with the North Carolina Shakespeare festival; five seasons with Charlotte Repertory, St. Louis Repertory, Alabama Shakespeare festival, and Theatre by the Sea; and three seasons with Actors Theatre of Atlanta, Theatrical Outfit, and the Alliance Theatre. Rhoda holds a BFA from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Nina Markman

Nina Markman graduated from Byelorussia School of Ballet in Russia where she was trained in classical and character dance by world renowned prima ballerina Maria Mladinskaya. She danced with the Byelorussia State Philharmonic from 1974 to 1990 and was a member of the touring company, which performed in the Soviet Union and Europe.
She taught dance from 1986 in Russia and from 1996 in Rotaru International Ballet School (Atlanta, GA).

Brenda Nieto

Brenda Nieto is a former member of both the Martha Graham Dance Company and the National Ballet of Mexico. Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, she began her dance education at the University of Guanajuato, studying  Ballet and Graham Technique, while performing with Foro Libre of Contemporary Dance. Brenda continued her dance studies at the School of National Ballet of Mexico. She was awarded a Coca-Cola scholarship to study at the Martha Graham School in New York City, where she completed the Professional Trainee Program. In New York she also was a member of Dzul Dance Company and Nina Buisson Contemporary Move, among others. Brenda is a past faculty member of the dance department at the University of South Carolina. The Divine Comedy and Inner Drums were her first collaborations as choreographer for the USC Dance Company. Brenda is also a certified instructor of the Gyrotonic® Expansion System of movement.

 

Marcus Printup

Marcus Printup, who was born and raised in Conyers, Georgia, had his first musical experiences hearing the fiery gospel music his parents sang in church, and would later discover jazz as a senior in high school. While attending the University of North Florida on a music scholarship, he won the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Trumpet Competition. In 1991, Mr. Printup's life changed drastically when he met his mentor to this day, the great pianist Marcus Roberts. Mr. Roberts introduced him to Wynton Marsalis, which led to his induction into the Jazz @ Lincoln Center Orchestra in 1993. Mr. Printup has performed and/or recorded with Betty Carter, Dianne Reeves, Eric Reed, Cyrus Chestnut, Wycliffe Gordon, and Marcus Roberts, among many others. Mr. Printup has several records as a leader, Song for the Beautiful Woman, Unveiled, Hub Songs, Nocturnal Traces, The New Boogaloo, Peace In The Abstract, Bird of Paradise and his most recent, London Lullaby. Mr. Printup made his screen debut in the 1999 movie Playing By Heart and recorded on the film's soundtrack.