The 1st Team Actors Studio Team
Lauren Nichols, Acting Coach & Co-Owner of 1st Team Actor Studio
Lauren Nichols is an LA trained actress and proud member of SAG-AFTRA. While living in Los Angeles, she studied intensely with elite training programs such as Lesly Kahn and Company, Tim Phillips, and the famous Groundlings School. Lauren can be seen in many national commercials including Digiorno, Nestle Tollhouse, Ciroq, Carnation, and Nokia. Her television credits include guest star roles on Chicago Justice (NBC) and Scandal (ABC). Lauren appeared as “Xtina” in Todrick Hall’s Pop Star High, which was successfully piloted after its release, and she recorded the original cast album. Her film credits include sharing the screen with fantastic talents such as Nicolas Cage in Dog Eat Dog, Madtown with Milo Ventimiglia, and Assassin’s Code with Justin Chatwin. She can also be seen in White Boy Rick, and Triumph’s Summer Election Special.
Questions about classes or training opportunities? Email Lauren@angelaboehmcasting.com
Joe Masi, Acting Coach
Joe Masi was born and raised in Syosset, New York. He has been studying acting for over 20 years both as an actor and acting teacher. Joe holds an MFA in acting from Brooklyn College and studied for two years with Bill Esper at the William Esper Studios in NYC. He has taught at the collegiate level as well as within the studio system. Joe has worked on numerous television shows such as One Life to Live, All My Children, Guiding Light, Kidnapped and Law & Order SVU to name a few. He has also performed in many shows in NY theatre as well as regionally, most notably at The American Theatre in Tampa Florida where he played Juan Julian in Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz.
Joe moved to The Land 3 years ago to be closer to family and in the process has found a wonderful and thriving creative community.
Kathleen Zion, Improv & Acting Coach
Kathleen Zion is a Cleveland, Ohio, native and holds a BFA in Musical Theatre with an emphasis on Acting from Wright State University. She also graduated from Chicago’s Second City Conservatory Program, studying under one of Second City’s founders, Michael Gellman. While living in Chicago, she completed the iO Chicago writing program under Michael McCarthy, a former Saturday Night Live writer. These classes helped hone her skill in sketch comedy writing, sitcom spec scripts, and writing for television. She continued her love of improvisational comedy while performing around Chicago with the improv troupe One Group Mind and participating in Sketch Fest with Mass St. Productions. Kathleen has been teaching the first all Down syndrome improv troupe with the group Stand Up for Downs. She was also a part of starting the first improvised exposer classes to help people with social anxiety.
In addition to her extensive training she can be seen in many commercials and industrials for Goodwill, DiGiorno, 4Moms, Dicks Sporting Goods, Proper Access, and Cube Space. You can also hear her voice over work for multiple national campaigns including Operation Next and the book “Twenty Something Self.”
Michael Busch, Improv Coach
Michael Busch is a Cleveland native who has over fifteen years of professional experience in the Los Angeles comedy scene and entertainment industry as an actor, writer, director, and producer. His television and film acting credits include: The Goldbergs, Adam Ruins Everything, Glee, The Middle, Pretty Little Liars, The Ghost Whisperer, Community, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Arsenio Hall Show, Body of Proof, Hope & Randy, Franklin & Bash, Workaholics, Carpoolers, Miss March, and dozens of national commercials. Michael Busch is a graduate of IO’s improv training program and studied improv and sketch at The Upright Citizens Brigade with founders Matt Besser and Matt Walsh, among others. He has acted in sketches on Human Giant, Key & Peele, and Conan; written sketches and digital series for FunnyorDie, Comedy Central, AwesomenessTV, Break, and Maker Studios; was a member of multiple house improv (Harold) teams at IO West and UCBTLA, a writer/performer on a house sketch (Maude) team at UCBTLA, and has also written/directed/produced/acted in various other shows there.
Megan Brautigam, Commercial & Children’s Acting Coach
Megan is an actress based in Cleveland with over 25 years of experience. After performing in over 50 musical theatre productions, she made the transition into TV/Film, with a specialty in commercial acting. Megan has booked many commercials and industrials (NFL, Honda, Acura, St. Elizabeth’s Healthcare, Wegmans, US Foods, Akron-Canton Airport, etc.) as well as film and television principal roles and, most recently, a new sitcom pilot. Megan has a recent online series of instructional videos for actors including: Audition tips, self-tape tips, how to impress CDs, and how to act professional on set. She co-produces comedy shows at Hilarities, and also performs standup comedy.
Having gained a lot of valuable experience, yet still realizing there is much more to be accomplished, Megan’s main objective is to help young students move effectively towards achieving their performing goals while providing insight regarding their professional journey and their growth as human beings.