Your Instructor

Brendan Ell & Renee Bang Allen

Brendan Ell

Brendan Ell, a working actor, musician, music teacher, and audio engineer, who
has been playing guitar and bass for over 20 years, toured up and down the East coast, opened for major acts such as Sublime and Rome, The Wailers, Pitbull, Collie Buddz, The Dirty Heads, Fishbone, and Fat Joe.

Six years ago, Brendan found a new passion for film acting. In a few short months of training, he found himself already getting hired on Indie and major productions. Brendan has worked on "Creed 2", a commercial with actor Ice-T, and continually works as an actor. Over the last few years, Brendan's roles include multiple lead and supporting roles in film and commercials.
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Renee Bang Allen

Renée Bang Allen is an actress, singer, musician,voice teacher, playwright and producer who made her theatrical debut in the cast of the first international tour of Grand Hotel - The Musical, directed by 9-time Tony Award® winner, Tommy Tune and her Broadway debut as "Joanne" and "Sarah" in the John Doyle directed revival of Stephen Sondheim's, Company (2007 Tony Award® Winner - Best Revival). Off Broadway productions include: Secrets of A Soccer Mom, directed by 2- time Tony Award® winner Judith Ivey, Lies My Father Told Me, directed by Bryna Wasserman and several one-act productions at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, including Horton Foote’s The Midnight Caller. Regionally she appeared in a highly acclaimed production of Spring Awakening at ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ and several productions at the award winning, Weston Playhouse in Weston, VT. In film Renée was featured as “Bootsey” in the indie hit, Sex Farce, (Evan Greenberg, dir.) and also starred as “Bernadette” in Bernadette, etc. (David Perlman, dir.) On television she enjoyed a co-starring role in Blue Bloods (CBS) and a leading role in the new web series, Small Miracles, starring Judd Hirsch. The New York Times named her "someone well worth knowing."

After a successful Indie Go-Go Campaign where over $10,000 was raised in just over two months, a staged and choreographed concert production of her original musical, 54- the musical was unveiled at The Cutting Room to a sold-out crowd. The show was then awarded the feature festival spot in Emerging Artists Theatre's New Work Series (playbill.com) and was, once again, SOLD OUT!! Not long after, a staged and fully choreographed "FunkRaiser" on behalf of 54 - the musical was presented at The House of Independents in downtown Asbury Park, NJ starring Frankie Grande and Ace Young, where the audience finally had the opportunity to become part of the action in a truncated version of this ingenious immersive production, thanks to HOI's retractable stadium seating. Concert selections of the musical were performed in a subsequent FunkRaiser for 54 - the musical at The Asbury Hotel. 54 - the musical is in development for Broadway.

Renée is co-founder and artistic director of the asbury arts collective (the collective)... a non-profit arts initiative to support the development of professional theatre in Asbury Park, NJ as well as local outreach opportunities for the underserved. She was also part of ASTEP on STAGE! - a community of volunteer-artists in the New York City area. Renée studied acting with the legendary Fred Kareman, singing with Joanna Gleason and playwriting with Curt Dempster, director and founder of the Ensemble Studio Theatre in NYC. She currently teaches voice and vocal performance at several different music schools throughout the area as well as out of her home studio in Ocean Grove, NJ. She is thrilled to bring her experience and (the collective) to the JSAC! She is a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, AFM, DGA and CWA. For more information, please visit: www.reneebangallen.com.

Visit Renée on the web: ReneeBangAllen.com