Pursue Your Passion
College Audition Coaching
The College Prep Pre-Professional Program
What ls It?
The Mentorship Program is an individualized course of study to prepare students for Auditions and interviews for admission to college, university, and conservatory theatre Arts training programs. Students who intend to major in theatre arts should enroll in the Mentorship Program in the spring of their Junior Year.
The Mentorship - College Prep Pre-Professional Program assists parents and students in their search and selection of the right theatre training program for the student.
· Selection and cutting of audition material for each audition
· Private Coaching
· Preparation for college scholarship auditions
· Time Management and Focusing
· Portfolio
· Interviewing techniques and practice
· Video for pre-screening
· Online profile
Proven Results
Mentorship students have been admitted to many of the finest theatre arts programs in the country:
· Boston Conservatory
· Chapman University
· Columbia College - Chicago
· DePaul University
· Emerson
· Fairfield University
· Fordham University
· Loyola University - Chicago
· Loyola Marvmount University
· Marvmount Manhattan
· New York University
Northwestern
· University of Alabama
· University of California Irvine
· University of California Los Angeles
· University of Michigan
· University of Southern California
· The American Academy of Dramatic Arts
· The Atlantic Theatre Company
· TCU
· PACE
· Wagner
Testimonials
It is with much enthusiasm that we write this letter of recommendation for Amy Luskey Barth.
We first met Amy when our daughter transferred to Santa Margarita Catholic High School as a sophomore in the fall of 2012. What we did not know at that time is the extraordinary talent that Amy possesses for teaching and engaging her students, not only on topics related to the performing arts, but also general life lessons.
At the time, we also did not know (but we quickly learned) that Amy is an immensely creative, best-in-class director of high school theatre productions, having won over the years - and leading her students to win - far too many awards and accolades to mention. In this area, there is no one more capable than Amy, and we have had the privilege of seeing just what she can do with her students in spite of budget limitations and far-less-than-optimal facilities.
We later learned of her top-tier capabilities as it relates to mentoring and coaching students in their identification of appropriate university programs, as well as their application and preparation process. We saw Amy work diligently with our daughter to make sure that she was focused on the right programs, and then help her to formulate a plan, a schedule, and the appropriate audition materials to maximize her likelihood of admission. We truly believe that Amy’s mentoring and guidance was a key factor in our daughter’s acceptance to the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, which was her absolute top choice.
Amy is a true professional with an amazing work ethic and an ability to build rapport with both students and parents. Through her passion for theatre and education, she challenges her pupils to achieve their very best and ignites in them a long-term love of learning and the arts.
We will always be grateful for Amy’s dedication and selfless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of her life as a teacher, mentor and friend, and we cannot overstate the confidence we have in her abilities.
David and Clara Martinez
________________________
I am writing this tribute for my esteemed Colleague, admirée, and voice student, Amy Luskey-Barth.
I first met her somewhere around 1990. She had created the Tri-School Theatre Program which performed in the theater at Servite High School in Anaheim, California. She was directing WEST SIDE STORY when she first came on to my radar screen. Our voice pupil, Natalie Taormina, was performing the Maria role. I found her direction be very nuanced, detailed and just thoughtful. Natalie rocked it, too! Of the many subsequent shows of Amys at Tri-School were Carnival, the King and I and Pajama Game. The ring scene in the King and I proved to me how extraordinary her direction really was, but the surprise of a lifetime was how she turned Pajama Game into a philosophical tome! Who knew??? The clever, lightweight show suddenly had real legs! Among her terrific performers, whom she had asked me to train were Frankie Marrone, Laurie Nellesen and Alex Covington.
Not too much later, she retired, sort of. An idea occurred to me and I sensed an opportunity. I asked her to oversee and administer a start up theater group at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center whose own productions had gone dark— It was an amazing triumph where she succeeded in turning Our Town into a masterpiece instead of the usual tired academic exercise. While at the “Muck” she presented a one-woman cabaret which was the essence of what a cabaret should really be. Certainly autobiographical - but more artistic. She is a consummate actor, singer and Sondheim fan!. Kudos to then Muckenthaler Board President, Jane Parker, for seeing value in creating space for it, and to Katherine Scott for inheriting the program later from Amy and selling out Twelfth Night—but, this is Amy’s story…
Before I knew it, she had taken on a new project at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Among the many gifted students she asked me to train were, Kayla Hasler, Veronica Thompson, Mickey Galvin, Sam Drust, Sabrina Boyd, Andrea Martinez, Franky Belle, Hannah Baker, Hannah Loessberg, Katie Flores, Sarah Clarke and Sophie Pennell. It is a dizzying list. If you were to look at the winner’s lists for the Macy Awards, the Cappies, and the International Thespian Awards, you would be bowled over by the number and variety of the awards they earned under Amy’s tutelage.
I’ve made a consistent effort to accommodate some young talent in my studio over the years, generally less than 20%, but I must say, the slots were most frequently filled by Amy’s students, and what a joy they were. Her training in all aspects of theater; writing, acting, singing, dancing, costuming, scenic, lighting and sound design helped her students become a cut above and were really equal to any university student. Her recognition became huge as it should have been, both in the sacred and secular worlds. I was especially delighted to see Bishop Kevin Vann, who is a highly skilled keyboardist, take part in several of her shows, including Guys and Dolls. Boy, did Sky Masterson have a friend when he needed one!
Eric Futterer
FEE STRUCTURE
The college audition prep and mentorship process is highly individualized. Typically students begin in the early spring of their junior year in high school to prepare for the Pre-Screen Video audition process. Basic package is six 90 minute sessions: $1500.
TO REGISTER
CONTACT AMY LUSKEY-BARTH AT alb@theatreonpurpose.org
PLAYWRITING MENTORSHIP
Amy founded the California State Thespian Playworks project for aspiring young voices. The development of new works is one of her passions. It was through this process that Speak UP! was developed. Amy is particularly interested in issues-based plays that impact youth. Students interested in playwriting mentorship should send a writing sample (Does not have to be a play) to alb@theatreonpurpose.org