Gene Bua * Acting For Life Theatre

We here at Gene Bua Acting For Life are very proud of our many students and alumni who are working in professional theatre, television and feature films.
We want to let you know
who they are
and what they are achieving.

CHANDRA GERSIN completed her third film using AFL actors in all 3. She's editing now and we can't wait to see it!

TONI & GENE wrote the script for MoHo's
"GOTTA BE ME" music video staring Neenah Taylor, and AFL's AMANDA LYNN, SASHA CARTER, PAUL CAROUL, JOSH HERSHFIELD and MELINDA DESCHEENE. The Bua's were also the on-set coaches.

BOYUEN has been working nonstop, in the remake of "RED DAWN" and Fox's "GOOD GUYS"

The Bua's wrote the main song "MY CHRISTMAS DREAM" for the fabulous family feature, THE DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS staring alumni MARIO LOPEZ!!!! Here is Toni and Producer/Artist BRANDON JARRETT at the premiere. Their song is the climax of the picture.

FROM TONI 12/3/09:
"The Dog Who Saved Christmas" has been rated number one Christmas film by Disney/Neilson ratings this morning! Our song "My Christmas Dream" is in center of film (musically) and the whole song with my lyrics is over end credits. So thrilled for Mike and Caia and Coley- and for my brilliant team Brandon Gene Danny and... me! Great way to start the holidays. DVD is out on Dec 8. Its a great Christmas film- Good job everyone!!!! xoxoxoxoxox

Gene and Toni with writer producer director CHANDRA GERSON at the screening of her film "Impaired Innocence" oxoxoxoxo

Photo by Carrie Cavalier

CHANDRA'S film '"IMPAIRED INNOCENCE" starring 5 of our AFL amazing actors, has been chosen by the NY International Film Fest to be shown- here is the info: See you there!!! Also so proud to announce CHANDRA GERSON has written and is producing and directing film "IMPAIRED INNOCENCE" and has plucked her stars right out of GENE BUA ACTING FOR LIFE. Congrats to ELIZA SWORDS, PAUL CAROUL, ENRIQUE ALMEIDI, CLAUDIA COX, and DYLAN YOUNG!

http://www.kitnkatproductions.com

RAGAN O'REILLY (student extraordinaire & exec. producer of dvd/cd "BABIES ARE BLISS") Toni & Gene, who wrote the score- along with our partners BRANDON JARRETT (producer) and DANIEL ALEXANDER (arrangements). Celebration took place at Ragan's castle at Redondo Beach. Stayed the weekend and it was awesome! Her team and our team together makes for Joy Faith and BLISS!!!!

Our dear friends Talbot and Richard Fulvio will be highly awarded tonight at the New York International Film Festival, for their feature "Still the Drums." Also tonight, making her film debut, our student- Director writer producer Chandra Gersson and her AFL stars Eliza Swords, Claudia Cox, Dyllan Thomas, Paul Caroul, and Enrique Almeidi will celebrate "Impaired Innocence." Gene and I are so very proud of all of the artists.

CHASE MATTHEWS film "From Silence to Sound" just won 'Most Inspirational" documentary at the NY International Film Festival!!! We are so proud of Chase in every way!!!

RYAN CHRISTIANSON in Robert Rodriguez feature "Machete" with Jessica Alba!

ELE KEATS on CSI NY!!!! Congrats wonderful Ele!!!

MAYA WATERMAN at the 3rd Annual Cinema City International Film Festival - Day 1 at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on September 10, 2009 in Century City, California.

Amaazing and beloved LINDA DeMETRICK just booked wonderful role on "HOUSE".

"Toni and Gene-You rock my world! I loved being with you in class today. You leave such a space for freedom, love, and openness-it is a delight to play creatively in your arena!!!! Much love and thanks for my birthday wishes and fairy!!! I absolutely feel full of life. :) xoxoxo KAREN PELLANT

Look what our kid RILEY WESTON is up to now!!!

BILLY SALSBERG wrote on our Facebook page: "Love you guys, Toni, tell Gene all always love him, he helped me become the man I am today."

PETER PERGELIDES says he was honored to work at GENE BUA AFL's MasterClass.
"Watching Gene with strength and vitality work with these truly talented actors was inspiring and moving.
Thank you Gene & Toni for breakfast and a rousing & empowering class.
I am once again r...eminded that 'Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love'." IT WAS GREAT HAVING HIM BACK!!

Thrilled talented actor CHRISTINA RIVERS has returned to AFL after 2 years away.

PAUL BEN VICTOR wonderful in starring role on "In Plain Sight" AND just got married!!

ARI WELCOM stars as gorgeous vampire in feature RAVEN" premiering this month!!!!

One of our favorite students, friend, and star of SECOND WIND the musical," TIMBO, is filming indi "Hollywood Motorcycles" and is booked all year as one of L.A.'s hottest DJ's!!! Go Timbo you wildman you!!!!!

Wonderful actor and friend BOYUEN has finally booked the lead in Indi Western "Heaven & Thieves" about an Asian man and his wife, in the old west, who inherit a ranch with a gold mine! Gene comments: "Its about time"!

WINNERS!!!! At our own Little Prince NINO SIMON's 2009 Beverly Hills Film Festival: CAIA COLEY "best Actress" Michael Feifer "Best Director, Antonio Babato Jr. "Best Actor' in Michael Feifer's "Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas". ELIZA SWORDS & DARYL BRYAN were great in it, too! WOW!!!!!

JOSH HEISHFIELD got lead in short "OH BOY!"

CONGRATULATIONS TO SWEET BRAD PITT for his Oscar nomination in "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button".

CLAUDIA MARTINO has major supporting role in feature "He's Just Not That Into You". Go Martini!!!

Our amazing students and stars AMANDA LYNNE, PAUL NAKAUCHI and CHASE MATTHEWS will be teaching ACTING, SINGING and STAND UP at the fabulous ART SHARE OF L.A., the charity that our HERE'S TO LIFE FOUNDATION granted last year, and will again in 2009!!!!!

TRACEY BREGMAN with Will Smith at the opening of 7 POUNDS.

We are so proud of the work director MICHAEL GOORJIAN has done with Dr. Wayne Dyer's new movie "Ambition to Meaning: Finding Your Life's Purpose". It is so much like the work we do in class and blows your mind- and inspiration! Wow, Congratulations, Michael and cast!

Beautiful young ABBY COOPER has booked "Life" "Without A Trace" and Fox's 'Dollhouse"... she just emailed us: "How grateful I am for the presence you both have in my life. From the family at the studio, not only did I learn the basis of acting, but also how to apply spiritual connection to all that I do"

Incredible ANITA VASAN starred as Eponine in the Northern Stage's production of Les Miserables in Vermont, along with many members of the Broadway production. She hopes to do the same when she joins the cast in Houston Under The Stars later this year. See her sing at... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zmzc7qrqs

JORDAN FULLER plays Christian Slater as a teen on "My Own Worst Enemy"

ELIZA SWORDS and DARRELL BRYAN just landed parts Lionsgate Feature "Drifter Henry Lee Lucas". Eliza plays the killer's sister. Daryl also booked a nice role on "Criminal Minds"

UPDATE: ENRIQUE ALMEIDA'S emotional feature "25 TO LIFE" was just released at Block Buster, and on Amazon.

JAY CAPUTO has only been with us a semester but has booked nice part on "The Eleventh Hour"!

PAMELA CLAY MAGATHAN is working non-stop. She's filming indi "Fading of the Cries" by producer THOMAS IAN NICOLAS, another Bua alumni.

Handsome new student HUNTER FITE Just shot an HBO pilot called "TRADERS"- hope it's a go!

Our wonderful CHANDRA GERSON nailed the female lead in indie "Trail of Tears' shooting now in LA!

Writer RILEY WESTON's feature The Nannie express" is now shooting- starring Vanessa Marcel ("Las Vegas") and Dean Stockwell... and Hallmark has just hired Riley to write another one- Congrats!!

One of our favorite students, SYLVETTE ORTIZ, has become the spokesperson for a Global Public Service announcement for Water Conservation, and has an Emmy winning production team behind her!"SLY" also just booked lead in a pilot 'Elite Bounty Agents" where she plays an x CIA agent turned bounty hunter!

Gene coached the very talented THOMMIE RETTER forBroadway musical 'BILLY ELLIOT' and he nailed it! He is now appearing at the Imperial Theater as Mr. Braithwaite. Congrats!!

CONGRATULATIONS TRACEY BREGMAN on her EMMY NOMINATION for Best Supporting Actress on Y & R!!! Also, our project WHEN I DREAM is ready for show and Tracey will be taking it to New York!

Brilliant director/producer/actor PENNY L. MOORE has yet another incredible hit at her charming Actor's Group Theatre in No Ho. It's a 'metaphysical farce' called Fortinbra's, staring our own DARRELL BRYAN who also composed the haunting music for the show. By the way, Penny was awarded one of the '100 most interesting people in LA! So proud!

ERIC PIERPONT wonderful and so natural as troubled bull riding cowboy on CSI Crime scene Investigation.

AMY DAVIDSON is staring in Lifetime (LMN) mini-series 'THE CAPTURE OF THE GREEN RIVER KILLER" Sweet caring and talented Amy got so involved with her part that she is now a volunteer with CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, which Gene and I sponsored with our musicals "Pepper Street" and "Second Wind"!

Our wonderful RACHEL KEMPEL landed the female lead in Michael Feifer and Caia Coley's new LION'S GATE feature: "The Boston Strangler, the Untold Story." Also winning parts in the film are LINDA DeMETRICK, CLAUDIA DiMARTINO and LUANN PONCI! Keep um coming!!!!

LENA BARAN'S intense feature "TRADE" has just been released, starting Kevin Klein.

Upcoming star-to-be RYAN CHRISTIANSEN just played a INS guy on Guiding Light, and also is filming feature "Proud American' Produced and directed by Fred Ashton, to be released on IMAX! Check out his reel online at http://lacasting.com/ryanchristiansen

Writer, director, producer CHASE MATTHEWS has won The Everglades International Film Festival for his amazing documentary "From Silence To Sound". Chase is also one of the staring voices in the score of The Bua's and Tracey Bregman's new project "When I Dream"

Amazing actress/director PENNY MOORE has a pivotal role in Ron Howard's new feature "Frost/Nixon" as well as her beloved dachshund, Peyton. The film stars Kevin Bacon, and Frank Langella as Nixon.

CONGRATS TO CLAUDIA DE MARTINO in our DREW BARRYMORE'S new feature "He's Not into You" for Flower Pictures and New Line Cinema.

Pretty waif TARA SCHAYNE received terrific news from her agent during Wed. Morning class: The new musical she stars in, "Stand Through The Eyes Of A Child"- making it's way to the Kodak theatre in Early Fall- will be turned into a feature- staring- Tara!!! Hurray go get um Tara!!!

Amazing ZOE CASSAVETES has huge success with her first feature "Broken English" staring Parker Posey and Zoe's Goddess Mom, Gena Rolands. We are so proud of writer, director, Zoe!

Ditto for intense young actor ROB FABIANI and his film visit www.blurpointfilms.com

7 BUA Actors land Lion's Gate Feature!
"THE CHICAGO MASSACRE- THE RICHARD SPECK STORY" Won AUDIENCE FAVORITE and BEST PRODUCER, Michael Phiefer, at THE BEVERLY HILLS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL run by NINO SIMON. Congratulations to our fabulous 7 students in the feature, to Nino, and to Michael and his partner wife, CAIA COLEY. Gene and I were at the grand opening and the film is absolutely excellent, and our students were brilliant! And Keep your eye on Michael Pheifer, he's a topnotch writer, director, producer.
Now joining JOE TONG in the Lion's Gate feature "RICHARD SPECK" are other Wed. Morning Gene Bua students , KELSEY McCANN, ELIZA SWORDS and JEANINE DEL CARLO- all in awesomely emotional and challenging roles. We are thrilled. Caia Coley just emailed me saying "I can't tell you how pleased I am to be able to cast so many parts in this feature out of Acting For Life. I know the actors in Gene and your classes are committed and amazing- and working diligently on their craft." Caia's company is at www.castingHomePage.com. Add on RYAN CHRISTIANSON, MICHAEL BRENNAN, and NINO SIMON- as Richard Speck's rotten step-dad!!! Add on to the cast beautiful former star of NY City Ballet CAMEO MARTINE as the feisty reporter. Wow- Congrats to all!

Sweetheart ANTHONY KEDIS and his RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS were awesome on the 2007 Grammys- congrats for winning Best Rock Album of the year!

Pretty ROBIN MYRIAH HATCHER hosted the Magic Castle chapter on "IN LA" ON NBC.

MEGAN BLAKE just landed a wonderful role in feature "Stallion Hearts" starring Mickey Rooney!

The publisher of THE SECRET has just signed on glorious MICHELE KAREN for her next astrology book.

Bombastic wild and wonderful actor STEVE GARREN will play bigtime manager and player Connie Mack in "THE DUMMY HOY STORY" about the first deaf major league baseball player.

WHEN BRAD PITT AND JILL SCHOELEN WERE IN GENE'S CLASS TOGETHER.

FROM TONI:
This is the first time I'm sharing something that actually went on in Friday's advanced class. Gene and I have always kept the work private and near sacred- but this work can't be denied, and more and more performances are living up to this quality. Actors Andrea Piewitz and Claudia Del Martino did a new piece by Maya Machado called "Joy Ride"- As always, in a cold reading, they only read the scene one time. It's a panicked mother, picking up her drugged out daughter and trying to bring her home safe. The emotional impact and concert between them was so real and so riveting that the whole class and even Gene and myself were almost scared by the danger and truth of this Academy Award winning "Joy Ride" When they crashed and died in the end, we were speechless. And then came the standing O! Kudos to Andrea and Claudia and new class writer, Maya! Wow.

Our dear friend and alumni MEGAN BLAKE Blake is hosting "Animal Attractions" on PBS and also writing and producing several of the segments. She is also filming the lead in sci fi thriller 'EYE BORGS"

CAIA COLEY got hand picked by Al Pacino himself, in a film starring and directed by him called "Salomaybe". Caia plays Herodias in the desert sequence. Wow!!!!

ARI WELKOM lead in Indi feature "Les-Be-Friends".

Fabulous ANITA VASAN who we call 'our Indian-Spirit-daughter' plays the voice of "Fatima" in the movie/musical short film "West Bank Story" which
has been nominated for an Academy Award! Fatima is the Palestinian girl who falls in love with an Israeli boy. Anita also just completed the new Gypsy Kings musical "Zorro" in NY and is currently starring in "Eva Del
Barrio"...

Director-writer David Martin Parras, who just completed his film "The Breakfast" starring two time Tony Best Actress Sherry Jones, and our own MAYA WATERMAN. He came to Fridays advance class and hand picked RYAN CHRISTIANSON to star in his new project "The Couple."

Congratulations to JEANINE DEL CARLO, CHRISTINA RIVERS & KELSIE McCANN, RAGAN O'REILLY & DYLAN THOMAS all have wonderful parts in Michael Fieifer's new feature "Dear Me!"

Fabulous KERRIE KEANE who's a great teacher in her own right, just filmed a juicy role in 'Criminal Minds' where she plays Shemar Moore's mom and now a recurring role in 'Shark.' She plays an attorney with three mixed children! Gene and I can't wait to watch...

Our dear friend BOYUEN filmed "How I Met my Mother" right after he completely his National Bud Light commercial!

MICHAEL FEIFER has written & directed "Dracula's Guest" written and directed by Michael. He cast our beautiful KELSIE McCANN in the lead female role, RYAN CHRISTIANSON as Bram Stoker's best friend, and MAYA WATERMAN as the wild and weird French shanty woman.

STEVEN 'Aspen' WEIGAND played the lead role in indie "Victim" produced by Mark Williams and directed by Matt Eskandari. This is an extremely intricate part, playing both a man- and a woman... immediately! Gene coached him before class, and Steven dressed for the woman part. He addressed class in character and totally freaked everyone out!

AMANDA LYNNE completed "Cops Unleashed" with director/producer Edwin Cabellero.

VINCENT OSHANA on Showtime's "UnderGround" produced by and starring Damon Wayans. Vincent is also one of the writers.

Beautiful LAINIE LARK shot TV show "Art of Betrayal" with Tatum O'Neal, and hosted the International Press Awards.

Besides her international Lexus commercial running like crazy, MAYA WATERMAN has nailed the part of two time Tony winning actress Cherry Jones' mom in the film "Breakfast"... CLAUDIO DEL MARTINO, as an evil queen in film "Harmony"!

ELE KEATS starred in "The Key" chapter of CBS's "Cold Case" in an extremely emotional role. She told us "As I was filming I kept hearing Gene's voice in my head: "Breathe Ele... just let go, Ele" ... I did and everyone was so happy when we rapped."

RICK FITTS wonderful as coroner on "Desperate Housewives!"

ADAM RIPP co-wrote and directed MTV's new thriller in development Darius". Adam co-write and directed Beacon feature "Scavenger" and Lion's Gate's "Gang Tapes. Go 'Wild-Boy'!

Beautiful and oh-so-talented in both drama and comedy, RAGAN O'REILLY brought daughter SKY into the world after 56 hours of natural labor. Yes, you read right. After a dramatic entrance, all is well and wonderful with the newborn showstopper!

ADAM BARR did a brilliant job writing the 9/25 episode of "The New Adventures of Old Christine"... we still do Adam's scenes that he created for class as a young writer many years ago and he is writing and directing a yet unnamed feature for Beacon Pictures, Bruce Willis' Production company!

Our Pepper Street and Second Wind star, writer, actor, singer, RILEY WESTON (www.rileyweston.com) has hit it big with her first novel "Before i Go". The book has just been chosen for a November Booksense pick, a very big honor. Watch this story quickly turn into a major feature. Just the beginning for Riley.

before i go has been chosen as a 2007 Independent Publisher Book Awards Outstanding Book of the Year award recipient!

Story Teller of the Year (Gold): Riley Weston, author of Before I Go

CIERA ALEN is starred in yet another Ind. feature being filmed here in LA by Wedgie Productions. It's a comedy called "Naked Run" and she plays a beautiful congress woman fresh out of school. If that's not enough Ciera is the art expert each weekend on Direct TV on the "Fine Art Treasure" program. Gene told her several months ago she was going to start working like crazy. Go Ciera!!! UPDATE: Add on another great part for AMANDA LYNN just joining Ciera in "NAKED RUN".

Our darling CARLA GUGINO can currently be seen in RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN..

TO CONTACT GENE OR TONI BY