meet the ensemble.
JAIME SLAVINSKY
Founder & Artistic Director
Ms. Slavinsky has worked professionally as an actor, director, producer, and educator for the past 25 years in Pittsburgh and New York City and is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, and The American Alliance for Theatre & Education.
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Jaime's dynamic and accessible approach to actor training has helped hundreds of actors fall in love with the craft, build confidence in their technique, and finally get to say those magic words, "I got the part!"
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Ms. Slavinsky was the Founder & Artistic Director of Organic Theater Pittsburgh which debuted to critical acclaim with Sarah Ruhl's Dead Man's Cell Phone & was honored with "Best Debut of a New Company" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
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A graduate of The Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, Jaime went on to train with The Atlantic Acting School in New York City and London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She originated the roles of Emily Roebling - the first female engineer - in The Man in the Window at The Midtown International Theatre Festival in NYC and Lance Cpl. Jamie Hernandez in Tammy Ryan's Soldier's Heart at The Playhouse REP. Favorite regional credits include Corie Bratter in Barefoot in the Park with Pittsburgh Public Theater (Broadway World Regional Award BEST PLAY 2021); Sally Sue in Apple Says, Yes with Pittsburgh Playwrights (Best Actress Award); Sylphe, The Armless Wonder, in Swamp Baby with Phase 3 Productions (Supporting Actress of the Year Nomination - OutOnline), Joyce Carol Oats in Recent Tragic Events with Dogs in the Night (Post-Gazette Readers' Favorite Actress of the Year), and Jean in Dead Man's Cell Phone with Organic Theater for which the Post-Gazette named Jaime as one the Top Ten Lead Actresses in Pittsburgh.
With over 50 Film/TV credits, some favorites include: The Umbrella Man, Lightweight, Progression, One for the Money, and The Other Side of the River for PBS. Jaime also appears locally on-camera in commercials and on the radio in spots for companies such as Comcast, UPMC, Sears, Alcoa, Giant Eagle, Highmark, PA Lottery, and The Cleveland Clinic - for which she also served as Director and Screenwriter.
An adventurer at heart, Jaime enjoys travelling near and far with loved ones in search of good food, good tunes, good conversations, good laughs, and the goodness within each person one meets along the way.
“…to unpath’d waters, undream’d shores…” – Bill Shakespeare
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JUSTIN ZENO
Resident Director & Teaching Artist
Justin Zeno draws from a 20 plus year stage career as an actor, director, vocalist, playwright, artistic director, and producer informing both his instruction and coaching of the craft of acting. He is a proud member of both Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and has a B.A. in Theatre Arts with an Acting concentration from Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Arts.
Justin’s diverse professional acting experience includes performances with The Pittsburgh Opera in the chorus of Billy Budd, QMPI Productions as Caleb in The Spitfire Grill and Lehman Engel in A Class Act, the BALD theatre company as Gordon Michael Schwinn in A New Brain, The Theatre Factory as Trenton Corbett in Zombies from the Beyond and Noel Coward in Red, Hot, and Cole, The Pittsburgh Savoyards as Strephon in Iolanthe and Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, as well as many roles and productions with Jude Pohl Productions, South Park Theatre, and many other venues. He was fortunate enough to originate the dual role of Percy Shelley and Victor Frankenstein in the world premiere of Dr. Shirley Barasch’s Mary Shelley and Her Frankenstein where he can also be heard on the original cast recording.
Justin also has an impressive professional directing resume including Scarcity for Organic Theater Pittsburgh, The Burnt Part Boys for the BALD theatre company, The Sorcerer for The Pittsburgh Savoyards, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change for The Theatre Factory, Neil Simon’s FOOLS and Scotland Road for South Park Theatre, The Diary of Anne Frank and Children of Eden for Stage 62, as well as multiple children’s theater productions.
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As a graduate of The Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University, Justin studied with the most influential teacher of his career, the late and great Raymond Laine who mentored him in acting, voice and speech, script analysis, and advanced directing.
He is the Artistic Director and Founder of the BALD theatre company where he has produced critically acclaimed productions of William Finn’s Make Me A Song, A New Brain, and The Burnt Part Boys.
SHARON MCCUNE
Resident Director & Teaching Artist
Sharon McCune is beyond gobsmacked to be working alongside the Ensemble team on this grand adventure. She was most recently seen onstage in West Virginia University’s production of Right to Be Forgotten. A mainstay of Pittsburgh theater, having performed most recently in Jay Ball’s World Premiere adaptation of An Odyssey for Quantum; ZOOM productions of TJ Parker Young’s The Inseparables (a “loose” adaptation of Dumas’ classic The Three Musketeers) and Lysistrata with Pittsburgh Public Theater’s PlayTime series; Pittsburgh Public Theatre (*Artistic Director Marya Sea Kaminski’s all female cast of The Tempest as Caliban); Bricolage Production Company (with Jaime in Yinzer Scrooged and B.U.S.), The REP, and Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks as Brutus in Julius Caesar, and several productions with PICT Classic Theater, where she also served as their first Associate Producer and Curator of the inaugural Expand the Canon series.
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Regionally, Ms. McCune has worked with Barter Theater, Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati, First-Stage Milwaukee (*World Premiere of Burgess Clark’s adaptation of Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Hobbit), Phoenix Theater (*Twelfth Night directed by Sir John Barton), Stage One, New Harmony Theater, American Players Theater, Native Voices at the Autry, Academy for New Musical Theater, Theater Neo, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, where she is a co-founding company member.
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Her educational experience includes teaching ESL to students of all ages in China, a member of the Standardized Patient Program at the University of Pittsburgh, a member of Pittsburgh Public Theater’s Playwrights Collective, and an adjunct faculty member at Point Park University. She has a smattering of television/film credits including The Last Witch Hunter, Downward Dog, and the board game, SpyQuest. She also has toes dipped in the audiobook/narration world with titles found on Audible, Curio, and https://learningally.org.
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JASON RICHARD BENDER
Resident Filmmaker
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, aka Zombietown, Jason attended Point Park University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Film and Video Production. He also attended Pittsburgh Technical Institute, and received an Associates in Graphic Design. Since 2011, Jason has been involved in the independent film scene, having worked on 2 feature films and over 2 dozen short films. He was also involved in the Web Series ‘Live at Tree Lady Studios’, showcasing live recordings of local and domestic bands. His skill sets include Directing, Writing, Storyboarding, Sound and Camera operation, Photography, Lighting and Editing. He has also assisted other productions with storyboards and writing, in both a polish and full scripting process. When he is not working on film projects, he also works on independent comic book work and commissions.
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You can find Jason on Instagram @jasonrbender
Portfolio: scarfknight.wixsite.com/mindbender
LONNIE JAMES BOWMAN
Resident Screenwriter
Lonnie performed in several plays in elementary school and then promptly stopped acting with no further interest in creative work having science be the focus of his education. He expected to become an entomology major in college when the opportunity to audition for a speaking role in a film made in Pittsburgh led to a complete shift in career focus. He began his work in local theater, followed by full-time work as an actor in regional touring productions and independent films. He has taught acting for the camera and audition classes and has worked in film production and casting. Lonnie has since turned to screenwriting and has completed his own independent productions with a slate of projects in development. A man of many hats, Lonnie also has experience in finance and business administration with pastimes that include: history, entomology, vehicle repair, graphology, and the Argentine Tango.
CINDY JACKSON
Master Class Teaching Artist
Cindy is a SAG-AFTRA actor in the Greater Pittsburgh region. Cindy's recent film credits include: A Man Called Otto with Tom Hanks, Audrey's Children, The Deliverance, Paradise, and 12 Desperate Hours. She has recently appeared on television in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Swagger, Servant, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and has joined the cast for season four of For All Mankind as Holly "Sparks" Edmonson. She also has booked several commercials as well as having dozens more pins and avail checks for other projects.
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As the industry as a whole has pivoted to self-taping as the standard way to audition now, Cindy's goal is to help give actors the tools they need for self-taping to help them produce industry-standard self-tapes. Cindy's workshop helps actors be more competitive in all markets by not being intimidated by self-taping and empowering them be more comfortable and confident to book the job.
COREY MILLER
Master Class Teaching Artist
Mr. Miller is a graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. While in attendance, he earned a BA in Acting through the Pittsburgh Playhouse. He also attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio and earned a Master of Science in Education with a teaching certification in grades 7-12 Language Arts.
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Mr. Miller has worked professionally as an actor, special effects artist, filmmaker, mural artist, and prop designer for many years. Some of his accomplishments include working for Universal Studios, Florida as Shrek and also as Elwood Blues in The Blues Brother’s Show. He also traveled the United States as a celebrity impersonator for Bookit Talent Agency, Orlando. He has served as a freelance performer for many corporate events across the nation. Such companies include Pepsi, Dale Earnhardt Museum North Carolina, Carnegie Museum Pittsburgh, Opryland Orlando, Gateway Clipper Fleet Pittsburgh, Kennywood Theme Park, Bally Gaming Resorts, Gatorland, Capone’s Theater, The Dean Martin Festival, Ocean Club Cruises, The Kroger Company, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The House of Blues, and more! His most memorable moments have been playing The Grinch, The Cat in The Hat, and Santa Claus each Christmas.
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He would also like to note that he invented the sun… you’re welcome.
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CHRIS CLAVELLI
Resident Director & Teaching Artist
Chris Clavelli is an ensemble member and resident director of The Florida Repertory Theatre where he has directed/acted in over 35 productions. His direction of House of Blue Leaves at The Rep was honored with “The Best of 2017” by chief critic, Terry Teachout in The Wall Street Journal and he received a Best Director Award for his production of Time Stands Still at FRT. He has performed Off Broadway, regionally and on Film, TV and commercials. He is a recipient of a Carbonell for Best Actor and a Barrymore Award. His direction earned him an Alan Schneider directing nomination through Theatre Communications Group. He co-founded The Neighborhood Theatre for Kids and Brave New World Theatre in Brooklyn. The former served over 3 thousand children a year. He has taught acting, voice, classical acting skills, audition technique, solo performance and on-camera classes at NYU, CAP 21, Molloy College, The Actors Studio Drama School / Pace University/MFA program, AMDA, The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, Florida Gulf Coast University and The New World School of the Arts. His book, Notes From The Room, your guide to acting and the entertainment field, is being published this summer. This season he will direct Anything Helps( a new solo piece) in Pittsburgh, Morning After Grace at The Riverside, and A Comedy of Tenors and Oleanna at Florida Rep.
SCHMITTY STANISLAVSKY SLAVINSKY
Director of Puplick Relations
Originally from Houston, TX, Schmitty braved the long journey north to Pittsburgh in the summer of '21 to meet the girl of his dreams. He holds a B.A.R.K. in Communications from Good Boy University and is the President of the McKees Rocks Belly Rub Association. An avid film buff, some of Schmitty's favorite movies include: The Dogfather, The Pawshank Redemption, Gone with the Treats, It's a Wonderful Walk, When Schmitty Met Jaime, My Own Private Nylabone, The Secret Life of Walter Schmitty, Jurassic Bark, Bite Club, and Forrest Hump.