Testimonials

"I wouldn't have had the confidence to move to LA..."

After a decade of acting classes in Florida and New York City, I finally found a class as a firm foundation to grow upon - not only as an actor but as a human being. Without Jo's guidance, teaching and passion, I would not have had the confidence to move out here to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of being a successful actor.

- Patrick Barry, Actor

"Working with Joanna has been tremendous."

Joanna's focus is on cutting through the layers of fluff and getting to your genuine impulses. Working with Joanna has been tremendous for my work and in my relationships with others - and with myself. Joanna expects nothing but the truth.

- Whitney Johns, Actor / Model

Dwight Cenac’s Acting Without Agony class was exactly what I was looking for to help take my acting skills to the next level! The AWA technique is a brilliant alternative to the Methods. The classes and private one-on-ones were always fun, informative, and exciting. I would highly recommend this class to both beginning and professional actors.

-Monica Brown, Acting Student

"Joanna  is an amazingly  talented acting teacher . Her insight, passion and integrity is inspiring and made me remember how much I love acting, rehearsing and being pushed. Instead of just putting up a performance in class, you really feel you are stretching and growing. I would recommend her to any actor out there that is looking for a teacher to help them out with their careers."

-Dana Tartau

"I had an awesome experience in the Young Performer's Class.  Mrs. Bennett was the best teacher.  I learned so much about acting from the games and techniques she taught us.  The improv games were  a lot of fun and I really enjoyed acting out scenes with the other kids.  We really learned to be creative and use our imagination in the class."

-Sarah Collins

2012 TPA Acting Academy Instructors

Joanna C Horton, Director

Joanna's approach is each person is a talented genius who needs to learn to get out of their own way. She focuses on the craft of acting and the personal connection to the work. In 2009, Joanna started the ASOSA Actors Studio currently in its 9th season. She inspires students to develop personal awareness that carries into their everyday lives, and her students consistently book local film, TV and theatre roles.

Lisa Clarson

Lisa Clarson has danced, acted, choreographed and directed professionally in Las Vegas, Reno, L.A., N.Y., Tokyo, the Bahamas, Montreal, Toronto, and many other cities on tour. She danced on the Emmys, the Oscars, the Merv Griffin Show, The Texaco Theatre Special, as well as music videos.

Dwight Cenac

Dwight Cenac is the owner and manager of Crown Studios, his films have found international and domestic distribution. A proud sponsor of the annual Jacksonville 48 Hour Project, Dwight has devoted his business and craft to growing film and talent up from the local community.

Click for more info on Crown Studios.

Karen Overstreet

Karen is one of the founding members of ASOSA. She recently completed her training in the Meisner technique with Joanna C Horton and joined the studio as an instructor.

Karen has been acting her whole life. She has appeared on stage in Ohio, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Some of her most notable roles include Charlotte in Night of the Iguana, Annelle in Steel Magnolias, Sooze in SubUrbia, Aunt Gert in Lost in Yonkers, Elaine in Arsenic and Old Lace, and last season at The Limelight Theatre Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. She is a current member of the Murder Mystery Players of Jacksonville. She has also spent a lot of time behind the scenes working as a stage manager and other technical positions for numerous plays and musicals.

In addition to her stage work, Karen is has appeared in many films projects produced throughout Florida. Her current projects include the feature length thriller, Girl of My Dreams and lead roles in the short film, The Test about what it is that makes us fall in love and the short film, Release about a woman recovering from the death of her husband.

Karen holds a Master's Degree in Biology and has a real-life role as a molecular biologist (no kidding!).

Matthew Kirkland

Matthew has a background in the arts and performance. His passions include illustration, music and communications which he has pursued for several years before discovering Joanna C Horton and the ASOSA Actors Studio. He has since taken on an active role in the local community, contributing to various local projects such as the local web series, Big Break and films including Lifting Spirits and Brother's Keeper. A Georgia native, Matthew has lived in various parts of the south until he recently found his home in Saint Augustine and in ASOSA Actors Studio. He continues to participate in and support all forms of the arts.

Katie Bennett

Born and raised in Hampshire, England, and completed a degree in Musical Theatre and gained (Full) British Actors Equity while performing in Cabaret. As a child she had always danced and performed growing a love of Theatre and the Arts.

Katie started an after school Drama Club at San Jose Episcopal Day School (2002) where Ben, her son was in fourth grade. This was all it took to rekindle the 'Theatre Bug' and very soon Katie knew she had found her passion again and the love of teaching and sharing her knowledge of Theatre Arts and Drama.

"The working of God in human history is a Drama, the great Drama of Salvation."

Scott Peeler

Scott Peeler is a Jacksonville native with roots in the Northeast Florida area that go back over a century. Despite a lifelong interest in movies and acting, he only began studying the craft of acting four years ago. Before then, he concentrated his energies on becoming a writer while earning a degree in English from Jacksonville University. Ironically, it was his desire to reignite his passion for writing that motivated him to enroll in his earliest acting classes. Soon, however, he realized that the desire to act had always been with him but, he had ignored it. After discovering this long suppressed love, he appeared in several local productions of plays written by the likes of Frederic Knott, Henrik Ibsen, and Arthur Miller. Appearing in these plays only made him want to study acting more. He wanted to find a place where there was an ongoing class structure and a nurturing sense of community. This is how he discovered a small, Meisner Technique based class in St. Augustine that was taught by Joanna C Horton. Eventually, the class would find its way back to his hometown of Jacksonville where it would become Horton Actors Studio. During the time that Scott has been a member of Horton Actors Studio he has found inside of him a level of acting ability he never thought possible.

 Brian Alexander

Brian Alexander is a working actor with over 20 years of experience in the professional acting and modeling industry.  He has performed throughout the United States beginning with Orlando Theatre Project, producer's of the Orlando Fringe Festival, and most recently with Denver's Dangerous Theatre.  He toured with Cosmic Fugue in the Mediterranean.  Brian studied Acting with Russ Blackwell at Zoe & Co. Studios in Orlando, Florida, and studied improvisation with Ricci Mann and Raymond Victorio at Winter Park Arts. As a model Brian was represented by Powers Model Management and modeled for clients including Guess and Ralph Lauren.