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Playhouse Northwest Acting School

Located in West Seattle - (206) 919-7407

Team Playhouse Northwest

Guest Instructor Kendall Wells


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Kendall Wells has been a student of Anthony De Longis since 2004,and taught his system since 2008. He is also an instructor of Shinkendo Japanese Swordsmanship, studying since 2007. Kendall is a professional actor, stunt performer, and fight coordinator. Credits include The Russo Brothers’ The Gray Man, HBO’s Our Flag Means Death, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Amazon’s Hunters, and more.

More info at
kendallwells.com

Filed Under: Bios

Guest Instructor Chad Hawthorne


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Chad Hawthorne

Chad Hawthorne is a film armorer, firearm safety coordinator, weapons coach, and certified firearms instructor. He spent many years training law enforcement, private agency contractors, and civilians alike in the safe use of weapons. Chad made the jump into teaching actors and stunt professionals the skills necessary to perform violence “safely†on screen in 2014.

That is when Chad co-founded On Set Arms – the premier film armorer, prop-weapon supplier, and combat technical advisor firm in the Pacific Northwest. Since that time, Chad has worked across the United States both behind and in front of the camera, performing, choreographing, and coordinating hand-to-hand, bladed, and armed combat sequences for film. As an armorer and firearms instructor, Chad routinely works with actors, screenwriters, directors, stunt coordinators, and stunt performers to safely design and realistically perform combat sequences on film in a variety of projects, spanning independent short films to nationally distributed feature films.

Filed Under: Bios

Instructor Lisa Skvarla


A group of people standing around in a room.Lisa’s two passions in life are acting and martial arts, and she has many special skills that align with her two life passions. She’s an executive producer, associate producer, acting teacher, self-defense instructor, fight performer, and an actress who enjoys doing her own stunt work.

Lisa received her degree in Television Production and Communications from Clarion University in Pennsylvania. She is a SAG/AFTRA actor and has appeared on numerous national television shows including “Northern Exposure,” “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” “Case Closed,” and the Discovery Channel’s “The Worst Thing that Ever Happened to Me.” Internationally Lisa appeared on the popular Japanese Television series “The World’s Astonishing News.” She has also appeared in numerous commercials, industrials, web series, and theater productions in the LA, Portland and Seattle Markets.

In 2013 Lisa founded Playhouse Northwest Acting School, which was a dream come true because she loves helping other artists to learn, grow, and prosper in their careers.

“This training has a tendency to not only improve careers but to improve lives. Meisner really is a super power. I invite you to come in and attend a class. Hope to see you soon!†— Lisa Skvarla

Her goal is to elevate acting in local communities across the region.  

In 2018 Lisa appeared in the award-winning feature film “Woodstock or Bust” with Willow Shields (from “Hunger Gamesâ€) and Meg DeLacy ( from “The Fostersâ€) that came out this past spring. She also appeared on the TV show “Wonderland Murders” that was released in February. In addition she is an actor and the executive producer of “Divine Shadows,†an award-winning web series that will be released this year.

Lisa is a 4th degree Master in Tae kwon do and was the proud owner of Lee’s Martial Arts for 15 years in West Seattle, Washington. For  three years Lisa  served as the chairwoman for the American Women’s Self-Defense Association and has taught self-defense and rape prevention courses to women and girls across the country.

Filed Under: Bios

Guest Instructor Bonnie Root


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Bonnie has worked steadily in the LA film and TV industry starring in over 50 major TV productions including Criminal Minds, Bones, Cold Case, CSI, Without A Trace, Justified, Pretty Little Liars, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods, and more. She will be in the Seattle area for a not-to-be-missed workshop on August 14 &15.

Read more about Bonnie: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740505/

Filed Under: Bios

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Playhouse Northwest Acting School – (206) 919-7407
Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
4408 Delridge Way SW
Seattle WA 98106

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