Many of Fred’s students have gone on to impressive careers on the Broadway stage and in film and television.
Isabela Moner (Merced)
I had the privilege of working with Fred in the show of Les Miz in the Summer of 2011 just before I headed to New York City. Working under his direction was the top of my Musical Theatre training in Cleveland. Everything that I knew and learned before training with Fred was perfected and mastered before I went forth. I have since worked with many Broadway directors, and everything that Fred taught me correlated well with what I have learned here in NY. Fred believes in you and he always knows how to bring the best out of you. Thanks for your dedication to developing young artists and helping them reach their Broadway dreams!
Isabela’s extensive credits include Evita on Broadway. On film, she was Dora in Dora and the The Lost City of Gold, Izabella in Transformers: The Last Knight, Isabel in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, among others. On television, she played the lead role of CJ Martin in the Nickelodeon series 100 Things to Do Before High School.
HalIe Morse
There are few educational theatre programs really dedicated to teaching youth the “real deal” and preparing them for what may lie ahead. I’ve done many day camp programs, none offer the acting training that Fred’s FPAC does. The professional atmosphere alone sets the conservatory apart from others.
Halle appeared on Broadway in Mamma Mia!, on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, and more! Halle trained in the inaugural year of FPAC’s training program.
Sean Gregory (Grandillo)
Fred changed my life at FPAC. At a stage when I had minimal theatrical experience, Fred saw potential in me and helped me see it for myself. I still hear certain tidbits in my head from rehearsal processes with Fred during preparation and professional work. I can confidently and proudly say today that I am a working actor in large part thanks to my crossing paths with Fred, and I’m thankful and lucky to have grown up and been embraced by such an enthusiastic youth theater community in Northeast Ohio.
Sean Grandillo appeared on Broadway in the Deaf West revival of Spring Awakening and is currently playing Curly in the National Tour of Oklahoma!. Some of Sean’s numerous television and film credits include Scream, The Real O’Neals, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, The OA, and Condor.He spent his two final years of high school (2010-2011) at FPAC, performing in Children of Eden, Pride and Prejudice, Les Miserables, and Big the Musical.
Dan Hoy
Fred creates an engaging and fulfilling environment for young artists to discover and hone their craft. The training through FPAC was top-tier and created a strong artistic foundation upon which I built my career. Thanks to Fred’s trust and guidance, I discovered a love for the art of acting and developed the tools to excel at the highest levels of the industry.
Dan Hoy recently appeared in the Broadway tour of the revival of Cats and Off-Broadway in Between the Lines. FPAC credits include Eat: It’s Not About Food, Thirteen, the Musical, The Music Man, Pippin, Children of Eden and Big, the Musical
Daniel Evan Sovich
FPAC was a phenomenal way to get my start as an actor in some really great productions. The heart and soul that Fred and his team put into each production, as well as their summer classes, is top notch. If you are from the greater Cleveland area, I don’t know of a better place to get the ball rolling.
Daniel Sovich’s notable acting credits include guest star roles on CBS shows such as The Code and Blue Bloods, and the upcoming Broadway production of Almost Famous. An actor and musician, he runs the band DISCOFOX out of Nashville, TN, which has songs out on all streaming platforms. FPAC credits include Thirteen, the Musical and Children of Eden.
Anne Markt
I’m very grateful to have grown up in such a wonderful community with great theatrical opportunities like FPAC. The training I received at a young age helped prepare me for college training, and now the real world of NYC. I feel blessed to have worked with so many professionals and talented students throughout the Cleveland area. They have all helped me get where I am today.
Anne recently appeared in the Broadway tour of Hairand Off-Broadway as standby for Luisa and The Mute in The Fantasticks. Anne appeared as Bet in Oliver and as an Ensemble Member in Ragtime, the Musical under Fred Sternfeld’s direction. She also trained for multiple summers at FPAC.
Hillary Elk
Fred Sternfeld has always been such an incredible mentor and director. Through FPAC, he has helped me cultivate my craft as a young actor and has always been so supportive throughout my career. He is such a smart director and really creates such a safe space for young actors to grow. I have him to thank for believing in me and helping me become the actor I am today.
Hillary Elk appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Memphis, the Musical. Hillary trained in the inaugural year of FPAC’S training program.
Calista Zajac
I first had the pleasure of working with Fred Sternfeld through HBTI where I took a variety of classes and played Little Red in Into the Woods. I was extremely influenced by Fred’s direction and can credit many of my current abilities to him. Fred taught me how to dive into the intentions of a character and to think deeply into a story. Working with Fred Sternfeld shaped me as an actress and helped me to develop strong techniques from a young age that will surely help me as I continue pursuing a career in theatre.
Calista Zajac has competed in the Cleveland area, winning Shining Star CLE in 2021, and was nominated twice for best actress in the annual Dazzle Awards. Favorite roles include Sophia in Dance Nation and Iris in The Nether (Dobama Theatre), Winnie Foster in Tuck Everlasting (French Creek Theatre), Tina Denmark in Ruthless (Beck Center for the Arts), and Young Cosette in Les Misérables (Great Lakes Theater). She has also appeared at Feinstein’s 54 Below (NYC) in Broadway Kidz Backwards and Starbound Kidz Sing Godspell. She appeared as Little Red in HBTI’s production of Into the Woods.
Betsy Hogg
The level of professionalism and talent that Fred Sternfeld inspires in young performers is incredible. At the age of thirteen, I had the great pleasure of performing in The Bad Seed and The Sound of Music under Fred’s direction. That year I was cast in The Crucible, my first Broadway show. More than ten years later, I am lucky enough to be working on Broadway again in Peter and the Starcatcher, and I still count my experiences with Fred as some of the most valuable learning opportunities I’ve had.
Betsy has appeared on Broadway in The Crucible, Peter and the Starcatcher, Fiddler On the Roof, Off Broadway in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and on TV in shows like Law and Order: SVU. Betsy appeared as Rhoda in The Bad Seed and Brigitta in The Sound of Music under Fred’s direction.
Tuck Sweeney
As a young actor, I studied with Fred at his FPAC program in 2011 and was lucky to work with him on several productions. Fred Sternfeld is the premier theatrical director/educator in the greater Cleveland area. His teachings on professionalism, communication, and craft are, a decade later, tenets in my career as a film and stage actor. I’ll always be grateful to Fred for helping me plant artistic seeds that are still growing today. Cleveland’s rich theatre scene and its wealth of young developing talent owe a great deal to Fred and his teaching. Thanks Fred!
Tuck Sweeney received a BFA in Musical Theatre at the University of Michigan. Theatre: the National Tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at The New Theatre. TV: Law & Order SVU, Dickinson.. Film: Chasing the Goat, Deserters. Tuck appeared in Les Miserables: School Edition and Big, the Musical at FPAC.
Lauryn Alexandria Hobbs
Fred’s FPAC played the most integral part in my education as a young actor. The lessons and skills I learned there have stuck with me through college and beyond. I am so grateful for the training and connections I created there which successfully prepared me for college auditions and undergraduate training. I cannot recommend Fred’s training enough to any young actor looking to pursue this field seriously.
Lauryn graduated from the University of Michigan’s BFA MT class of 2020 and is now a working actor in NYC. Most recently she was seen in Life After at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Awards: US Presidential Scholar in the arts & Congressional Black Caucus performing arts award performing for Obama & Hilary Clinton. She worked with Fred at FPAC, HBTI and other theatres on productions such as: A Chorus Line (Morales), The King and I (Tuptim), Les Miserables: Student Edition (Ensemble), West Side Story (Shark Girl) and many more.
Matthew Gittins
I have had the pleasure of getting to work with Fred since 2014 in the training and productions at HBTI and Death of a Salesman(Happy) at French Creek. I owe so much of who I am as an artist to his teachings and work ethic. Fred is someone who is generous, kind, and so devoted to the craft. Naturally, anyone with that kind of dedication is someone artists look up to and because of that he has also become a professional and artistic role model for me – providing me with thoughtful opinions and challenging my impulses so that I can continue to stretch and grow. Without his leadership and the faculties work at HBTI, I am convinced I wouldn’t be half the artist I am today, and I am thankful to him and everyone at HBTI for all they have done for me.
Matt Gittins’ credits include the World Premieres of Light It Up at The Cleveland Play House and Heartbreakers in Hell at Rubber City Shakespeare, and the Regional Premieres of Newsies (Jack) at Porthouse Theater and The Legend of Georgia McBride at the Beck Center. Matt appeared as Mike in A Chorus Line, Mark in Rent: School Edition and the Prince/Wolf in Into the Woods at HBTI under Fred’s direction.
Tia Karaplis
I cannot thank Fred enough for the tools he gave me to begin my career as an artist. He helped give me (and so many others) the foundation to further my education in musical theatre and feel confident moving to NYC and pursuing a career on Broadway. He always fostered a supportive, judgment free environment. I often think back on the wonderful experiences I had with him, and still keep in touch with many of the other actors he’s impacted!
Tia was last seen as Ariel Moore in The Argyle Theatre’s production of Footloose. Last summer she had the pleasure of bringing Douglas Carter Beane’s reworked revival of Babes in Arms to life at The Forestburgh Playhouse as well as singing the role of Zerlina on the Original Cast Album of Mozart’s Don Giovanni: A Rock Opera. During her FPAC days she appeared in many shows including: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Children of Eden, Peter Pan, Oliver, and Big. Other favorite FPAC credits include Cosette in Les Miserables, the Cat in Honk, and a Swing in Thirteen!
Hannah DelMonte
Fred is incredibly encouraging to young performers in the arts. He is supportive and patient, and most importantly professional. Fred helped to ignite my passion for live performance at a young age, and I am grateful to have had such a positive experience to look back on.
Hannah performed in the Broadway revival and national tour of Fiddler On The Roof. She appeared as Chava in Fiddler on the Roof under Fred Sternfeld’s direction at Cain Park. She was also an instructor during FPAC’s inaugural year.
Kelly Pekar
I had the privilege of training at FPAC in 2004. It was an invaluable experience that gave me a toolbox of technique that proved valuable in my college training, and continues to serve me in my career today. FPAC offers excellent training in a supportive, playful, positive environment that nurtures talent and invites each student to discover their full potential.
Kelly has an impressive resume that includes film, TV, New York stage and national tours. Kelly appeared in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as the Enchantress and a Silly Girl under Fred’s direction, as well as attending the training during FPAC’s inaugural year.
Jessica Hirsh
I did eleven shows with FPAC/HBTI from 2011-2016. What kept me coming back to do more and more shows and classes was the undeniable caliber of training – which I still brag about to this day! Fred treats all of his actors, regardless of age or experience, like professionals. In turn, his young actors enter this business with a level of savvy and fearlessness that many artists don’t develop until they’re well into adulthood. Every time I’m coaching one of my MT students, and I encourage them to make choices that come from a place of hope or love, I am transported back to my classes with Fred. My entire foundation of acting and teaching comes from FPAC, and I would not be the artist I am today without that training!
Jessica is the current head of Music Theatre at The Salt Lake School for The Performing Arts. She holds an MFA in Acting from UNC Greensboro, a BFA in Musical Theatre from Youngstown State University, and a Shakespeare Certificate from LAMDA. FPAC/HBTI credits include: Les Miserables: School Edition (ensemble), Big: The Musical (ensemble), The Music Man (Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn), Little Women (Mrs. Kirk), Urinetown (Little Becky Two Shoes), The King and I (ensemble), Jekyll and Hyde (Lady Beaconsfield), A Chorus Line (Judy Turner), Oklahoma (Aunt Eller), Into The Woods (Jack’s Mom), and Fiddler on The Roof (Yente).
SHOWS and CLASSES
Student productions (directed by Fred and other faculty), classes and experiences.