Teachers

Maren Maclean Mascarelli – Instructor, ASA                                                  

Maren studied acting, dance, and directing at Southern Utah University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts. She performed and toured with the Utah Shakespeare Festival and Birmingham Children’s Theatre, directed for Nevada Shakespeare in the Park, dramaturged for Nearly Naked Theatre, costume designed for Scottsdale Community College, directed for Algonquin Theatre Company and The Shakespeare Theatre and was the Education Outreach Director for Southwest Shakespeare Company for 5 seasons. She is the head of the Theatre Department at Arizona School for the Arts and teaches for Arizona Theatre Company and Scottsdale Conservatory Theatre. Favorite roles include Crystal in The Women at Phoenix Theatre, Kate in Shrew at Southwest Shakespeare Company, Beth in Dinner with Friends at Actor’s Theatre and Hilda in Venus Observed at Verse Theatre Manhattan. She is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and is an active member of Arizona’s AEA Liaison Committee. Maren originally hails from New York, but revels in the home she has made in Phoenix with her husband and their 2 daughters. 

 

Toby Yatso – Instructor, ASA

Toby Yatso is in his second year on the Theatre Arts faculty at ASA, teaching Acting 1, Acting 2, and Broadway Scenes.  Mr. Yatso is also active as an actor, music director, choreographer, performer, and teacher.  Recently, he has been seen starring on the Phoenix Theatre stage in such hits as THE PRODUCERS, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, and THE FULL MONTY, was music director and choreographer for the Bay View Music Festival in Michigan, and directed the acclaimed ASA production of RUNAWAYS.  Mr. Yatso has a Master of Music degree from ASU, where he completed graduate studies in music theatre, music theory, and bassoon performance, and was the recipient of the Herberger College of Fine Arts Distinguished Teaching Award. 

 

Boyd Branch – Instructor, ASA

Boyd Branch is a theatre director, scholar, and performing artist who has worked in the film and theatre industry for the last 10 years. He has been a resident teaching artist for ASA since 2005. He is a Fulbright scholar whose research in Dutch theatre for adolescents has been published by the Theatre Institute of the Netherlands. He received his master’s degree in theatre studies with honors from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands and his undergraduate degree in theatre arts from Arizona State. He has directed plays around the valley for several companies including the Black Theatre Troupe, AZ Jewish Theatre, and Space 55 Theatre Ensemble. Besides his work as a freelance director in the Valley, he has performed professionally both in Arizona and the Netherlands as an actor and mime. Boyd also works as an adjunct faculty member for several Maricopa Community Colleges and has taught mask, movement, and acting workshops all across the valley.

Kim has recently returned to Phoenix after living in Madrid Spain for the past 24 years. Her recent theatrical credits include, "The Cheetah Girls 2, When in Spain" as Lola Duran, she was invited to the Edinburgh International Festival to portray various roles in "Nuts Coconuts" with the Spanish theater Co. "La Cubana", she worked on Spanish TV for over 9 years on 130 episodes of "Un Dos Tres" and 130 episodes of "Manos a la Obra". Kim is very well known in Spain but decided she wanted to come home to be close to her family. Recent teaching credits include director at Greasepaint Youtheater's summer camp, Partners that Heal (Phoenix Children's Hospital) and various after school programs for Phoenix Theatre and Artspace.