Elena Maria Garcia: She is a three-time recipient of the prestigious Carbonell award best supporting actor Zoetic Stages Moscow and City Theatres Summer Shorts and best ensemble for City Theatre. The World Premiere of FUACATA! A Latinas Guide to Surviving the Universe, co-written with Stuart Meltzer of Zoetic Stage, earned her a Carbonell nomination for best performance and best new work. Elena also has presented her self-written, directed, and produced one-person show, DO YOU SPEAK MEXICAN? throughout South Florida. Elenas future project is OYEME! The Latinx Festival. She hopes this venture will bring light to our Latinx community of artists and thinkers. Elena was the founding member of Separate Checks Improv Troupe, Quien Sigue A Quien, the first Spanish speaking improv troupe in the US and the first all-female improv troupe on the East coast, Big Purse and Matching Shoes. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters in Acting/Directing. She has appeared in numerous national commercials, feature films and television. Elenas students have garnered Critics Choice for Florida High School District competitions 2003-2017 and received ten Thespian State Champion titles in 2007-2017. Many of her students have been featured in national television shows and Broadway and have been accepted in top Universities and Colleges. Elena has taught improvisation and acting for over 30 years. She currently teaches at Universal Acting and New World School of the Arts, Nova Southeastern University, Florida International University and is a member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity.