Education/Training

Masa (they/them) has a B.A. in Music from Rutgers University and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Cornell University. They are a classically trained singer and a Meisner-trained actor, having completed the two-year Meisner program at the Actor's Workshop of Ithaca. They also have improv training from the UCB Training Center in New York. 

Theatre/Teaching

After graduating from the Actor's Workshop, Masa stayed on as an instructor, teaching the Meisner Technique and directing students in scenes and one-acts, including some written by Masa. They also assistant-directed and music-directed several shows staged at the Risley Theatre in Ithaca. 

Film

After many years in front of the camera, Masa decided to try their hand at filmmaking. To date they have written and directed eight short films, gaining post-production skills such as editing, sound design, VFX, and color correction along the way. They have made use of their music and linguistics training in their films, composing scores for several of them and inventing a fictional language for one of them. 

Marked Pictures

Masa and their artistic collaborator, Abby J. Smith, co-founded Marked Pictures in 2013 to produce original projects. Visit the Marked Pictures website to view teasers, finished films, and more!