Randy Kovitz

ADJUNCT FACULTY, ACTING

Randy has taught numerous classes for the School of Drama, including Comedy, Chekov, Greeks, the Business of Acting, and Film Appreciation. He has directed productions and staged numerous fight scenes for the department, served as a faculty advisor on a number of student directed short films, and he created the Acting for the Camera curriculum, which he has taught for 15 years. He also produces, directs and edits the video content for the Acting and MT Showcase process.

Randy Kovitz is a veteran actor with credits across the entertainment industry. He trained at the CMU School of Drama under Earle Gister, Israel Hicks, Jewel Walker, Leon Katz, Tim Monich and B.H. Barry. Since that time, he has worked as both an actor and fight director in theater, film and television in New York, Los Angeles and in between.

As and educator, Randy has taught at NYU, SUNY Purchase, and the Yale School of Drama.

Randy’s film work includes roles in Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Fault in Our Stars, Concussion, Dawn of The Dead, Knightriders, The Addams Family, Basic Psych, Hello Beautiful and many others. His TV credits include The Chair, American Rust, Archive 81, The Blacklist, Parks and Recreation, Z: The Beginning of Everything, Seinfeld, E.R., The King of Queens and The Practice, among many others. On Broadway he appeared in Burn This, Othello and Macbeth at Lincoln Center. His regional appearances include Yale Rep, The Los Angeles Theater Center, The American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford Connecticut and the Pittsburgh Public Theater.

Randy is also a fight director with credits in Broadway and regional theater, film and TV, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Mark Taper Forum/Center Theater Group productions of Angels in America and The Kentucky Cycle, among many hundreds of other projects. He is also an award-winning screenwriter and film director; his films have played in festivals nationwide. His feature directing debut, Validity is in post-production and should be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

www.randykovitz.com

Bria Walker-Rhoze

Assistant Professor, Acting

she/her

Bria currently teaches Acting 1 and Acting 2, and directs and engages in intimacy, movement, and fight choreography for School of Drama productions.

Bria Walker-Rhoze is a multidisciplinary artist who currently serves as Artistic Associate of Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre (FJT) in Evanston, IL. Bria was previously an Assistant Professor of Performance at the University of Pittsburgh where she served as Head of Performance and MFA Performance Pedagogy in the Department of Theatre Arts and co-organizer of the university-wide initiative Black Lives in Focus. Recent acting credits include: SCENES FROM AN EXECUTION (Quantum Theatre), THE GARBOLOGISTS (co-World Premiere, City Theatre), FIRES IN THE MIRROR (FJT & Pittsburgh Public Theatre), THE ROYALE (Rep of St. Louis, City Theatre), and roles in productions around the nation including: Denver Center Theatre Company, Triad Stage, The REP at Point Park, August Wilson Center, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, Theatre Aspen, and Aspen Ideas Festival.

Directing credits include: OBAMA-OLOGY, co-director of CROWNS (Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre), DOG SH*T (Bricolage Production Company – B.U.S. 11); OFF WITH HER MAIDENHEAD (The Pitch series for Merry-Go-Round Playhouse); FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE, WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, SURREALITY: AN EVENING OF SH*T THAT MAY BE DEEP (SUNY New Paltz); AVENUE Q (SUNY New Paltz & University of Pittsburgh); EMILIA, MISS YOU LIKE HELL, AVENUE Q (University of Pittsburgh); POLAROID STORIES (Southern Oregon University).

Writing credits include: The Baldwin | Giovanni Experience – Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre; “Crossroad” – City Theatre Company Spotlight Creator Series; “You Think the Arts Don’t Matter. What About Quarantine?” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Other Voices OpEd; “Chant” – The Monologue Project; “Monk Monk’s Interlude”, “Tattered Love” – The Doll Confessions

Web credits include: “A Journey Through the History of Black Theatre” mini-lecture series – “Stay Creative” series, Wallstrip.com (CBS)

Bria received her BFA, Magna Cum Laude, from Wright State University and her MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Most recently, Bria received the 2022 BroadwayWorld Regional Award for Best Direction of a Play for EMILIA at Pitt Stages.