The Cast

Our actors are all graduates of the Meisner Technique Studio in San Francisco, as well as members of The Studio.

The Studio is a home for our graduates as they continue to grow into their craft, talent and training. It was founded on the original philosophy of The Actors Studio in New York – a gym for professional actors to work out, from workshopping pieces they’ve written to rehearsals for upcoming films, auditions and/or theatrical roles, as well as directing their own productions. The Studio is an epicenter for feature films, full-length plays and, a web series like TABLE ONE.

We invite you to click on the names of the actors to see an archive of their TABLE ONE episodes, Studio work, expanded bios, demo reels, contact for casting and more.

Jim Jarrett – Along with his partner Jon Labrie, Jim Jarrett is Producer of
TABLE ONE. He is also Founder and Director of the Meisner Technique Studio and Jarrett Productions

 

 

Melissa Thompson Esaia is Assistant Director and Head of Faculty at the Meisner Technique Studio, as well as a founding member of The Studio. In addition to teaching full-time at the Meisner Technique Studio, Melissa works in film and theatre and recently produced and starred in the first feature film to come out of The Studio.

 

David Usner is an actor and scriptwriter. He also teaches at the Meisner Technique Studio and has acted internationally, with performances in Vienna, Berlin and Edinburgh. His short plays have been produced in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area, and he has produced a number of short films. He is currently working on a feature film entitled Roxie. Dave also leads trips into the Amazon Rainforest and is an avid skydiver, with 560 flights logged.

 

Pascal Faivre got his first taste for acting in 1973, when French director Jean Chapot cast him in a small part in The Burned Barns with Alain Delon and Simone Signoret. He performed his scenes in his favorite fuzzy pink pajamas. He is honored to be a member of The Studio and TABLE ONE.

 

 

Michael Locke is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio and a founding member of The Studio. Although he has focused mainly on acting, he has dabbled in writing, stand-up and even cinematography. He’s using multiple disciplines, original work and the Meisner community to achieve his chosen career path.

 

Joel Roth, an L.A. native and founding member of The Studio, attended U.C.L.A. film school. After nearly graduating, he relocated to the Bay Area where he found work in computers and raised a family. It wasn’t until 34 years later that Joel took his first acting class. Joel then realized that acting was the “something” he’d been waiting for his entire life. Joel has worked in film and theatre and is currently working on the feature film Roxie as an actor and co-producer.

 

Kelly Burk has come a long way from her small town beginnings. She started dancing at 10 years old and was working as a dancer in Japan at 17. By 19, she was singing in a rock and roll band that opened for Martha Reeves. In her 20′s, she moved to Boston and graduated from Berklee College of Music. While co-writing/producing her second musical comedy, she happened upon Jim Jarrett and dove head first into acting. Currently, Kelly works in theater and film. She is playing the title role in the feature film Roxie.

 

Wanda Wiemar is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio and a founding member of The Studio. She is a passionate actress who works in theatre and independent film. Wanda loves the adventure of artistic collaboration and is a true dreamer at heart.

 

 

Eric Burke is a proud graduate and part-time instructor at the Meisner Technique Studio. His career started in Chicago in the late 80′s with a turn as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire. Today he continues to search for both interesting roles and interesting people to work with.

 

 

Joe O’Donnell has been attempting to turn things back around ever since he followed the advice of The Talking Heads in 1984 and stopped making sense. In addition to being a founding member of The Studio, Joe is a long-time volunteer at the SFSPCA, where he is training shelter dogs in the Meisner Technique. (You have a blue collar. I have a blue collar.)

 

Howard Meehan continues to pursue artistic albatrosses sabotaging any legitimate creative/commercial projects. Once a 1/3 member of The Meehan Brothers (the 2nd third)-now defunct, he is presently speaking with drug companies about patenting his ‘anti-success’ pills, which seem to be working.

 

 

Glen Caspillo – About 12 years ago Glen said, “Enough, I’ve got to fulfill my passion.” So he took a chance and started acting. He took a class, started auditioning and getting cast in student films and theatre. He did not get to the place where he is today until he started studying the Meisner Technique with Jim Jarrett. Glen found a great deal of value and freedom as an actor from learning the principles of the Meisner Technique. He believes in living life to its fullest and in the magic of sharing your own stories with the world.

 

Nick Frangione moved to San Francisco to pursue his dream, and after some significant searching, found Jim Jarrett and the Meisner Technique Studio. While studying with Jim, Nick branched out and learned about the process of filmmaking. He now works not only as an actor, but as a director, writer and editor as well.

 

Conor Hamill is a member of The Studio. He directed and produced the “Best Film Award” winner at the Meisner Technique Studio’s annual 24 Hour Film Festival. In addition to acting, other passions are sports, telling stories and listening to a good joke!

 

 

Cristy Paez is a writer-director-actor. She is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio as well as a member of The Studio. Her work has earned her both the “DGA Best Student Film Award” and her current participation in the DGA’s Mentorship Program for aspiring directors. She recently directed the short film Waiting Room. In addition, she teaches Film Production Management at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

 

Derek Restvedt watched The Godfather at the age of four. Seventeen years later he moved to California to pursue his dream of being an actor. There he met Jim Jarrett with whom he studied for 2 years in San Francisco. He is now a member of The Studio and is a working actor and writer in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Gene Gerard Thomas is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio and is a working actor and director. He has taught Acting For The Camera at American Conservatory Theater and at Academy of Art University. He’s also the Director of Communications for the School of Business at the University of San Francisco.

 

John Lavette is a working actor in voiceover, film and television in the Bay Area. He recently graduated from the Meisner Technique Studio. Now that he is a member of The Studio…he is ready to rock and roll!

 

 

Filaree Radich is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio in San Francisco and has done a number of film projects in lead and secondary roles. Filaree is also professionally trained in classical and modern dance (and recently spent two weeks in Cuba studying Cuban dance and music). She is currently working full-time as an Executive Coach for a Bay Area Leadership Development company that consults for organizations such as NASA and Lexis Nexis.

 

Devin Kordt-Thomas – A former US Navy Sailor and former Tibetan Buddhist Monk (not at the same time), studied at the William Esper Studio and is a graduate of the Meisner Technique Studio. A true multi-hyphenate (Actor-Director-Writer-Producer), Devin is currently completing post production of his short film inspired by actual events entitled My Night with Andrew Cunanan.