The Cheryl Felicia Rhoads Northern Virginia Acting School

Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year! ............. See January 2010 Class Schedule Below

Ralphie,left, and his little brother Randy, open their gifts on Christmas morning in a scene from Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" from 1983.  Ralphie was played by Peter Billingsley and Randy was played by Ian Petrella. Darren McGavin played their father and Melinda Dillon played the mother in this modern classic of childhood memories. Ralphie eventually does get the Red Ryder BB gun he asked for but not without a struggle.

8-week Improvisation and Scene Study Courses Start January 6, 2010

      

January Classes start with focus on 

Improvisation and Scene Study. 

Eight-week courses will start again on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 and the Saturday series will start January 9, 2010. Please see tuition prices and class time listed below for kids, teens and tweens, and adult classes.

Improvisation develops the art of spontaneous creativity and Scene Study develops the art of give and take in telling a story!

Utilizing spontaneous reactions to situations and learning to react to another actor's improvisation helps to create authentic characters.  Both are key to excellence in acting while story telling. During eight-week sessions, students will learn to access natural responses, while building important skills through scene study work. They will also discover how improvisation techniques are utilized in all arenas of communication and expression, as well as in audition and interview scenarios!

Wednesday night classes start January 6th and end February 24th with a class performance & reception for family and friends!

Saturday Classes start January 9th and end February 27th also with a performance & reception.

Kids - ages 7 to 10                              Tuition $395.00

Class time 5 - 6 pm Wednesday OR 10:15 - 11:15 am on Saturday

Tweens & Teens - ages 11 to 15     Tuition $425.00

Class times 6:15 - 7:45 pm on Wednesday OR 11:30am-12:45pm Saturday

Adults  ages 16 and up                      Tuition $495.00

Class time is 8 - 10 pm on Wednesday OR 1- 3pm on Saturday

 TO REGISER FOR A CLASS OR A PRIVATE LESSON:

 Call 703-300-5441

 Or, SEND AN EMAIL TO  CHRLRHOADS@AOL.COM

2009 Was a Good Year for CFR Students

2009 was a good year for many CFR students that brought great acting opportunities at the communiy level and even several professional jobs.  Kayla Cheney appeared in a movie, so did Emma Ernest and Cheryl Felicia Rhoads herself.  Christina Carrera was cast in the touring company for South Pacific!  Cameron Young made a commercial for Nike.  Kristine Cornils balanced her work, important volunteer jobs, made a Public Service Announcement for TV, and even found time to schedule her wedding on a mountain top in New Mexico!  CFR students had chances to invite parents and friends to see us in our end-of-course graduation shows and many CFR students were cast in community theater presentations through the year and some were able to audition for a top Hollywood talent agent for kids and the mother of Disney Channel star and former CFR student David Henrie.  We look forward to learning more about acting for fun and for work as we seek new opportunities and auditions in 2010.  For more information, also see testimonials in the post below this one.

Scenes from Summer 2009 Classes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMER 2009 GRADUATION SHOW FOR KIDS CLASS:

Left to right: Scott Clark, Sam Stitcher, and Meg Sinek perform a comedy scene for parents,families, and guests at graduation open house on July 1, 2009. Meg also played a scene as the ultra-villain Cruella de Vil, from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, which was made into a classic animated Disney movie in 1961.  Meg Sinek played to perfection the same very challenging role played so memorably by the super-talented  Tony Award-winning star Glenn Close in the 1996 remake of the Disney movie. Sam Stitcher also did a very good job with his 19th Century Missouri accent in his  portrayal of  Huckleberry Finn from the novel by Mark Twain. 

 

At left above is Danielle Tarbuck and Jonas Swenholdt in their graduation show for adult students in July 2009. In addition to taking acting lessons from Cheryl Rhoads, Danielle is also a professional model who is represented by Explore Talent. Click Here to see Danielle's web page at Explore Talent.  At right above Shirley Corpuz and Andre Taylor perform for families and fellow students at their graduation show in July 2009.

CONVENIENT LOCATION in a safe residential neighborhood. 

The East Falls Church Metro Station is only four blocks away from our classroom 

There is also FREE on site parking directly in front of the building

To register, please call Cheryl Rhoads at 703-300-5441 or email: CHRLRHOADS@AOL.COM

We also offer individual private acting lessons for advanced students, special audition preparation sessions, and private coaching on public speaking skills for non-actor professionals such as business leaders, real estate and insurance brokers, lawyers, and sales executives. Lessons on public speaking can also be customized for military officers, diplomats, public-relations executives, and lobbyists.

Private Lessons

Don't Forget, We offer One on One Private Lessons and Audition Preparation Coaching--- Call Cheryl at 703-300-5441 for Appointment times and price details. 

Testimonials from students and professional colleagues:

"I met Cheryl when we first came to LA.  David took her classes and she gave him a great foundation....and look where he is now!  I always know I can find great talent from her kids."

---Hollywood Kids Talent Manager Linda Henrie of Go Talent Management in Hollywood.  Linda is shown at left with her son David Henrie. David plays the role of Justin Russo on The Wizards of Waverly Place on The Disney Channel. David first took acting lessons from Cheryl Felicia Rhoads when he was just ten years old.  Linda's other actor son is Lorenzo James Henrie. CLICK HERE to see an interview with David.

 "I highly recommend Cheryl Rhoads as an acting coach.  When I arrived in Los Angeles from NYC, I had many questions about the business and coaching.  Meeting Cheryl was a blessing."

"Not only did she help me book numerous roles, but Cheryl helped me learn about the business and the techniques that helped build my confidence because she sent me in feeling very prepared. She always does her research on the role, film, director, producer....so that by the time I went to see her for my coaching lesson, she knew more about the project than I did!  Thank you so much Cheryl for all of your help." -- Ashley Rose Orr

CLICK HERE for Ashley Rose Orr credits

Cheryl Rhoads ....is deeply concerned about the success of her students. Ms. Rhoads is a rare jewel who blesses the life of each student she encounters with hope and encouragement while implementing her special touch of professional preparedness. The confidence I gained as a student of Cheryl Rhoads aided me in securing an appearance on HBO's "The Wire"...a local commercial, and several other roles. I would strongly recommend Cheryl Rhoads as a premier acting coach to any aspiring or existing actor who is looking to work with one of "the best" in the business.

- Sheldon E. Lawrence  Actor and Poet from Maryland. Hear Sheldon's voice at www.onesecretvoice.com  

"Every session with Cheryl teaches me new techniques to incorporate into my work for television, film and stage. Recently, she helped me to prepare for hosting a public service announcement for TV. She quickly helped me to identify my strengths, learn to make the most of them, and gave me new ways to improve. I was able to walk into the studio better prepared, more confident."

Kristine Cornils - December , 2009. Click on link below to see to a recent PSA with Cornils as the host/spokesperson. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ocablpDEc0

 Christina Carrera at left started studying acting with Cheryl Felicia Rhoads at the age of 6 years old in 2006.  With several acting and commercial credits already now at age 9, in the summer of 2009, Christina was asked to join the national touring company for the Broadway revival of South Pacific. Photo courtesy of Kids Talent Network. Here's what Christina says about her studies with Cheryl Felicia Rhoads:

"I love to work with Ms. Cheryl. She has taught me so many great acting techniques that have really helped me so much with my auditions. She’s always there for me when I need help with an accent or a script in a foreign language. She always encourages me to follow my dreams and to work hard. She is an amazing acting coach and person!"  

-  Christina Carrera, 

Student News Notes 

Kayla Cheney, at right, can now be seen in the movie 500 Days of Summer as an 8-year old version of the title character, Summer Finn. The film was a selection at the Sundance Film Festival in January and at several other film festivals in 2009.  The film opened in limited release in the USA and Canada in July and will open in the UK in September.  Kayla Cheney has been a student of Cheryl Felicia Rhoads for two years and appeared in a short film writtten and directed by Cheryl called After Once Upon a Time.  CLICK HERE to see the film trailer for 500 Days of Summer. To see more of Kayla's acting credits, click on the IMDB button above left.

 

 

"Ms. Cheryl has been my acting teacher for two years.  She is a nice, fun teacher.  She just helped me get my first real acting job and my first real paycheck doing a Nike magazine ad and commercial with pro basketball player Carmello Anthony of the Denver Nuggets which will air in the Fall.  I was so excited! I would tell anyone to go to her acting school because she is a good teacher, a good actor, and she even teaches my Mom how to help me."

Cameron A. Young, September 2009, Age 11 

   

"Cheryl helped me to turn words from a script into a character that seemed real to me. From that we were able to do monologues and dialogues.This gave me confidence to audition with a monologue or by reading sides. The class was a lot of fun and I learned from the other actors my age as well." ---Virginia Tucker

 (Virginia Tucker is pictured at right on Nov. 2009 cover of Washington Parent magazine.)

 

 

    

 

  "I can always count on Cheryl Rhoads to provide me with experienced and talented young actors. Cheryl has a great eye for talent."  

                 ---- Myrna Lieberman, President of Myrna Lieberman Management, 3001 Hollyridge Drive, Hollywood, CA 90068   Phone 323-463-8092

 

Clients: Actors, Actresses, Children/Teenagers (up to 21). For more information, send an email to: Myrna.Lieberman@talentmanagers.org

Member of Talent Managers Association

 

Clients: Actors, Actresses, Children/Teenagers (up to 21). For more information, send an email to: Myrna.Lieberman@talentmanagers.org

Member of Talent Managers Association

News about Cheryl in local DC area newspapers

 

Article on June 6, 2009            

The Chief Justice and Mother Goose

   Chief Justice John Roberts got the ideal seat-mate when he took kids John and Josephine to the D.C. premiere of “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” at the Air and Space Museum on Thursday night.

Sitting next to the chief justice’s family, after all, was the perfect baby sitter: Mother Goose.

Actress Cheryl Felicia Rhoads, (pictured at right below in her Mother Goose costume from the video series) and who now teaches acting classes in the D.C. area, played the eponymous storyteller in 1987’s “The Mother Goose Video Treasury.” Rhoads told ITK that Roberts chatted with her but didn't talk politics -- like, um, Justice David Souter's possible replacement on the Supreme Court -- and she didn't ask Roberts for a judicial opinion on liability issues surrounding Jack and Jill's tumble down the hill.

Also at the premiere were Vice President Joe Biden’s grandchildren, according to Rhoads. Actors Ben Stiller and Robin Williams — who returns in the film for a second term as President Teddy Roosevelt — appeared at a Washington press conference the following morning to promote the movie, which opens nationwide Friday.

Feature story in Falls Church News- Press in September 2008 on the Cheryl Felicia Rhoads Acting School. To read story, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

See Cheryl Interview Stars on the red carpet of "Night At the Museum: Battle of The Smithsonian"

    Cheryl Felicia Rhoads interviews Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, and Robin Williams on  the  red  carpet on May 14,2009 for Movie Guide Magazine Online at the Washington, DC prmiere of "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian"

to see the video,    PLEASE CLICK HERE.                   

Cheryl Rhoads Acting Demo on You Tube

To read an interview with Cheryl Rhoads by journalist, radio reporter, and blog columnist Christian Toto,Please Click on the link below. http://whatwouldtotowatch.com/2009/01/22/wwtw-interview-acting-teacher-cheryl-rhoads/  

Play arrow below to See Cheryl Felicia Rhoads Acting Demo 

 

The Fall 2008 Kids Class in Final Shows

Christina Carerra,  a student of Cheryl Rhoads for three years, in summer 2009 joined the national touring company for the revival ofSouth Pacific.  Read review of the Broadway show here.Christina first became a student of Cheryl Rhoads in 2006 when she was only 6 years old. 

See Christina Carerra's Demo Reel below:

Christina Carrera also appeared with other Cheryl Rhoads students in a satire on the 2008 elections called Candidate 2008: The Consituencies, See that video clip below:

A friendly classroom in a residential neighborhood.

Our classroom is in a beautiful new apartment complex club house located in a safe and pleasant residential neighborhood just four blocks from the Orange Line Metro stop at East Falls Church.  There is plenty of free parking directly in front of the building, a playground for kids, and nearby shopping and restaurants for parents to take advantage of while waiting to pick up young students.

Our teacher is Cheryl Felicia Rhoads who earned her B.A. in Theater Arts from the University of Iowa and worked for 20 years in Hollywood as a professional actress, comedy coach, assistant voice casting agent, voice-over artist, director, and producer of comedy shows. As a teacher, she has helped about 1,400 students of all ages. 

In the picture below right, Cheryl Rhoads in the lower left corner joins film critic Michael Medved upper left and producer Lee Daniels upper right and an MSNBC reporter as they talk about the 2005 Oscar nominations with host Joe Scarborough. 

Cheryl's acting credits include a local Emmy Award nomination and a Joseph Jefferson Award for best actress in a revue in the Chicago market, several national TV appearances including as a series regular on Against the Grain on NBC, and her starring role as Mother Goose in the critically-acclaimed and Parents Magazine- recommended Mother Goose Video Treasury programs on DVD for children.  To contact Cheryl Rhoads please send email to CHRLRHOADS@AOL.COM or call 703-300-5441.

Welcome to My Web Site

By Cheryl Felicia Rhoads 

Thank you for visiting my site. I have worked in several different jobs in the entertainment industry including as an actor.  You can see some of my film and TV credits on my page at the Internet Movie Database if you CLICK HERE.  

You are probably reading this because you would like to develop your acting skills and would like to find a teacher and coach in the Washington, DC capital region.  I might be who you are looking for because I have helped hundreds of students set goals, learn about diction, and both invent and rehearse "bits of business" that often make characters come alive and add to the authenticity of a stand out  audition.  Together, we will discuss and rehearse sample scripts and monologues and talk about what directors are looking for when they call you.

Don't be surprised if we might range beyond mere acting mechanics and technique to more spiritual questions such as what are we grateful for today, or how can our craft inspire the best in others?  What material is worthy of our time and effort and what projects are not consistent with our personal values?  How do we cultivate the wisdom, maturity, and courage to say yes to the former and no to the latter?

On request, I have sometimes advised students about the ethics of the profession and we have talked about what is suitable material and how choices in roles might affect a career.  An actor is a total person, not just someone who memorizes and recites lines.

(Cheryl at right with her great niece Taylor Meek at a convention-size Rhoads family reunion in 2002.)

In the classic or "old" Hollywood, many of the best actors were also widely respected as kind and generous human beings apart from their theatrical success. Instead of being obsessed with their own celebrity status, they made time to be role models and to give back something to their profession, community, nation, and to improving international respect and understanding.

Maybe someone once told you that you are not "the right type" for a particular role.  Whether they were right or wrong at the time, the important thing is that over many years you will certainly be the right person for other roles that match your particular talents.

There are many community theater and professional production companies and commercial agencies that are searching all the time for a particular look, a unique accent, a mature age, or a nationality or ethnic type that would be a good fit for your background.

I believe in being honest with acting students but I also believe in encouraging people.  If you are willing to be on time, do your homework, and approach assignments with a positive mental attitude, I know that together we can improve your skills and multiply your opportunities from what they have been in the past.

Please always try to remember that "show business" really is a business.  No matter how you look or how much native talent you might have, you still have to work hard to develop your skills to the point where you can compete for the key parts you would like to win regardless if the project is a commercial, community stage play, or motion picture.

Hard work does not mean you cannot have fun.  But it does mean that like any other profession, you will advance not just with luck but also with patience and perserverance.  Maybe you started acting to find a creative outlet for self expression and that is fine.  But you will find success commensurate with your work as much as your native ability.

So are you ready to roll up your sleeves and work?  If so, please send me an email at chrlrhoads@aol.com.  I have helped hundreds of children and adults over the last fifteen years.  I have worked as an actress, a director and producer, a coach and teacher, and for a voice-over talent agency, and as a free-lance casting director in Hollywood.  I re-located to the national capital region and northern Virginia in 2006 to take advantage of a new environment for me to work in and new talent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Happy Trails to You"....In this photo above, Cheryl Rhoads meets Dale Evans and her film star husband Roy Rogers (1911-1998), the legendary "King of the Cowboys," at a breakfast in Hollywood in 1993.  For other pictures of Cheryl Rhoads and Hollywood actors of the past and present, see Cheryl's photo album below right, or CLICK HERE.

New acting opportunities along the Eastern Seaboard are growing and Washington, DC and suburbs are a big part of that story.  I know from experience that not all talent gravitates to Hollywood for many reasons.

Maybe you raised a family and want to return to acting ambitions you had in high school or college.  Maybe you are very new to the idea of acting.  Whatever your situation, I have likely come across a student in a similar situation before so with that experience I am sure I can help you.  Please email me at the address below, leave me your phone number and the best time to call back, and let's talk about it.  I can explain our goals, what times are available at what price per lesson, and what additional opportunities we can look for together to showcase your talents in front of an audience be it large or small.

No teacher can always guarantee producers will hire you for the parts you want.  But with your cooperation and sincerely applied hard work, we can do a lot to expand your potential.  Whether you wind up working with me or with another acting teacher, congratulations on your efforts so far and good luck in setting new goals and making the most of new opportunities.

Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

chrlrhoads@aol.com

Phone: 703-300-5441

Cheryl Rhoads DVDs From Amazon.com

 DVDs of The Mother Goose Video Treasury starring Cheryl Rhoads are scarce but some DVDs and some VHS tapes are listed at Amazon.com and Ebay.  Keep checking Amazon and other online stores for videos to get this wonderful four-volume two hours of quality video for children that was praised by Parent's Magazine.

CLICK HERE to check out Cheryl Rhoads videos on Amazon.com.

Be sure to also check www.Amazon.co.uk in England for availability of Volumes 1-4 in the series.

Over a career, good actors learn how to benefit from the experience gained from a variety of roles large and small, because even a small part that is memorable can cause and actor to get noticed by a producer or casting agent for future work. During her years in LA, Cheryl also appeared on several network TV episodes in a variety of smaller parts and played in scenes with actors below (left to right) such as Tracey Ullman on The Tracey Ullman Show, Annie Potts on Any Day Now, and Sela Ward in Sisters. Click on Cheryl's acting demo on You Tube above to see her in some of these scenes.

                               

 DVDs of The Mother Goose Video Treasury starring Cheryl Rhoads are scarce but some DVDs and some VHS tapes are listed at Amazon.com and Ebay.  Keep checking Amazon and other online stores for videos to get this wonderful four-volume two hours of quality video for children that was praised by Parent's Magazine.

CLICK HERE to check out Cheryl Rhoads videos on Amazon.com.

Be sure to also check www.Amazon.co.uk in England for availability of Volumes 1-4 in the series.

Over a career, good actors learn how to benefit from the experience gained from a variety of roles large and small, because even a small part that is memorable can cause and actor to get noticed by a producer or casting agent for future work. During her years in LA, Cheryl also appeared on several network TV episodes in a variety of smaller parts and played in scenes with actors below (left to right) such as Tracey Ullman on The Tracey Ullman Show, Annie Potts on Any Day Now, and Sela Ward in Sisters. Click on Cheryl's acting demo on You Tube above to see her in some of these scenes.

                               

More about Cheryl Felicia Rhoads

                         

Cheryl Felicia Rhoads got her start in Hollywood as an acting coach on the network TV series Star Search with host Ed McMahon in 1986.  Cheryl was the coach for winner of the Star Search $100,000 prize, Cyndi James Gossett, below. 

 In more recent years, Cheryl's clients have booked acting roles on CSI: Cold Case, Without a Trace, The Practice, The Amanda Bynes Show, and Malcom in the Middle.

Cheryl recently was the associate producer for a new independent film, The Game.  As an actress she scored a comedy "knock out punch" in the 2004 sit com Rodney.  She guest starred on the Annie Potts series for the Lifetime Channel called Any Day Now.

 She also made appearances on Saved by the Bell and Married with Children. Cheryl was a series regular along with actor Ben Affleck on Against the Grain on NBC.  Her very popular and endearing performances as Mother Goose in the Mother Goose Video/DVD Treasury won for Cheryl a legion of fans who grew up with her tapes.  Cheryl is a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and other entertainment unions. 

Cheryl has written inside commentaries for network TV series.  She produced and directed the acclaimed comedy revue at The Groundlings Theatre in LA with the title Accompanied by Adults featuring complimentary performances by both adults and children. The unusual format was praised by The Los Angeles Times.  

Ed McMahon, right, was host of Star Search when Cheryl Rhoads worked as an acting coach for the show starting in 1986.

 As a segment producer for ABC-TV's America's Funniest People,Cheryl searched for and supervised the selection of new comedic talent from all over the U.S. She was on the staff of two other acting schools before forming her own school in 2008. While she was located in Los Angeles, The New Times Los Angeles Magazine praised Cheryl's comedy classes for kids and teens as the "BEST in Los Angeles." 

Shortly after Cheryl moved to LA from Chicago in 1985, TV host Merv Griffin at left invited Cheryl and her comedy partner in The Fine Line comedy duo, Doug Wood, to make their TV network debut on The Merv Griffin Show.  To the delight of Cheryl and Doug, Merv invited them back a week later to perform again and this second time film-legend Orson Welles was also a  guest on the show and Welles watched them perform their skits.

 

 

Also in 1985, Cheryl Rhoads and her partner were signed both as actors and as comedy show writers for the NBC summer replacement show, The Motown Revue, which was hosted by Smokey Robinson, pictured at left.

In the fall season of 1993, Cheryl Felicia Rhoads, pictured at right, played the part of "Winona Bruhns" as a series regular in the esemble cast of a network TV show about life in a football-crazy Texas town called "Against the Grain" on NBC.  Other cast members pictured below included Ben Affleck, Donna Bullock, John Terry, Robin Lively, Stephen Tobolowsky, Wayne Knight, and Denise Richards. Kimberly Cullum won a Young Artist Award. 

Ben Affleck                                                                     
  

    Donna Bullock..........Denise Richards

           

                                                         ...................................            John Terry

                         

 

Robin Lively                                                

  

...............................

Stephen Tobolowsky

                        
 

                                             

   ................       Wayne Knight

                                          

..................Kimberly Cullum.................... Jeanine Jackson    Cullum