People
Paul David Story (Founder-Artistic Director) completed his training in dramatic arts conservatory in 2004 at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). He is a member of the Actor's Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA. His acting credits include Broadway (Caine Mutiny Court Martial,Equus); regional theater (Romeo and Juliet/Arizona; Tempest/A Noise Within; Death of the Author/South Coast Repertory; Cymbeline/A Noise Within; Pride and Prejudice/Dallas Theatre Centre); TV (Law and Order, Nip Tuck, the Mentalist) and film (American Violet, In Time).
In 2010 he joined the staff of the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative as a teaching assistant and Saturday Academy 6th Grade English teacher. He co-founded and is artistic director of the Theater Workshop, where he trains students to interpret classical literature through theater and has directed successful productions of these works for the community. He is a recurring participant at the Shakespeare at the Huntington, an institute focusing on pedagogy and the teaching of Shakespeare through performance. He also has directed for the Hollywood Fringe, including the 2015 award-winning play, My Sister.
Jacqueline Jean Barrios (Founder-Director) began teaching at Foshay Learning Center in South LA in 2002, after earning her M.A. and Credential for teaching secondary English at UC Berkeley. She also holds an MA in English from UC Irvine and is current PhD student at UCLA in English.
She joined the faculty of the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) in 2006. She is a National Board Certified teacher, as well as AP and IB trained. After years of extending pre-AP and AP curricula via the performing arts, she founded the Theater Workshop in 2010 with co-founder, Paul David Story, a professional actor and artistic director of the project, and have co-directed successful literature-based productions.
Jesus Garcia (LATTE) is a USC student and the founder and president of the Los Angeles Talented Thespian Ensemble (LATTE) which began in 2012. Before matriculating into USC, Jesus graduated with Honors from Foshay, a USC Family of School, as a successful USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI) scholar, where he helped to establish the Theater Workshop as one of its core student directors.
Jessica Rodriguez (LATTE) is a USC student and LATTE officer. At Foshay, she helped create and establish the Theater Workshop and was a core student director of the productions on her campus. She helped form the Los Angeles Talented Thespian Ensemble (LATTE) and has served as event coordinators for Theater Workshop and LATTE productions, managing audiences close to 300 each evening.
Kenia Coyoy (Web/Graphic Designer) is a UCLA student and web/graphic designer. She served as student director of the Theater Workshop while at Foshay, and since graduation has continued to oversee and design all digital and print media for the Theater Workshop.
Naomi Barrett (Teaching Artist) joined the Theater Workshop at its inception as a teaching artist and design consultant, styling ephemeral environments & costumes to immerse the student in the theater experience. She is also the fashion editor and frequent contributor to The Painted Brain magazine since 2012. The Painted Brain is a peer-driven arts and outreach campaign amplifying the voice and activating the community of those living with mental health issues. She is also a Lead Peer Outreach Worker where she runs art groups in other agencies around LA. Naomi is the founder of Studio K. Atelier, trained in studio art at Beloit College in Wisconsin and School of Visual Arts in New York, and has contributed to various projects as an artist, web developer, film producer and photographer.