About Us

Shauna Markey
Founder • Director • Master Performance Coach

Shauna Markey is the founder and Director of Shauna Markey Acting Studio (SMAS) and brings decades of professional and coaching experience to the studio’s mission of preparing young artists for success in elite BFA programs and professional performance careers.

Shauna’s work as an educator began in 1997 with she founded The Star You Already Are, an early program dedicated to coaching children and teens in TV/Film, Commercials, Musical Theatre, and Voice-Over. Over the years, she has collaborated with respected arts organizations and educational outreach programs, expanding access to high -level training and shaping the next generation of performers.

As a master coach, Shauna has helped develop nationally recognized acting and singing talent. Since 2020, her students have earned top honors including:

National Young Arts awards (7 Winners with Distinction, Artists of the Year and numerous finalists)
National Jimmy Awards – Top Finalists
Jerry Herman Awards
Broadway San Diego Awards
LA Music Center’s Spotlight Awards – 2 Grand Prize Finalist

Alongside her coaching career, Shauna has performed professionally on Broadway and National and International Tours, and has appeared in television and film, including Parks and Recreation and Desperate Housewives, as well as in approximately 80 national commercials. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Acting, bringing both academic and real-world professional insight to her mentorship.

In the last five years alone, Shauna has guided more than 60 high school seniors through the college audition process, helping them earn acceptance into top-tier BFA programs such as Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan and NYU Tisch, among others. Her coaching emphasizes individualized strategy, authentic storytelling, and thorough preparation for both prescreens and live auditions.

SMAS represents the evolution of Shauna’s earlier work with Trifecta Broadway Coaches, bringing her proven approach into a unified, team-based studio model. Today, she leads SMAS alongside an elite group of coaches, continuing to mentor and support students as they prepare for college training and long-term artistic careers.

Shauna Markey Acting Studio Client Wins & Successes

National Jimmy Awards

2022 Sophie Pollono

Jerry Herman Awards Los Angeles WINNER

National Young Arts Competition (9 winners over the past 4 years)

2024 ISABELLA PRUTER was named Winner with Distinction in Musical Theatre for the 2024 YoungArts National Award Competition.

National Young Arts Competition (9 winners over the past 4 years)

2024 ISABELLA PRUTER was named Winner with Distinction in Musical Theatre for the 2024 YoungArts National Award Competition.

National Young Arts Competition (9 winners over the past 4 years)

2024 Isabela Pruter

was named Winner with Distinction in Musical Theatre for the 2024 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2024 Hawkins Meek

was named Winner with Distinction in Theatre | Spoken for the 2024 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2024 Sophia Gleeson

was named Winner in Musical Theatre for the 2024 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2023 Sophie Pollono

was named Winner with distinction in Musical Theatre for the 2023 YoungArts National Competition.

2023 Sage Taylor

earned honorable mention for Theatre and Pop voice for the 2023 YoungArts National Competition.

2022 Aidan Meixner

was named Winner in Singer | Songwriter for the 2022 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2021 Wyatt Rhinehart

was named Artist of the Year and Winner in Singer | Songwriter for the 2021 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2020 Wyatt Rhinehart

was named Artist of the Year for the 2020 YoungArts National Award Competition.

2020 Piatt Pund

was named Winner in Singer | Songwriter for the 2020 YoungArts National Award Competition.

LA Music Center Spotlight Awards

2024 Mia Rivera

won Grand Prize Finalist for Non-Classical Voice!

2022 Michael Davis

won Grand Prize Finalist for Acting!

2023 George Zemla

won Spotlight Merit Scholarship for Acting

2023 Ana Rodriguez

won Spotlight Semi-finalist for Acting.

2024 Hawkins Meek

won Spotlight Semi-finalist for Acting.

2024 Quentin Davis

won Spotlight Semi-finalist for Acting.

JRAY AWARDS of Los Angeles

2023 HAWKINS MEEK

WON MALE DANCER OF THE YEAR!

CLIENTS ON HIT TV SHOWS (partial list)

HAYDEN BYERLY as on ABC’s hit show The Fosters
AIDAN MINER as Lawrence on NICKELODEON’S School of Rock
PROPHET BOLDEN as Walter on ABC’s hit show Fresh Off the Boat
ELLEE TROWBRIDGE starred NICKELODEON’S Sam and Cat, School of Rock, and DISNEY’S Ravens Home
JOLIE HOANG-RAPPAPORT as Zoe in Just Add Magic, Just Add Magic: Mystery City, Head Of The Class, and HBO’s The Watchman to name a few.