TRAIN Programs
Choose one of our TRAIN tracks to guide you on your pre-professional acting journey.
NOW ACCEPTING AUDITIONS
Video by Austin Lewis.
Acting for the Stage & Screen
TRAIN is Virginia's premier pre-professional actor training program designed to provide the serious acting student with the practical skills needed to succeed in the business. Students work with top industry professionals, including the award-winning arvold, an organization that provides casting, production, and education.
Our students leave the program with a well-rounded skill set, including monologues, scenes, cold reads, script analysis, on-camera work, audition skills, acting the song, vocal and physical techniques, and a better understanding of themselves as artists. We also emphasize rigor, preparation, consistency, discipline, accountability, responsibility, and materials for college, specialty centers, professional theater, film, and TV opportunities.
Program alumni have gone on to work with top theaters in the area, as well as in TV, commercials, films, web series, and voice-overs. As a testament to their exceptional guidance, Cadence students have achieved acceptance into prestigious institutions, including Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, New York University, Missouri State University, North Carolina School of the Arts, Syracuse University, Shenandoah University, Montclair State University, JMU, and VCU, among many others.
Ages
12 - 18
Tuition
$1500
Rehearsals
Tuesdays 5-7PM
Sept 9 - Feb 24
*Space is limited
Location
Classes at RPAA and performances at
Libby S. Gottwald Playhouse inside
Dominion Energy Arts Center
Performances
February 28 at 8AM (Load-in / Tech / Dress)
February 28 at 7PM
March 1 at 1PM
Audition Details
Deadline
August 1, 2025
Submission Requirements
Record a 1-minute monologue from a published play and a 16-bar cut of a song (if singing). Email your video submission to our TRAIN Program Director at laine@cadencetheatre.org
College Prep Intensive
Get your college plan in place, review your monologues/songs, film your pre-screens, 1-on-1s, and group parent meetings for college planning for Musical Theatre and Acting Programs.
Where
RPAA inside Dominion Energy Arts Center
Pricing
$500
Who
Rising high school seniors
When
August 17 & 18, 11AM-4PM
Testimonials
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“TRAIN not only helped me get into my dream school but made me realize my own potential and worth as an artist and more importantly, a person. It really changed my life for the better, and I can’t thank you enough.”
— Train College Prep sudent
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“Your college prep course is invaluable. My daughter was invited to audition at each school to which she applied and felt confident during the process. The TRAIN experience has, no doubt, helped prepare my daughter for a career in musical theater.”
— Train College Prep parent
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"Cadence has been a massive help in my growth as a film actor. The TRAIN class especially gave me important skills and confidence that I’ve been able to apply directly to auditions and on set. The teachers and staff at Cadence are amazing and always kind, making the whole experience even better. Being part of such a supportive community has pushed me to improve and take my career more seriously. I’m really grateful for the experience and opportunities Cadence has provided. Thank you!"
— Kyle Larsen, TRAIN College Prep student
NEW PROGRAM
College Planning for Musical Theatre, Acting, & Vocal Performance
Programs
Who
Families of rising high school juniors and seniors
What
We specialize in helping families plan for the college admissions process for Musical Theatre, Acting, and Vocal Performance majors. We support the family on the process - without coaching the artistic side. We’ll help you stay organized, reduce stress, and create a clear, personalized plan for your student’s journey. From prescreens to Unifieds, to financial aid, we will support your strategy, planning, and logistics!
Where
Virtual
When
Summer 2025
3-Meeting Package
What’s Included
Shared spreadsheet tools & planning templates
Personalized timeline and audition tracker
Support between meetings via email / text
Timing
These three meetings will take place during the summer so you can start the Fall semester with a clear plan, organized tools, and less stress. You’ll head into the prescreen season with confidence, not chaos!
Pricing
$750
Meeting 1: Foundation and Strategy
Student and family goals: What are you looking for? (size, location, BFA vs BA, conservatory vs more traditional college)
Discuss student’s academic profile: GPA, test scores
Initial budget conversation
Review resume to understand training history and strengths and opportunities for growth
Lay framework for building list (extreme reach, reach, target, safety)
Meeting 2: Timeline and Logistics
Review College List
Audition and Prescreen Tracker
Timeline Development: Key dates for applications, prescreens, FAFSA/CSS
Travel planning: discuss choices for unifieds and auditions
Meeting 3
Organize prescreen / audition process
Discuss the academic applications and essays
Portals! And Common App
How parents can be supportive without over-involving
Contingency planning
About Us
We are Mary Dunne Stewart and Jennifer Kaufman. We started out as theater moms, developed a friendship, and now that we have been through the college application process with our children and their friends, we know we bring a special expertise to the theater and vocal industries that no one else is offering in Richmond.
Mary supported her son Ethan through applications to 24 acting programs; he’s now a rising senior at Webster Conservatory. Jennifer’s daughter, a classically trained singer, just wrapped up the process and will begin her freshman year at NYU’s Steinhardt School studying Vocal Performance.
We don’t offer artistic coaching—but we know how overwhelming the process can be. We’re here to help families stay organized, reduce stress, and feel confident navigating this unique journey.
Core Instructors
Erica Arvold
Film / TV Instructor
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Erica (she/her) has been an educator, guest instructor, and speaker for over 20 years. In 2010, Erica founded arvold.education with the goal of raising the bar for all film artists through training and collaboration. As the daughter of a professor, Erica believes that we are and will always be students of one another, a belief that was shaped and molded by her years at The Theatre School, DePaul University (formerly The Goodman School of Drama), which has manifested into a deep love of craft and a belief in formal training as a means to consistent, constant artistic growth.
Anne Chapman
Film / TV / Casting Instructor
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Anne's (she/her) casting credits include Lincoln, Loving, Big Stone Gap, Harriet, Juanita, over 200 short films, commercials, PSAs, and museum films. She holds a BA in Theatre/Film and a Master's in Cinema, and was a 2018-2019 visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. Nominated for the CSA’s Artios Awards three times, Anne is a member of the Casting Society, BAFTA, the BIFA Performance Nominations Subgroup, and the Television Academy. She has been an adjunct instructor in the VCUarts Cinema program since 2007. Anne believes in illuminating the path for upcoming talent, and delights in watching their careers progress.
Paul Dandridge
Dance Instructor
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Paul Dandridge (he/him) is a faculty member at Richmond Ballet and a full time Teaching Artist with its Community Engagement program, Minds In Motion. Paul received his dance training from the School of Richmond Ballet as well as Indiana University’s Ballet Theatre program and has performed works by some of the dance world’s greatest choreographers. Recently, Paul has performed more on the musical theater stage as Nelius, the dancing statue in Mary Poppins, and as A-Rab, in West Side Story, both with Virginia Repertory Theatre. He is thrilled to be on the TRAIN team.
Jana Farrell
Musical Theatre Acting Instructor
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Jana (she/her) has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Boston Conservatory and an MFA in Acting Performance from VCU. While a Graduate Student at VCU, Jana performed several roles at Theatre Virginia. While she has fond memories of her NYC days, touring and acting in regional theatre, Jana now enjoys directing and teaching Speech & Drama in Chesterfield County Public Schools. She has been teaching middle- and high-school students since 2009, directing and choreographing many musicals and plays. Jana has developed a strong working relationship with award-winning playwright Brian Hampton. In 2018 Jana and Brian collaborated on the world premiere of USERNAME.
Jason Marks
Musical Theatre Instructor
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Jason (he/him) is a mainstay of the Richmond theater scene, having performed on local stages as well as across the country in musicals and stage productions. Mr. Marks is an award-winning actor, singer, and cabaret artist. He has performed solo concert work with the Richmond Symphony and the Washington National Symphony and Chorus. For a decade, he served as the resident music director for the children's touring department of Virginia Rep and has been commissioned to write several new stage works for VA Rep. An experienced educator, Jason has taught for local youth arts organizations for almost 20 years.
Stephen Rudlin
TRAIN College Prep Instructor
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As a music director and vocal coach with numerous clients accepted to top conservatories and Broadway stages, Stephen (he/him) holds a B.A. in Theatre from the College of William & Mary, completed a Musical Theatre Vocal Intensive at Manhattan School of Music, and earned a certificate in classical piano and vocal accompaniment from Catholic University. His credits include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Sound of Music, Cabaret, Les Misérables, Into the Woods, to name a few. He also has many concert and cabaret appearances, including A Capitol 4th at Firehouse Theatre. Additionally, he serves as an artist in residence with Richmond Public Schools and Thomas Dale Specialty Center.
Laine Satterfield
Acting Instructor / Program Director
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Laine (she/her) is an award-winning theatre artist who has performed in, taught, choreographed, directed, and devised theatre both nationally and internationally. She holds a BFA from TSOA at NYU and has trained at the University of Eurasian Theatre, Stella Adler, Carnegie Mellon, and University College London. Laine has taught at several universities and various workshops in the U.S. and abroad. She founded the NYC-based theatre group World 3 and also toured Europe with the international theatre group, Linea Trasversale. Laine believes theatre has the power to hold a mirror up to ourselves and our place in society.
