The theatre teachers at the heart of our training program
A teaching staff composed of professionals from the worlds of theatre, education, and research, united by the desire to transmit knowledge, method, and experience.
José Quintana
Founder and Artistic Director
With over thirty years of experience, he offers a unique and in-depth perspective on theatre. Born in Guatemala, he has lived in Europe for twenty-three years, during which time he has developed his artistic activity and research in various countries across the continent. After graduating from the Escuela de Arte Dramático (ENAD) and the National Conservatory of Guatemala, he continued his training in Mexico, Guatemala, and Cuba, specializing in Anthropological Theatre. He studied Theatre Pedagogy in several countries, including Spain, Greece, and Austria. In Spain, he studied various character-building techniques, from Mikhail Chekhov to Lee Strasberg, including Grotowski (with Elzbieta Moszczynska), and mime at the Nouveau Colombier school in Madrid (Marcel Marceau technique) and Moveo in Barcelona (corporeal mime by Etienne Decroux). In Austria, he studied classical mime with Sami Molcho. An actor and director in Guatemala and Mexico, he won first prize at the 2008 Langreo Art Nalon Escena Festival in Asturias, Spain, with his creation, “Cascorro Manoslarga”. He is currently a professor in the Master’s program in Theatre Pedagogy at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. He has taught at numerous institutions and schools, including his own acting school, Pantoteatro, in Madrid, and has led courses in several countries. He perfected his Dramatic Biogeometry method under the tutelage of maestro Thomas Leabhart. In 2024, Eugenio Barba incorporated the Dramatic Biogeometry method into some of his classes. He speaks Spanish, Italian, and English.
Giacomo Buonafina
Founder and Teacher
A Guatemalan artist whose work intertwines music, cinema and memory with a rare poetic and political force. Born in 1966, he founded the independent recording studio Primera Generación in 1991, contributing to the recording of over one hundred musical projects that have given voice to generations of Central American artists. He has starred in films such as “Dónde acaban los caminos” and “Las Cruces, poblado próximo,” works that rigorously and sensitively address Guatemala’s historical wounds. Her musical output received a Latin Grammy nomination in 2010, and her commitment to the audiovisual sector has also extended through leadership roles in Guatemala’s Cinema and Collective Management of producers and musicians associations. More recently, he created and hosted “Radio Amplitud – Memorias de Amor y de Guerra,” a 28-episode autobiographical podcast that intertwines narrative, history, and political reflection, available on Audible, Spotify, and Apple Books. He currently lives between Italy and Spain, and continues to explore the potential of voice, sound, and image. He speaks Spanish and English.
Antonella Da Ruos
Drama Theory Teacher
Specialized in the History of Contemporary Theatre, Antonella Da Ruos focuses on dramaturgical analysis and educational management with an innovative, practice-oriented approach. She graduated from the University of Bologna (DAMS, Discipline Arti, Musica e Spettacolo) in 2006 and continued her education with a Master’s degree in Theatre and Education from the University of Valencia (2007–2008), Spain. She collaborated for ten years with the Pantoteatro company in Madrid, working alongside Jose Quintana as a drama theory assistant. Her research focuses on twentieth-century theatre and the pedagogical dynamics applied to the stage, integrating historical and methodological perspectives. She speaks Italian, Spanish, English, and French.
Noa Zatta
Teacher
An Italian-Swiss actress, her international artistic career includes cinema, theatre, and television. She began her training at the Laboratorio Teatrale Permanente of the Numeriprimi company in Parma, participating in numerous productions from a young age. She continued her studies in Italy with the Professional Course in Film Acting at Studio Cinema in Verona, gaining experience in various theatre companies. She studied at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, enriching her career with ensemble and contemporary theatre experiences. Professionally, she is known for her roles in Gabriele Salvatores’ films “Il Ragazzo Invisibile” and “il Ragazzo Invisibile – Seconda Generazione”, as well as for her participation in television series such as “Un Passo dal Cielo 8” and “Non Uccidere 2”. She has appeared in numerous short films and plays. She speaks Italian, English and German.
Hector Arroyo
Teacher
Producer, singer, actor, and announcer. He studied Computer Systems Engineering at the Technological Institute of Monterrey, Mexico. He holds a Master’s Degree from the Latin American Association for Human Development (ALADEH). He has been a professor at the Winter School for the Performing Arts Show Production Company in Guatemala. He has been a yoga teacher for the YMCA and a retreat and seminar leader. In 1980, he debuted with the Broadway Ballet and sang at events for DIVE AC. He was a member of the XII World Film Review Ballet (ACA-1987). He made his stage debut in the musical comedy “Cats”. For his performance in the most awarded musical in the history of theatre in Mexico, “Singing in the Rain”, he received 3 awards as Best Actor in Musical Comedy 1995. He returned to Mexico to star in the musical “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. He subsequently performed in numerous shows and musicals in Mexico, the United States, and Italy, where he currently resides. In 2022, he performed the “Tutto per Amore” concert at Castelletto Music Garden. He continues to perform both domestically and internationally. He is a vocal coach, teacher of singing, vocalization, and musical comedy techniques.
Giorgio Orsini
Teacher
A computer science professional born in Pisa in 1960, he has pursued his passion for theatre since the 1980s, first with training courses on diction and voice and body expression at the Sant’Andrea Cultural Center in Pisa, then with acting, directing, and, in particular, with play/theatre entertainment activities and as an educator and director of engaging workshops and shows for children, teens, and adolescents. Since 2005, as a theatre educator and coordinator in the youth centers of Legnano (Milan), he has designed and led theatre-related educational and artistic programs (over 30 projects in total) open to children, pre-teens, teens, adolescents, and young adults. The goal is to promote the techniques and values of theatre, educate and communicate on issues relevant to different age groups (bullying, integration, responsibility, diversity, friendship, respect, etc.), and stage theatrical performances. Since 2024, as an external expert, he has led theatre projects in middle schools in Magnago (Milan). Since 2025, he has collaborated with the Compagnia dei Gelosi. In 2025, he began collaborating with the Jose Quintana School.