Theater Instructors' Bios

Michael Mawuena Awusie (Director/Acting Instructor) Mr. Awusie owes his passion for the theater to the years he spent nurturing his talent at the Harbor Conservatory of Performing Arts. He began acting in “straight to video” commercials (Ovaltine and a PSA) at the age of five, but it wasn't until he enrolled in a beginning acting class at the age of 10 that he learned the art of the craft. Attending the Conservatory until the age of seventeen, Mr. Awusie had the good fortune of working with and being challenged by many talented and gifted peers and teachers. As a teenager, Michael apprenticed with Bertin Rowser at The Rye Arts Center. This experience, combined with his experiences as a student at Talent Unlimited Performing Arts High School, and as a political artist at Vassar College, has cemented Mr. Awusie's connection with the theater. Mr. Awusie has directed The Rye Arts Center's Musical Theater Program since the summer of 2008. He looks forward to helping young students recognize their passion in their own lives.