Our Mission

We are a film and theatre academy for artistic teens and young adults eager to participate in the advanced study of film and theatre acting, directing and writing. A Theatre Near U offers training in these disciplines at a level not found elsewhere in our community. It is a place where those who take their craft seriously can work with peers equally devoted and passionate.

Our Team

Tanna Herr - Producer/Director

Tanna Herr began her theatrical career at the age of nine, delivering a stellar performance as the hindquarters of Cinderella’s horse. Since this auspicious debut she’s never looked back. Tanna received her Bachelor Degree at UCLA’s department of Theatre Arts, earning commendations for directing and stage-managing. After graduating she acted professionally for many years, her first speaking role in the Michael J. Fox cult-classic, Teen Wolf. She continued acting in television and commercials with such actors as Andy Griffith and Martin Sheen. She performed in many stage plays as well, including a six-month Drama-Logue award-winning run of Charles Gordone’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, No Place to be Somebody. Tanna then pursued her passion for directing by completing The American Film Institute’s prestigious masters directing program. Tanna’s short film, Mr. Willard Swallows a Fly, took her around the world to international film festivals, winning several awards along the way for Best Comedy Short. Her favorite stop was at the BBC short film festival in London (because they had the best tea). Currently, Tanna resides in the San Francisco Bay Area where she has directed over 50 plays and musicals. She is thrilled to be directing and producing thought provoking theatre and film for A Theatre Near U.

Tony Kienitz - Artistic Director

Tony Kienitz once placed sixth in Dramatic Interpretation at a National Forensic League tournament held in Alhambra, California (and he has the swell plaque to prove it.) But impressive examples of Tony’s exploits and derring-do don’t end there. By the time he’d left UCLA’s theatre arts program to join The Grove Shakespeare Company, Tony had already acted/starred in nearly twenty student films, most notably, The Last Chance Dance (directed by his long-time colleague, Phil Joanou, and often considered one of the best student films ever made). Soon thereafter Hollywood beckoned and Tony spent a decade working primarily in film and TV, sharing screen time with the likes of Jack Lemmon, Carrie Fisher, William H. Macy and Kevin Bacon (yes, Tony is one degree away). His biggest credit of that era was a starring role in one of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories episodes, “Hell Toupee,” (directed by Irvin Kershner). It was also during this period that Tony began to write. To make a long story short, cut-to-the-chase, get in late—get out early, Tony has since written numerous plays and screenplays, spent years as a feature writer for the Los Angeles Times, had a multi-year stint as editor of the magazine, California Gardener, and penned the quirky, off-beat gardening book, The Year I Ate My Yard. All of these diverse experiences have led Tony back to his theatre roots, wherein, since the early days of the Obama presidency, he has partnered with his wife to direct, write and produce theatre.

Student Testimonials

“A Theatre Near U was a singular theatrical experience. A unique process, it gave me the privilege of becoming a part of the creation of a new and exciting work from its inception, having access to superb personal coaching, and working closely with a great many talented peers who, over the course of the season, became family. It was, truly, a profound pleasure and honor to be a part of ATNU.”


- Aaron Slipper, Harvard University



“A Theatre Near U is a wonderful theatre company. They put on professional quality shows with amazing performances by young local actors and there is an incredible amount of passion and heart that goes into their productions. They are an invaluable addition to our community.”


– Shayan Hooshmand, Columbia University



“A Theatre Near U has given me a running start in my acting journey. ATNU provided me the unique, invaluable experience of originating the role of Alice in the company’s original musical Body of Water. As opportunities to workshop and perform in original works are almost nonexistent at the high school level, ATNU provides high school theatre students like myself an invaluable glimpse into the professional process of creating an original work. I know I can apply everything I have learned at ATNU to my pursuit of theatre in college and beyond.”


– Alia Cuadros-Contreras, NYU Tisch



“The filmmaking course provided me with deep insight on the true meaning of visual storytelling, allowing me to explore even more techniques and ideas to further improve my filmmaking experience.”


– Juan Santos, UCLA



Board of Directors


  • Tanna Herr (President)
  • Karen DeHart (Treasurer)
  • Kathleen Woods (Secretary)
  • Sharon Ridge
  • Susan Waschler
  • Tracy Winters