Our Mission
MTCA is proud to be the leader in developing the next generation of performing artists. Our personalized team approach, expertly pairing students and coaches, applies our uniquely comprehensive knowledge of the college audition process to deliver a proven track record of artistic acceptances.
MTCA is led by Directors Leo Ash Evens and Charlie Murphy, both BFA graduates of Carnegie Mellon University (with degrees in Musical Theater and Acting respectively). Leo and Charlie are passionately active in the arts and believe that training is the foundation for sustaining a successful career as a thriving artist.
MTCA was founded in 2005 by Ellen Lettrich, and Leo and Charlie carry forward our shared vision utilizing over 20 years of collective experience in college audition preparation.
MTCA is headquartered in New York City, where its commitment to in-person events has returned in full-force after navigating the difficulty of the pandemic. We also have an in-person presence across the country, specifically featuring a strong hub in Southern California.
In addition to our in-person offerings, MTCA has built a robust virtual training option which we have used for over 15 years to successfully train students all over the country and around the world.
We offer training to meet your needs, whether that is exclusively in-person, exclusively on Zoom, or in a personalized hybrid model that maximizes your time, geography, and budget.
For every step of the process from college advising to artistic development, we’ve got you.
Leo Ash Evens
MTCA Director
BFA in Musical Theatre, Carnegie Mellon
AEA and SAG – AFTRA
He/Him
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Leo is a Carnegie Mellon graduate with a BFA in Musical Theatre. Entering his 13th year with college prep, Leo balances and integrates a diversity of artistic disciplines, drawing from years of professional experience as an actor, voiceover artist, and educator. Leo infuses his students with the tools and confidence to prepare for successful college auditions. Most recently, Leo completed a year and a half long run with School of Rock on Broadway. Other B’way credits: Shuffle Along (starring Audra McDonald) and Jesus Christ Superstar. Off-Broadway: Jasper in Deadland, Finks at the Ensemble Studio Theatre, Wanda’s World, & Ionescapade: The Works of Eugene Ionesco at The York. He’s played Riff in West Side Story on The West End, 50th Anniversary US Tour, Houston TUTS, Barrington Stage, & NCT. National Tours include 42nd Street, Disney’s On The Record, & Casper The Musical, starring Chita Rivera. Select credits: Black Stache in Peter And the Starcatcher (Pioneer), Emcee in Cabaret (Houston TUTS & The Arvada Center), & Tulsa in Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone (Chicago Ravinia Festival). National Voice Overs: Siemens Technology, Monster, Sharp, Foster Grants, JC Penney, V8, & more. IG: @leoashevens. www.leoashevens.com
Charlie Murphy
MTCA Director
BFA in Acting, Carnegie Mellon
AEA
He/Him
Charlie is a native Pittsburgher and a proud graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied Acting. As an actor, Charlie has performed for the NY Public Theatre’s “Shakespeare in the Park” (All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure), the Pearl Theatre Company (Richard II), the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (King Lear, The Three Musketeers, Romeo and Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost), The Shakespeare Theatre of DC (Richard II, Henry V, As You Like It, Mrs. Warren’s Profession), Middlebury Actor’s Workshop (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof), The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina (The Unexpected Guest), and the Chautauqua Theatre Company (Much Ado About Nothing, Vaidehi, Ah, Wilderness!).
Along with MTCA coaches Ryan Quinn and Katie Hartke, Charlie co-founded and is the Managing Director of Esperance Theater Company — a company that produces classical-based work here in NYC. With Esperance, Charlie has performed in 12th Night, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Breitwisch Farm. As a teacher, Charlie has been working with MTCA for over 17 years, where he is now a Director of the company along with Leo Ash Evens. Charlie also teaches Acting and College Audition Prep for the Performing Arts Project (TPAP), where he is on faculty each summer. He has also taught for Texas State University, the City University of New York, and the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. As a Teacher and Director, he is able to do two of his favorite things in life: help students to find their authentic selves as artists, and help them find their best fit for their collegiate journey. Charlie also hosts the “Mapping The College Audition” podcast, where he continues that work, and helps demystify this daunting audition process.
Charlie is also the proud father to a precocious toddler, partner to an amazing Tony-nominated + Grammy-winning Actress, and a humble Broadway Softball League champion.
Ellen Lettrich
Founder
MS, CCC-SLP in Speech Pathology, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh
She/Her
Ellen Lettrich is the Founder of MTCA and the Founder and current Executive Director of The Fund for College Auditions, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports low-income students from underrepresented groups throughout their college audition process. Ellen has been a theatre educator focusing on the college audition process since 1999. She is also a licensed speech pathologist who specializes in voice and in this role has been Assistant Vocal Coach for Matilda on Broadway and Vocal Coach for Hand to God both on Broadway and off. She loves her continued work with MTCA as a voice analyst and resident Coaching Team Grandma.
20+
Years of Consistent, Superlative Results
96%
of Students Accepted At Audition-Based Programs from 2005-2021
221
Different Audition-Based Program Admissions
Our Team
MTCA has built a network of experts in each element of the college audition process to help you at every step along the way. Every coach on our team is a professional working artist with an undeniable passion for guiding the next generation. Our coaches have attended competitive programs across the country and are eager to demystify the process for our students. The MTCA roster of teaching artists have worked on Broadway, Off Broadway, National Tours, Film and TV, and beyond.
Our Core Values
- MTCA has created an unparalleled team approach which provides artistic, organizational, strategic, and psychological guidance from your personalized team.
- We believe in helping you find your path. Your journey. Your school. Your fit.
- We foster an individualized process to help you discover material that speaks to your authentic self, from the inside out, not from the outside in.
- We develop a balanced college list, based upon your interests, strengths, and development.
- We coach you to be psychologically strong throughout the process and at each audition. How do you wholeheartedly commit? How do you handle multitasking and stress?
Our Commitment to Equity & Inclusion
MTCA is committed to being an inclusive and anti-racist organization, and does not accept racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, or discrimination of any kind toward our students, our parents, or our coaches. Above all, we prioritize the safety and well-being of our community and strive to provide an equitable space for all.
Benefits of Being an MTCA Student
MTCA gives you access to many artistic, organizational, and networking benefits including:
- Complimentary Warm-Ups at NYC, Chicago, and LA Unifieds
- Complimentary Green Room with MTCA Directors and Coaches to celebrate, digest, and refresh students in between their auditions in all 3 Unified cities
- Complimentary End-of-Year Consults to discuss and review acceptances, share guidance on school programs, and help articulate your goals
- Our coaches’ on-going meaningful relationships with college faculty members and industry professionals allow you to receive the best college prep guidance in the business
- Inclusion in private Student and Parent Facebook Groups to get support, tips, and updates from the MTCA Community
- Supplemental resources for all your audition needs including headshot and resume prep, discounts on headshots/videography sessions, and more
- Long-lasting community and mentorship that extends beyond the audition process and into your professional career
- Access to privately scheduled Auditions (both Walk-In and applied) exclusive to MTCA students
