Cristina Pla-Guzman was honored as a 2016 Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inpirational Teacher. She has been working in the theatre for the last fifteen years. She has her Masters in Education and Bachelor in Fine Arts and graduated Magna cum Laude in Acting from Florida International University. She studied Dialects and Voice with Lesley-Ann Timlick, Music Theatre with Elise Augenblick, and Movement with Katherine Kramer. She has taken part in the Collaboration Workshop with Allison Bergman from Carnegie Mellon, and a Performance Art Workshop with Sayda Trujillo from Dell’ Arte. She has performed in several productions. Her favorites include “Cabaret” where she played Fräulein Kost, “Urinetown” where she played Penelope Pennywise, “Tartuffe” where she played Madam Pernelle, and “Hair”: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical where she played Sunshine. She one day would love to own her own theatre.
Her educational theatre credits include membership in the Theatre Education Association and International Thespian Society Troupe Sponsor. She is also a member of the South Florida Theatre League, Florida Association of Theatre Educators as well as Dade Association of Theatre Educators.
Cristina received Teacher of the Year 2012- 2013, Nova Southeastern University’s Cervantes Educator Award, and an Award for Outstanding Service in Theatre from Florida International University. Cristina was also awarded the 2016 Top-Notch teacher by the national Varsity Brands' School Spirit Awards as well as a Dedication and Achievement award by the Miami Lakes Town Council in 2016.