Elevate Your Craft with FSWW Online Academy Cohort Classes
Join a leading academy in Theater and Film for exclusive courses designed for professionals.
Advance your career with immersive online training, taught by industry icons. Unlock new creative heights and connect with a global network of entertainment professionals.
Why Choose FSWW Online Academy?
Discover what sets our courses apart and how they can transform your career in entertainment.
FSWW Online Academy offers a unique blend of hands-on learning, real-world projects, and direct mentorship from acclaimed industry leaders. Our curriculum is designed for working professionals who demand practical, actionable skills to stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of theater and film.
Explore Our Current Cutting-Edge Courses
Prof. Vera Katz's What Makes a Good Play 2.0: How to Analyze a Play
Learn to break down any script using the same tools Broadway directors use—Aristotle's framework and the Five C's of dramatic structure.
Xavier Mikal's Self Tape Conversion Code: From Tape to Callback
Nail professional self-tape technique with whatever equipment you have. Learn framing, lighting, slating, and editing—then walk away with a submission-ready reel.
Learn from Industry Leaders
Our courses are taught by acclaimed directors, actors, and writers with years of experience.
Meet our faculty of award-winning professionals who have shaped major productions on stage and screen. Their mentorship ensures you gain practical insights, industry connections, and the confidence to excel in your creative journey.
Instructors We Work With
Prof. Emerita Vera J. Katz
Vera J. Katz is a Professor Emerita from Howard University in the Department of Theatre Arts where she taught both acting and directing for 32 years. For 24 years, she had also been a faculty member of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in acting. She has directed more than 50 productions, originally working under the producer, Joe Hyman of the famed playwright-director-author, Moss Hart, on Broadway. She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Brooklyn College, an MFA in Directing and Acting from Boston University, and has studied Film at both the University of Southern California and the University of California/Extension. She has taught such notables as Debbie Allen, Anthony Anderson, Chadwick Boseman, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson, Isaiah Johnson, Jayme Lawson, Phylicia Rashad, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Fredericka Whitfield, Lynn Whitfield and Isaiah Washington. She has published numerous articles in Black Masks Magazine and her book: A KATZ WALK: A TOOLBOX OF TECHNIQUES FOR ACTORS AND DIRECTORS has just been revised and will soon be available.
Professor Xavier Mikal
Working Actor, Director & MFA. Professor X doesn't just teach acting—he books roles, directs productions, and trains actors. His Credits: Lead role in THE PACT, a 12-episode limited series (Telly Award winner, streaming on YouTube). Featured in SHIRLEY starring Regina King (Netflix). Multiple film credits streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi. Stage credits include August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II and Martin Luther King Jr. in Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP (performed at the International Black Theatre Festival). His Teaching: Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from University of Louisville (where he also taught as a professor for 2 years). Currently teaches Acting for Camera at Trilith Studios—one of the largest production facilities in North America where Marvel films, Black Panther, and major Netflix productions are shot. 8 years teaching experience across all age groups at Alliance Theatre, University of Louisville, and Trilith Studios.
Kristiana Rae Colón
is a poet, playwright, actor, educator, Cave Canem Fellow, creator of #BlackSexMatters, and co-director of the #LetUsBreathe Collective. She was awarded the 2017 Best Black Playwright by The Black Mall. Past works include Good Friday (world premiere Oracle Productions, 2016), Octagon (world premiere Arcola Theatre, London, 2015; American premiere Jackalope Theatre, 2016), but I cd only whisper (world premiere Arcola Theatre, London, 2012; American premiere The Flea, New York, 2016). In 2013, she toured the UK for two months with her collection of poems Promised Instruments, winner of the inaugural Drinking Gourd Poetry Prize and published by Northwestern University Press. Kristiana is an alum of the Goodman Theatre's Playwrights Unit, where she developed her play Florissant & Canfield, which debuted at the University of Illinois-Chicago in February 2018. Her play Tilikum opened in June 2018 with Sideshow Theater and was the winner of Outstanding New Play at the ALTA Awards. She is a resident playwright at Chicago Dramatists and one-half of the brother/sister hip-hop duo April Fools. She appeared on the fifth season of HBO's Def Poetry Jam. Kristiana’s writing, producing, and organizing work to radically reimagine power structures, our complicity in them, and visions for liberation.
Chisa Hutchinson
(B.A. Vassar College; M.F.A NYU - TSoA) has presented her plays, which include She Like Girls, Somebody’s Daughter, Surely Goodness & Mercy, Whitelisted and Dead & Breathing at such venues as Alley Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, Contemporary American Theater Fest, the National Black Theatre, Second Stage, and Arch 468 in London. Her radio drama, Proof of Love, can be found on Audible (with a boss rating). She’s been a New Dramatist, a Dramatists Guild Fellow, a Lark Fellow, a Humanitas Fellow, a NeoFuturist, and a staff writer for the Blue Man Group. Chisa has also won a GLAAD Award, a Lilly Award, two New York Innovative Theatre Awards, a Helen Merrill Award, and the Lanford Wilson Award for her work in theater. She’s been staffed on two television series—Three Women (Starz) and Tell Me Lies (Hulu). Her first original feature, THE SUBJECT (starring Jason Biggs and Aunjanue Ellis), in which a white documentarian deals with the moral fallout from exploiting the death of a black teen, has won over 30 festival circuit prizes.
Exclusive Benefits for Enrollees
Gain access to resources, networking opportunities, and more when you enroll.
Personalized feedback from industry mentors
Exclusive access to live Q&A sessions
Private community for networking
Priority invitations to virtual events
Ready to Start Your Journey?
Enroll today and take the first step towards mastering your craft in Theater and Film.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the instructors?
All courses are led by award-winning directors, actors, and producers with extensive industry experience.
Are the courses live?
Yes, our courses are live cohorts that meet on a regular basis.
Is there a certificate upon completion?
Yes, you will receive a digital certificate upon successful completion.
Can I network with other students?
Absolutely. Enrollees gain access to a private online community for networking and collaboration.
What is the refund policy?
After Session 1, if you don’t believe this program will help you, email us within 48 hours for a full refund—no questions asked. No refunds after 48 hours.
Have more questions? Contact us for personalized assistance.
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