DAMATO Faculty

RESIDENT DIRECTOR

Brennan is a director, actor, writer, teaching artist, and proud Bay Area native. Recent work includes Sweeney Todd (Director) at the Throckmorton Theatre, Shrek (AD) and Matilda (AD) at the Presidio Theatre. 

He graduated with honors from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a BFA in Drama and trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. As an actor, Brennan has performed with A.C.T., Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Word For Word, Marin Theatre, and Marin Shakespeare Company, among others.

SFBATCC Winner: Actor In A Leading Role. Member, AEA (Actor’s Equity).

RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER

Kathryn is a performer, choreographer, and teaching artist from the Bay Area she earned her BA in Musical Theatre from California State University, Chico and moved to NYC after college and continued studying dance at Steps & BDC.  

Kathryn is an Equity actress and has performed in numerous regional productions across the country, and has been lucky enough to serve as Dance Captain on a handful of them.

She’s choreographed at various Bay Area high schools and arts programs, as well as teaching dance at Academy of American Dance, Zohar, and Brisbane Dance Workshop.

FOUNDER & VOCAL COACH

McKenna Troy leads DAMATO Performance School with a focus on creating high-level artistic experiences for adults. Her work is grounded in the belief that adult artists deserve serious training, strong direction, and the opportunity to create work they are genuinely proud of— without having to be full time professional musicians.

She works closely with singers of all backgrounds as a vocal coach, helping them develop voices that are strong, expressive, and consistent in performance.

She has performed internationally, bringing a practical, performance-based perspective into her work in both the studio and rehearsal room. Her approach is shaped by her background in vocal performance, education, and design at Northwestern University.

VOCAL COACH

Monica Rose Slater is a Brazilian-American singer, actor, and educator based in San Francisco. Since her cross country move from Virginia in 2021, she has performed roles across the Bay: San Francisco Playhouse, Oakland Theater Project, Word for Word, New Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Playhouse, and many more. She received San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle nominations in 2025 for Ghost Quartet and in 2026 for Annunciation.

Monica holds a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied opera and musical theater. She earned her Bachelor of Music from James Madison University, where she was an Honors Scholar. Additional studies include the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and recognition as a 2021 Fulbright Semi-Finalist for the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. 

Monica is also passionate about producing Latine works. In 2025, she helped found Teatro de las Tias and produced and starred in Two Sisters and a Piano by Nilo Cruz as a Theater Bay Area Cash Grant recipient. She also produced and starred in the United States premiere of the Brazilian chamber opera Domitila in 2021. 

Monica is deeply committed to creating welcoming, artistically rich spaces for singers of all backgrounds. She believes every can (and should!) sing.