Theatre Arts Alumni
Outstanding Theatre Arts Graduates
Omar Benson Miller
Omar Benson Miller is an American actor. He is known for his work as Walter Simmons
on CSI: Miami, as Charles Greane on Ballers, as the voice of Raphael on Rise of the
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and its 2022 film, and on the CBS comedy series The Unicorn.
Other films include 8 Mile, Miracle at St. Anna and Shall We Dance. He received his
BA in Theatre Arts from San Jose State University where he participated in numerous
stage and film projects.
Kaleena Zanders
A graduate of Theatre Arts at SJSU, Kaleena Zanders is a beloved vocalist who has
worked with highly acclaimed artists such as Fatum, Morgan Page, AC Slater, Jayceeoh,
Breathe Carolina, Dropgun, & Loud Luxury. She is best known in the Big Room scene
but has made recent strides into the Techno scene. She has taken the stage in music
festivals such as: EDC, Coachella, and more. Her voice and acting were featured in
the 2000 production of Love’s Fire.
Amy Lizardo
At the Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Maria in Twelfth Night;Freddie, Dino Kid, Mrs.
Wezzyfig, and Ensemble in It's Christmas, Carol!; Trinculo and Ensemble in The Tempest;
Mo, Chorus, and Ensemble in Mother Road; Adriana and Ensemble in La Comedia of Errors.
Other theatres: Swing in Real Women Have Curves: The Musical (American Repertory Theatre);
Kid in Red Bike (Center Repertory Company); Georgie Burns in Heisenberg (Rogue Theatre
Company); Anne Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, Hawkins in Men on Boats, Handsome Carl
in The Unfortunates (American Conservatory Theatre); Self in Simple Gifts, Cypher
in Once Upon a Rhyme (workshop, Theatreworks); Juana in Quixote Nuevo; Ariel in The
Tempest (California Shakespeare Theater); Costard in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Marin Shakespeare
Company); Ishmael in Moby Dick (workshop), Clara in Party People (Berkeley Repertory
Theatre); Mehr in The Rules, Marcy in Dogfight (San Francisco Playhouse); Yitzhak
in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Boxcar Theatre); Gower in Pericles, Tranio in The Taming
of the Shrew (San Francisco Shakespeare Festival); Sarah in Hundred Days (Z Space).
Amy has her MA in Theatre Arts where she performed in Big Love, Luis Valdez’s The
Mummified Deer and Urinetown.
