Relana Luss

Relana Gerami - Luss is the former Founder and Executive/Artistic Director of The National Award Winning Bay Area Theatre And Voice Academy (BATAVA) in League City, Texas from 2007 - 2016. She currently runs Luss Vocal Studio (www.lussvocalstudio.com) from her home in Katy, as well as teaches private voice lessons for schools in Lamar Consolidated ISD.

In 2010, Relana was selected as an inaugural recipient of the prestigious Freddie Gershon Master Teacher Award for excellence in Musical Theatre Education from Music Theatre International and iTheatrics. She was able to work and study with Tony award winners Director Jeff Calhoun, writers of Hairspray The Musical, Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman and Baayork Lee. (Original Cast A Chorus Line) Relana has also worked with Tim McDonald, Steven Kennedy, Marty Johnson and Cindy Ripley of iTheatrics while she owned and operated BATAVA.

She has directed over 70 productions and has had many successful students go on to work professionally, such as Maddie Baillio, who starred as Tracy Turnblad in NBC’s production of Hairspray Live and most recently as Millie in the Netflix Original movie Dumplin’. Students under Ms. Relana’s direction have won numerous individual and group awards and honors including: The Great American Songbook Competition, Tommy Tune Awards & Nominations, UIL One Act All Stars, Junior Theatre Festival Outstanding Productions, JTF Outstanding Music Production, JTF All-Stars, JTF Outstanding Male Performers, JTF Outstanding Female Slam Performer, Classical Singer Scholarships and numerous Texas All State Choir members. Her students have been accepted (with scholarships) to some of the most prestigious undergraduate and graduate Voice and Musical Theatre programs across the country.

Relana is no stranger to the stage, having performed in various musicals in a wide variety of community and professional stages. Some of her favorite roles include Margaret White from Carrie the Musical , Mr. Pennywise from Urinetown as well as Ms. Mona Stangley in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas just to name a few. She continues to audition at various Houston based Theatre Companies when the opportunity arises.