My Grad School Application [lengthy post]
Posted: January 5th, 2011, 8:57 pm
I just finished and turned in my grad school application for UT. If I get in, and that's a pretty big IF, it will either be for an MFA in Directing or Drama and Theatre for Youth. Here is part of what I turned into them. It is heavily improv related. It's long cause that's what they wanted but there's some good stuff here I think.
Statement of Purpose
I believe theatre instruction should be an integral part of every child's academic journey because it provides an opportunity for self-expression and the experience of membership in a community. Therefore, one of my goals in applying for the DTY program is to gain a better understanding of the psychology of adolescence. I want to learn how to better navigate teenage students' emotions and facilitate their goals during what is a sensitive developmental period. My hope is that after an MFA at UT, I will be better equipped to inspire young practitioners of theatre to take ownership of their work and to understand that they are important pieces of a bigger puzzle, not only as cast members in a production, but as members of the society in which they live.
As a theatre teacher at the high school or college level, I would like to produce work for which the experience of learning the art form through rehearsal and play is just as important as the final product, if not more. I would bring my background from the improvisational theatre world into my teaching so as to strengthen students' scripted work as well as expose them to the transformative power of practicing improv. I, myself, have literally grown up on improv, from watching it on TV in the 1980s, to becoming the executive producer of one of the nation's largest festivals showcasing every type of improv. The improvisational arts have positively impacted my growth as an artist, teacher, and human being. On a fundamental level, improv requires listening to your partner, committing to your choices, saying yes to the universe, and working as a group. Because I believe the guidelines for good improv translate well to one's interactions with the world, they would inform my daily instruction and rapport with students. As a teacher, my objective would be to help students bring their ideas to fruition rather than advancing my own.
I enjoy theatre that is raw and ephemeral. I love the fact that actors who are improvising are themselves a walking, talking microcosm of the theatre process; they are the writers, directors, and actors of every show in real time. As the ensemble moves through a narrative, all mistakes are on display and immediately incorporated into a story. In my work, whether it is improvised or scripted, I gravitate toward and respond to honesty, risk, innovation, vulnerability and a palpable connection with the audience. In my mind, successful theatre, as with all art, creates a mirror that shows the audience some aspect of itself that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Every ephemeral art piece is reflective of the synergy between one particular audience and cast at one particular time. The raw and simple nature of the type of theatre I most enjoy makes it feel accessible. I want everyone to come away with the impression that performing is within their reach, and is not just the purview of people of a certain class, look, or even talent level.
While I value pushing boundaries in concept and execution, I also place a high premium on maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect and emotional safety. Actors should respect each other, as well as the input of supporting staff--the designers, stage crew, and director. In addition to being a community bonding experience for students, a successful production should expose them to wide-ranging aspects of the human condition. Playing characters different from themselves increases their capacity for empathy. It is important that the young adults whom teachers touch have a useful understanding of themselves and the world around them by the time they exit our classrooms. The skills acquired through the practice and performance of theatre will directly apply to their future lives.
With ever-increasing challenges to funding for the arts in schools, and a disturbing erosion of the importance of the humanities in our public institutions, I fear that our society is heading in the wrong direction. The school system is constrained by standardized testing and economics, such that our students miss out on the richness and diversity of a truly inter-disciplinary approach to education. By becoming a teacher, I hope to explore the many virtues of theatre with a wide range of students. My place in the world, albeit small, is to facilitate other people's growth, through the performance and consumption of great art.
Writing Sample - Unit Plan
5-week Beginner’s Improv Unit Plan - by Jeremy Lamb
Overview
The purpose of this 5-week unit plan is to introduce adolescent students to the fundamental concepts of improv (i.e., acceptance of failure, importance of ensemble, mechanics of scene-work and storytelling, character development, getting out of one’s head) through exercises, short lectures, and scene work. Each class is 3 hours long and will occur once a week. However, it could be broken down further into smaller pieces given certain circumstances. Please note that a 20-minute period of warm-ups (some of which are listed here) is built into each class.
Rationale
Every adolescent should have access to a basic understanding of the tenants of improv as it will greatly improve their social skills, their ability to think on their feet, and their sense of self worth. It is also beneficial to show children their innate narrative ability of which they may not be aware. Engaging in storytelling plugs them into a common thread of humanity that transcends characteristics that tend to separate people.
Objectives
By the end of the 6-week class period, students will be able to
... speak and interact with each other and strangers more effectively
... demonstrate their understanding of the basic building blocks of an improvised scene
... demonstrate their understanding of a basic structure that many narratives follow
... develop characters on the fly
... utilize better methods of coping with failure when it occurs
... recognize they are an important part of a greater whole
... have a better grasp of what an audience sees and what an audience wants
Assessment
The attainment of these objectives will be informally assessed as the classes unfold, but also in a graduation performance open to their friends and family. The instructor should observe growth as each student becomes more comfortable with the group, more willing to play, and more open to taking risks and failing with grace.
CLASS 1
Failure acceptance - Approximately 20 minutes
Circus Bows - An explanation of the importance of accepting failure and a round robin where each student practices taking an over-exaggerated circus-type bow which they will proudly perform any time they feel they’ve failed throughout the course of the class.
Battleship Horseshoe - A counting game where players swap spots and revel in each others mistakes with several variations on difficulty, this game is great for celebrating failure, sharpening focus, and producing laughs.
Names - Approximately 20 minutes
Alliterative Names - In a circle, each member of the class gives us an adjective and a matching action that alliterates with their first name, such as Silly Sally or Mad Michael. After each person announces theirs, the circle repeats it together, in action and vocalization.
Names Circle - A swapping game that helps with learning names and gets the blood flowing.
Ensemble - Approximately 20 minutes
I’m Cool and So are You - This is a great game for quickly getting to know facts and trivia about the other member’s of the group, strengthening ensemble right off the bat, and showing people they have things in common where they may have thought they did not.
Getting out of your head - Approximately 40 minutes
Word Association - Just like what it sounds, they are several variations on associating right away with the first thing that pops into your head. These games are great for removing social filters, training reaction times, and sharpening focus.
Soundball - A vocal and physical warm-up that gets people listening, mimicking, and moving.
Story Basics - Approximately 30 minutes
Once Upon a Time... - This is a perfect training wheel for introducing the basic structure of a story and showing students how easy it is tell stories well. There should be a fair amount of stopping and discussion about what worked in our stories and what did not.
3-Act Structure - This should be a brief lecture complete with diagrams or handouts that demonstrates the 3-Act structure from film screenplay writing that applies neatly to most of the narratives we encounter in typical storytelling.
CLASS 2
Names - Approximately 10 minutes
Opposite Names Circle - Same as Names Circle above with a slight variation that makes it even more difficult and fun.
Failure acceptance - Approximately 60 minutes
Bibbity Bibbity Bop - This is an intense warm-up game that encompasses nearly every guideline for improv with yesanding, listening, physicality, mischief, and invention. The game has so many variations as to make it one that should be played at every rehearsal with more and more constraints placed on it. The ultimate improv game that takes years to nearly master, only because mastery of bibbity bibbity bop is impossible due to its own built in evolution.
Enemy and Defender - A very physical game that is completely impossible to win and is actually more fun when you lose.
Tug of War - A mimed tug of war that demonstrates the resistance that beginning improvisers have to losing. This is very useful in breaking people of this fear and compulsion.
Poison Arm Samurai - A slow-motion version of an all out war between the students, this shows people that losing is inevitable and can be more fun that simply trying to always win, which has been bred into our personalities at an early age.
Getting out of your head - Approximately 80 minutes
Clap - This is as simple as clapping toward another player and making eye contact in a never ending loop, this teaches people to think less before making a decision. The rate of success in this game is very high positively training players to react faster.
Electric Company - A take-off on the Electric Company game in a circle, this gets people thinking less, working together, and listening. Several variations for speed and difficulty here, too.
HyperYes - Simple game where players play a scene where they say yes over-enthusiastically very often and see the effect that positivity and yesanding can bring to their work.
Counting Down - The group counts down together in a circle with each of their limbs rhythmically, this is really just about letting go, listening, and raising everyone’s energy levels.
CLASS 3
Scene Basics - Approximately 60 minutes
CROW(E) - Focusing on the basic building blocks for scene work, this is a brief lecture about the CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, Where) that each scene must have. The silent can represent Emotion, but this should only be introduced if the class seems to grasp the initial aspects of CROW easily.
Rolling Endowments - Players are instructed to quickly endow a partner after which the partner should accept that endowment, or offer, and add something.
3 and Out - A test for CROW, two players attempt to tell us what the CROW is for their scene through dialogue. After each scene start, we discuss if the aspects have been established.
Scene Work - Players do scenes in pairs for the class during which the director stops and starts them demonstrating the use of learned principles and introducing simple guidelines, some of which don’t have their own exercise dedicated to them.
Ensemble - Approximately 70 minutes
Mirrored Pairs - Classic mirror exercise in pairs where players are instructed to pay close attention to their partner and follow their lead.
Mirrored Triples - Same as above but with groups of three.
Group Mirror - The group, in a circle, attempts to mirror itself, each individual paying attention to everyone else via soft focus in the center of the circle. Students should be instructed to only follow the group and not introduce anything new.
Counting - This is the classic focus and ensemble building game where players count as high as they can without stepping over each other. Great for demonstrating focus and showing some players that they may be a little more active than others.
Only One Person Moving - A game where the group is completely still except for one person and when they stop only one other person must begin moving. Great for focus and teaching people to listen to the whole with their whole body all at once.
Scene Work - Approximately 30 minutes
This is the same as the scene work section above, but with the introduced and practiced concept of mantras.
Mantras - Actors play scenes together while they must repeat in their head a simple phrase or idea, such as, “I love you” or “I hate you.” This serves many functions but chiefly stops them from thinking too much while improvising. Variations include reciting an entire fairy tale repeatedly and giving actors an objective that is opposite to their mantra.
CLASS 4
Story Basics - Approximately 40 minutes
Word at a time story - In a circle, players are instructed to only give one word at a time for a story that the group is improvising. This can be seen as a more difficult version of One Upon a Time... seen above.
Platform and Tilt - This is a great game demonstrating the importance of exposition in a scene. A successful tilt, cannot exist without a fully functional platform which involves establishing the CROW well.
Color and Advance - This game, done in partners helps the storyteller understand what the audience is thinking as the story is unfolding and allows for direct feedback while the narrative is being improvised.
Character Development - Approximately 50 minutes
Emotional Levels - Students play a scene while a director instructs them to adjust behavior based on a scale of 1-10 corresponding to their emotional intensity. Great for getting actors to go places they never thought they could or would, which is essential for full-bodied character development.
Character Prison - A jailor guards several cells of a prison where characters are pleading their case to be released. The jailor is instructed to only release prisoners who are genuine and believable.
People Suits - This is a somewhat meditative and lengthy exercise where students are taught to wear the mimed versions of people they know, whose body types are kept in a closet.
The Audience - Approximately 60 minutes
The King Game - One player is appointed King while the others attempt to entertain the King by whatever means available. A discussion afterwards reveals what worked and what didn’t and why.
Solo Exits - This is a somewhat advanced game that may not fit in a beginner class depending on the feel of the class, but essentially it is more direct feedback from the audience as to what is entertaining and what holds their attention.
See Yourself from the Side - This is basically body part meditation exercise where the students are asked to walk around the room, picturing very distinctly what it is they look like. The instructor may focus in on exact body parts by saying things such as, “How does your foot look when it lifts off from the floor?” It is really meant to give them a perspective from outside themselves.
Questions - What kinds of questions are we introducing into the audience’s minds when we improvise and how can we answer them effectively as we improvise?
Circle of Expectations - Related to genre, this small lecture is meant to show students that elements of a story that are introduced need to follow whatever has been established and feel as though it fits. Essentially, that an alien invasion would not have made sense in Field of Dreams for example.
CLASS 5
Scene Work - Approximately 90 minutes
Contact Jam - Approximately 40 minutes
Set to music, this is where the class uses the tenants of improv to move as a group without the benefit of speech. This can be done either with a partner, in a larger group, or even solo and members of the class will be encouraged to try all three of these iterations over the course of the 40 minutes. The hope is that the group reaches a meditative self-reflexive state where individuals are discovering new ways of moving and reacting to each other and the music. It should be noted that this exercise should not be attempted unless the group has reached a certain level of understanding and acceptance with each other and each other’s bodies.
Culminating Graduation Show
A curated, side-coached performance where the group chooses and performs games they’ve enjoyed playing throughout the class. This can be used as a final assessment to determine if a student has progressed and developed as they should.
Glossary
Ensemble - The idea that a group that knows itself and each of its parts better is better able to work together. It can also be the noun that represents the group.
Commitment - Manifested in several ways, this can refer to an actor’s willingness to stay in character, the full acceptance of other’s ideas, or the physical world of the scene that is being built.
Failure Acceptance - Failure is an unavoidable and completely normal consequence of improvising theatre. Students should learn to embrace failure and use their mistakes as gifts, incorporating
Getting Out of Your Head - An improviser who over-thinks every action is mired in their own self-editing traps, while one that reacts without hesitation keeps pace with the scene and creates more truthful and honest work.
Character Development - The improviser does not have the benefit of rewrites and feedback in a normal writing process, as it is all happening right then. We want to make the development of full-bodied characters part of the fundamentals because it is one of the hardest parts of improv to master.
The Audience - An important component of a beginner’s knowledge of improv, sharpening the actor’s awareness of the audience’s perspective improves their stage presence, confidence, and comedic timing.
Resume[b/]
Jeremy Lamb
___________________________________________________________________
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: Substantial experience teaching theater and improv to students from diverse backgrounds, hands-on experience with theater production at every level, life-long dedication to the promotion and development of the theatrical arts.
EDUCATION: The University of Texas at Austin - B.S., Radio-Television-Film
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Trinity School NYC, February 2010--Current
Performing Arts Technology Assistant/Faculty Advisor
♦Worked with students to design and run lights and audio for middle and upper school productions
♦Acted as faculty advisor for the Theatre Tech Club
♦Ran informal improvisational theatre rehearsals upper school students
♦Inventoried and maintained Performing Arts technology equipment
♦Updated the Performing Arts schedule of events via the school web site
Chicago Cares, Winter 2005
Instructor
♦Led weekend improv workshops for inner-city youth through a Chicago non-profit
♦Designed and implemented new curricula
Dayton Public Schools, Winter 2005
Artist-in-Residence
♦Designed and implemented instructional theatre workshops for middle and high school students
♦Differentiated curricula to meet the needs of special education students
♦Performed improvisational theatre shows for student audiences
The Hideout Theatre, 2000--2006
Lead Instructor/Curriculum Developer
♦Developed leveled curriculum for improv training center (beginner-advanced)
♦Led improv workshops for adult students culminating in performances
♦Taught pre-teen and teen students in an immersive day camp program
Dougherty Arts Center, Summer 2006
Theatre Instructor
♦Designed and implemented instructional theatre workshops for elementary students culminating in performances
♦Modified curriculum to accommodate students from a wide range of age and experience levels
School of Visual Arts NYC, May 2009--August 2009
Instructional Technologist Assistant
♦Designed and programmed Flash teaching tools for undergraduate arts students
PRODUCTION/DIRECTING EXPERIENCE:
Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, January 2002--Current
Founder/Executive Producer
♦Oversaw all aspects of an annual week-long comedic arts festival, now in its tenth year
♦Reviewed over 200 submissions and booked talent in the realms of improv, sketch, stand-up, and short films
♦Managed teams of technical staff for seven local venues
♦Supervised set construction, light hangs, and tech rehearsals
♦Managed a budget of approximately $40,000 for a non-profit corporation
♦Programmed the festival’s show blocks and educational workshops
♦Managed a staff of 35 year-round and seasonal employees
♦Oversaw communications with talent (over 450 performers in 2010)
♦Directed publicity and marketing via print and online media
♦Engaged in financial negotiation with various vendors, sponsors, and advertisers
The Public Theater, February 2010--Current
Production Assistant/Carpenter
♦Assisted all production departments--Scenery, Electrics, Audio, Costumes, Props, and Operations--for rehearsals and shows at a multi-venue arts organization in New York City
♦Transported equipment and construction materials between multiple theater spaces including the Delacorte Theater, home of Shakespeare in the Park
♦Represented the Public Theater in commercial interactions with local and out-of-state vendors while obtaining/returning rented production items
Available Cupholders Improv Comedy, June 2004--Current
Founder/Director/Performer
♦Oversaw all aspects of a national touring improvisational comedy show
♦Booked and produced shows at theaters, festivals, and colleges across the U.S. (over 100 shows in the first two years)
♦Directed rehearsals and performed in shows
♦Served as liaison between performers, technical crew, and venue staff
♦Managed an annual budget of approximately $35,000
♦Generated and launched a series of innovative formats
SketchFest NYC, January 2010--June 2010
Executive Producer
♦Oversaw all aspects of an annual weekend-long sketch comedy festival
♦Managed a team of technical staff members
♦Scheduled and supervised tech rehearsals
♦Reviewed over 130 submissions and booked over 20 sketch comedy groups
♦Managed a staff of 10 employees and approximately 20 volunteers
♦Programmed the festival’s show blocks and organized associated social gatherings
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE:
The Hideout Theatre, 1999--Current
Ensemble Player/Active Member
♦Rehearsed and performed with seven different improv and sketch comedy troupes over the course of ten years
♦Helped with programming, marketing, and decision-making for the organization
♦Assumed a leadership role in the growth and development of the Austin improv theater community
Backpack Picnic, May 2007--September 2008
Actor/Writer
♦Wrote, rehearsed, and filmed sketch comedy for an award-winning web series
♦Traveled and performed live in numerous festivals including Just for Laughs, San Francisco SketchFest, SketchFest NYC, and Chicago SketchFest
Statement of Purpose
I believe theatre instruction should be an integral part of every child's academic journey because it provides an opportunity for self-expression and the experience of membership in a community. Therefore, one of my goals in applying for the DTY program is to gain a better understanding of the psychology of adolescence. I want to learn how to better navigate teenage students' emotions and facilitate their goals during what is a sensitive developmental period. My hope is that after an MFA at UT, I will be better equipped to inspire young practitioners of theatre to take ownership of their work and to understand that they are important pieces of a bigger puzzle, not only as cast members in a production, but as members of the society in which they live.
As a theatre teacher at the high school or college level, I would like to produce work for which the experience of learning the art form through rehearsal and play is just as important as the final product, if not more. I would bring my background from the improvisational theatre world into my teaching so as to strengthen students' scripted work as well as expose them to the transformative power of practicing improv. I, myself, have literally grown up on improv, from watching it on TV in the 1980s, to becoming the executive producer of one of the nation's largest festivals showcasing every type of improv. The improvisational arts have positively impacted my growth as an artist, teacher, and human being. On a fundamental level, improv requires listening to your partner, committing to your choices, saying yes to the universe, and working as a group. Because I believe the guidelines for good improv translate well to one's interactions with the world, they would inform my daily instruction and rapport with students. As a teacher, my objective would be to help students bring their ideas to fruition rather than advancing my own.
I enjoy theatre that is raw and ephemeral. I love the fact that actors who are improvising are themselves a walking, talking microcosm of the theatre process; they are the writers, directors, and actors of every show in real time. As the ensemble moves through a narrative, all mistakes are on display and immediately incorporated into a story. In my work, whether it is improvised or scripted, I gravitate toward and respond to honesty, risk, innovation, vulnerability and a palpable connection with the audience. In my mind, successful theatre, as with all art, creates a mirror that shows the audience some aspect of itself that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. Every ephemeral art piece is reflective of the synergy between one particular audience and cast at one particular time. The raw and simple nature of the type of theatre I most enjoy makes it feel accessible. I want everyone to come away with the impression that performing is within their reach, and is not just the purview of people of a certain class, look, or even talent level.
While I value pushing boundaries in concept and execution, I also place a high premium on maintaining an atmosphere of mutual respect and emotional safety. Actors should respect each other, as well as the input of supporting staff--the designers, stage crew, and director. In addition to being a community bonding experience for students, a successful production should expose them to wide-ranging aspects of the human condition. Playing characters different from themselves increases their capacity for empathy. It is important that the young adults whom teachers touch have a useful understanding of themselves and the world around them by the time they exit our classrooms. The skills acquired through the practice and performance of theatre will directly apply to their future lives.
With ever-increasing challenges to funding for the arts in schools, and a disturbing erosion of the importance of the humanities in our public institutions, I fear that our society is heading in the wrong direction. The school system is constrained by standardized testing and economics, such that our students miss out on the richness and diversity of a truly inter-disciplinary approach to education. By becoming a teacher, I hope to explore the many virtues of theatre with a wide range of students. My place in the world, albeit small, is to facilitate other people's growth, through the performance and consumption of great art.
Writing Sample - Unit Plan
5-week Beginner’s Improv Unit Plan - by Jeremy Lamb
Overview
The purpose of this 5-week unit plan is to introduce adolescent students to the fundamental concepts of improv (i.e., acceptance of failure, importance of ensemble, mechanics of scene-work and storytelling, character development, getting out of one’s head) through exercises, short lectures, and scene work. Each class is 3 hours long and will occur once a week. However, it could be broken down further into smaller pieces given certain circumstances. Please note that a 20-minute period of warm-ups (some of which are listed here) is built into each class.
Rationale
Every adolescent should have access to a basic understanding of the tenants of improv as it will greatly improve their social skills, their ability to think on their feet, and their sense of self worth. It is also beneficial to show children their innate narrative ability of which they may not be aware. Engaging in storytelling plugs them into a common thread of humanity that transcends characteristics that tend to separate people.
Objectives
By the end of the 6-week class period, students will be able to
... speak and interact with each other and strangers more effectively
... demonstrate their understanding of the basic building blocks of an improvised scene
... demonstrate their understanding of a basic structure that many narratives follow
... develop characters on the fly
... utilize better methods of coping with failure when it occurs
... recognize they are an important part of a greater whole
... have a better grasp of what an audience sees and what an audience wants
Assessment
The attainment of these objectives will be informally assessed as the classes unfold, but also in a graduation performance open to their friends and family. The instructor should observe growth as each student becomes more comfortable with the group, more willing to play, and more open to taking risks and failing with grace.
CLASS 1
Failure acceptance - Approximately 20 minutes
Circus Bows - An explanation of the importance of accepting failure and a round robin where each student practices taking an over-exaggerated circus-type bow which they will proudly perform any time they feel they’ve failed throughout the course of the class.
Battleship Horseshoe - A counting game where players swap spots and revel in each others mistakes with several variations on difficulty, this game is great for celebrating failure, sharpening focus, and producing laughs.
Names - Approximately 20 minutes
Alliterative Names - In a circle, each member of the class gives us an adjective and a matching action that alliterates with their first name, such as Silly Sally or Mad Michael. After each person announces theirs, the circle repeats it together, in action and vocalization.
Names Circle - A swapping game that helps with learning names and gets the blood flowing.
Ensemble - Approximately 20 minutes
I’m Cool and So are You - This is a great game for quickly getting to know facts and trivia about the other member’s of the group, strengthening ensemble right off the bat, and showing people they have things in common where they may have thought they did not.
Getting out of your head - Approximately 40 minutes
Word Association - Just like what it sounds, they are several variations on associating right away with the first thing that pops into your head. These games are great for removing social filters, training reaction times, and sharpening focus.
Soundball - A vocal and physical warm-up that gets people listening, mimicking, and moving.
Story Basics - Approximately 30 minutes
Once Upon a Time... - This is a perfect training wheel for introducing the basic structure of a story and showing students how easy it is tell stories well. There should be a fair amount of stopping and discussion about what worked in our stories and what did not.
3-Act Structure - This should be a brief lecture complete with diagrams or handouts that demonstrates the 3-Act structure from film screenplay writing that applies neatly to most of the narratives we encounter in typical storytelling.
CLASS 2
Names - Approximately 10 minutes
Opposite Names Circle - Same as Names Circle above with a slight variation that makes it even more difficult and fun.
Failure acceptance - Approximately 60 minutes
Bibbity Bibbity Bop - This is an intense warm-up game that encompasses nearly every guideline for improv with yesanding, listening, physicality, mischief, and invention. The game has so many variations as to make it one that should be played at every rehearsal with more and more constraints placed on it. The ultimate improv game that takes years to nearly master, only because mastery of bibbity bibbity bop is impossible due to its own built in evolution.
Enemy and Defender - A very physical game that is completely impossible to win and is actually more fun when you lose.
Tug of War - A mimed tug of war that demonstrates the resistance that beginning improvisers have to losing. This is very useful in breaking people of this fear and compulsion.
Poison Arm Samurai - A slow-motion version of an all out war between the students, this shows people that losing is inevitable and can be more fun that simply trying to always win, which has been bred into our personalities at an early age.
Getting out of your head - Approximately 80 minutes
Clap - This is as simple as clapping toward another player and making eye contact in a never ending loop, this teaches people to think less before making a decision. The rate of success in this game is very high positively training players to react faster.
Electric Company - A take-off on the Electric Company game in a circle, this gets people thinking less, working together, and listening. Several variations for speed and difficulty here, too.
HyperYes - Simple game where players play a scene where they say yes over-enthusiastically very often and see the effect that positivity and yesanding can bring to their work.
Counting Down - The group counts down together in a circle with each of their limbs rhythmically, this is really just about letting go, listening, and raising everyone’s energy levels.
CLASS 3
Scene Basics - Approximately 60 minutes
CROW(E) - Focusing on the basic building blocks for scene work, this is a brief lecture about the CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, Where) that each scene must have. The silent can represent Emotion, but this should only be introduced if the class seems to grasp the initial aspects of CROW easily.
Rolling Endowments - Players are instructed to quickly endow a partner after which the partner should accept that endowment, or offer, and add something.
3 and Out - A test for CROW, two players attempt to tell us what the CROW is for their scene through dialogue. After each scene start, we discuss if the aspects have been established.
Scene Work - Players do scenes in pairs for the class during which the director stops and starts them demonstrating the use of learned principles and introducing simple guidelines, some of which don’t have their own exercise dedicated to them.
Ensemble - Approximately 70 minutes
Mirrored Pairs - Classic mirror exercise in pairs where players are instructed to pay close attention to their partner and follow their lead.
Mirrored Triples - Same as above but with groups of three.
Group Mirror - The group, in a circle, attempts to mirror itself, each individual paying attention to everyone else via soft focus in the center of the circle. Students should be instructed to only follow the group and not introduce anything new.
Counting - This is the classic focus and ensemble building game where players count as high as they can without stepping over each other. Great for demonstrating focus and showing some players that they may be a little more active than others.
Only One Person Moving - A game where the group is completely still except for one person and when they stop only one other person must begin moving. Great for focus and teaching people to listen to the whole with their whole body all at once.
Scene Work - Approximately 30 minutes
This is the same as the scene work section above, but with the introduced and practiced concept of mantras.
Mantras - Actors play scenes together while they must repeat in their head a simple phrase or idea, such as, “I love you” or “I hate you.” This serves many functions but chiefly stops them from thinking too much while improvising. Variations include reciting an entire fairy tale repeatedly and giving actors an objective that is opposite to their mantra.
CLASS 4
Story Basics - Approximately 40 minutes
Word at a time story - In a circle, players are instructed to only give one word at a time for a story that the group is improvising. This can be seen as a more difficult version of One Upon a Time... seen above.
Platform and Tilt - This is a great game demonstrating the importance of exposition in a scene. A successful tilt, cannot exist without a fully functional platform which involves establishing the CROW well.
Color and Advance - This game, done in partners helps the storyteller understand what the audience is thinking as the story is unfolding and allows for direct feedback while the narrative is being improvised.
Character Development - Approximately 50 minutes
Emotional Levels - Students play a scene while a director instructs them to adjust behavior based on a scale of 1-10 corresponding to their emotional intensity. Great for getting actors to go places they never thought they could or would, which is essential for full-bodied character development.
Character Prison - A jailor guards several cells of a prison where characters are pleading their case to be released. The jailor is instructed to only release prisoners who are genuine and believable.
People Suits - This is a somewhat meditative and lengthy exercise where students are taught to wear the mimed versions of people they know, whose body types are kept in a closet.
The Audience - Approximately 60 minutes
The King Game - One player is appointed King while the others attempt to entertain the King by whatever means available. A discussion afterwards reveals what worked and what didn’t and why.
Solo Exits - This is a somewhat advanced game that may not fit in a beginner class depending on the feel of the class, but essentially it is more direct feedback from the audience as to what is entertaining and what holds their attention.
See Yourself from the Side - This is basically body part meditation exercise where the students are asked to walk around the room, picturing very distinctly what it is they look like. The instructor may focus in on exact body parts by saying things such as, “How does your foot look when it lifts off from the floor?” It is really meant to give them a perspective from outside themselves.
Questions - What kinds of questions are we introducing into the audience’s minds when we improvise and how can we answer them effectively as we improvise?
Circle of Expectations - Related to genre, this small lecture is meant to show students that elements of a story that are introduced need to follow whatever has been established and feel as though it fits. Essentially, that an alien invasion would not have made sense in Field of Dreams for example.
CLASS 5
Scene Work - Approximately 90 minutes
Contact Jam - Approximately 40 minutes
Set to music, this is where the class uses the tenants of improv to move as a group without the benefit of speech. This can be done either with a partner, in a larger group, or even solo and members of the class will be encouraged to try all three of these iterations over the course of the 40 minutes. The hope is that the group reaches a meditative self-reflexive state where individuals are discovering new ways of moving and reacting to each other and the music. It should be noted that this exercise should not be attempted unless the group has reached a certain level of understanding and acceptance with each other and each other’s bodies.
Culminating Graduation Show
A curated, side-coached performance where the group chooses and performs games they’ve enjoyed playing throughout the class. This can be used as a final assessment to determine if a student has progressed and developed as they should.
Glossary
Ensemble - The idea that a group that knows itself and each of its parts better is better able to work together. It can also be the noun that represents the group.
Commitment - Manifested in several ways, this can refer to an actor’s willingness to stay in character, the full acceptance of other’s ideas, or the physical world of the scene that is being built.
Failure Acceptance - Failure is an unavoidable and completely normal consequence of improvising theatre. Students should learn to embrace failure and use their mistakes as gifts, incorporating
Getting Out of Your Head - An improviser who over-thinks every action is mired in their own self-editing traps, while one that reacts without hesitation keeps pace with the scene and creates more truthful and honest work.
Character Development - The improviser does not have the benefit of rewrites and feedback in a normal writing process, as it is all happening right then. We want to make the development of full-bodied characters part of the fundamentals because it is one of the hardest parts of improv to master.
The Audience - An important component of a beginner’s knowledge of improv, sharpening the actor’s awareness of the audience’s perspective improves their stage presence, confidence, and comedic timing.
Resume[b/]
Jeremy Lamb
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SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: Substantial experience teaching theater and improv to students from diverse backgrounds, hands-on experience with theater production at every level, life-long dedication to the promotion and development of the theatrical arts.
EDUCATION: The University of Texas at Austin - B.S., Radio-Television-Film
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Trinity School NYC, February 2010--Current
Performing Arts Technology Assistant/Faculty Advisor
♦Worked with students to design and run lights and audio for middle and upper school productions
♦Acted as faculty advisor for the Theatre Tech Club
♦Ran informal improvisational theatre rehearsals upper school students
♦Inventoried and maintained Performing Arts technology equipment
♦Updated the Performing Arts schedule of events via the school web site
Chicago Cares, Winter 2005
Instructor
♦Led weekend improv workshops for inner-city youth through a Chicago non-profit
♦Designed and implemented new curricula
Dayton Public Schools, Winter 2005
Artist-in-Residence
♦Designed and implemented instructional theatre workshops for middle and high school students
♦Differentiated curricula to meet the needs of special education students
♦Performed improvisational theatre shows for student audiences
The Hideout Theatre, 2000--2006
Lead Instructor/Curriculum Developer
♦Developed leveled curriculum for improv training center (beginner-advanced)
♦Led improv workshops for adult students culminating in performances
♦Taught pre-teen and teen students in an immersive day camp program
Dougherty Arts Center, Summer 2006
Theatre Instructor
♦Designed and implemented instructional theatre workshops for elementary students culminating in performances
♦Modified curriculum to accommodate students from a wide range of age and experience levels
School of Visual Arts NYC, May 2009--August 2009
Instructional Technologist Assistant
♦Designed and programmed Flash teaching tools for undergraduate arts students
PRODUCTION/DIRECTING EXPERIENCE:
Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, January 2002--Current
Founder/Executive Producer
♦Oversaw all aspects of an annual week-long comedic arts festival, now in its tenth year
♦Reviewed over 200 submissions and booked talent in the realms of improv, sketch, stand-up, and short films
♦Managed teams of technical staff for seven local venues
♦Supervised set construction, light hangs, and tech rehearsals
♦Managed a budget of approximately $40,000 for a non-profit corporation
♦Programmed the festival’s show blocks and educational workshops
♦Managed a staff of 35 year-round and seasonal employees
♦Oversaw communications with talent (over 450 performers in 2010)
♦Directed publicity and marketing via print and online media
♦Engaged in financial negotiation with various vendors, sponsors, and advertisers
The Public Theater, February 2010--Current
Production Assistant/Carpenter
♦Assisted all production departments--Scenery, Electrics, Audio, Costumes, Props, and Operations--for rehearsals and shows at a multi-venue arts organization in New York City
♦Transported equipment and construction materials between multiple theater spaces including the Delacorte Theater, home of Shakespeare in the Park
♦Represented the Public Theater in commercial interactions with local and out-of-state vendors while obtaining/returning rented production items
Available Cupholders Improv Comedy, June 2004--Current
Founder/Director/Performer
♦Oversaw all aspects of a national touring improvisational comedy show
♦Booked and produced shows at theaters, festivals, and colleges across the U.S. (over 100 shows in the first two years)
♦Directed rehearsals and performed in shows
♦Served as liaison between performers, technical crew, and venue staff
♦Managed an annual budget of approximately $35,000
♦Generated and launched a series of innovative formats
SketchFest NYC, January 2010--June 2010
Executive Producer
♦Oversaw all aspects of an annual weekend-long sketch comedy festival
♦Managed a team of technical staff members
♦Scheduled and supervised tech rehearsals
♦Reviewed over 130 submissions and booked over 20 sketch comedy groups
♦Managed a staff of 10 employees and approximately 20 volunteers
♦Programmed the festival’s show blocks and organized associated social gatherings
PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE:
The Hideout Theatre, 1999--Current
Ensemble Player/Active Member
♦Rehearsed and performed with seven different improv and sketch comedy troupes over the course of ten years
♦Helped with programming, marketing, and decision-making for the organization
♦Assumed a leadership role in the growth and development of the Austin improv theater community
Backpack Picnic, May 2007--September 2008
Actor/Writer
♦Wrote, rehearsed, and filmed sketch comedy for an award-winning web series
♦Traveled and performed live in numerous festivals including Just for Laughs, San Francisco SketchFest, SketchFest NYC, and Chicago SketchFest