Multitalented wearer of many hats (sometimes literally), Urban Improv's new Associate Director Jackson Jirard has worked, trained and served as a dancer, choreographer, actor, academic and more before joining our team late this summer. Here, Marketing Associate Emily Duggan asks him a few questions to introduce him to the Rehearsal for Life community. 1. How
Diane Ly-Leahy is a 5th-grade math and history teacher at the Richard K. Murphy K-8 School in Dorchester, MA. Here is her story of one of her students' inspired (and inspiring!) response to Urban Improv during the pandemic: During the remote learning process, I implemented the online Classroom Care Packages to help students manage strong
March 20, 2020 Dear friends, partners and supporters, We are artists and educators, and during these challenging times, our first priority is the safety and well-being of our staff, students and partners. Now more than ever, we remain committed to our mission to strengthen our young people’s social and emotional skills to build confidence, agency
Our former Urban Improv actor-educator, Collin Knight, and his company, Live Like A Local, were recently written up in the The Boston Globe! Read about his company, mission, and motivation, and check out his website; then, rediscover his reflections from last year, as he prepared to leave Rehearsal for Life for his present pastures: The
During a recent break in their February 2020 residency at MGM Las Vegas, we interviewed Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton about his philosophy on performance, history of involvement with Rehearsal for Life, and the value of giving back. Rehearsal for Life: How were you introduced to the performing arts? Who were your first influences? Tom
Filmmaker, theater artist, and Urban Improv actor-educator Veronica Wells has been with us for eight years — and is a veteran of the program! According to Veronica, Urban Improv "provide[s] an opportunity for young people to practice safe approaches to negative or dangerous social situations, in a safe and judgement-free environment." The work —
Mary Torpey started as assistant director of Freelance Players’ Brookline Troupe in 2003 and is now the director of both the Needham and Dover Troupes. According to Mary, “The plays are the heart and soul of Freelance Players—both the older classics and the new! Some of my favorites are Monopoly, Clam’s Casino, America’s Next
Summer is here and with it the end of our 2018-2019 programming, a time for reflection, learning and planning. As I approach the one year anniversary of my role as Executive Director, I reflect on all we have learned throughout the year, examine what has worked, where we can improve, and how we plan for
Our Winter Workshop Series went out with a bang with not one but two Family Celebrations for our 4th grade students! At the Murphy School celebration, we collected some success stories: "At the beginning of the workshops, my daughter immigrated from Guatemala. She started out very shy, but [Urban Improv] helped her come out of
Merle Perkins has been with Urban Improv since it began in 1992, as just a nine-week program for 4th graders at the Tobin and Farragut Schools in Roxbury. After 26 years of working as an actor-educator, Merle now facilitates the workshops, guiding student participation and dialogue. Urban Improv Artistic and Education Director Yaa D. Acheampong
