Joining us in July as Rehearsal for Life's new Executive & Artistic Director, Elena Velasco is an experienced theater artist and producer, performer, and choreographer, with focuses in educational theater and social justice. Read our Q&A with her, below, to learn more! RFL: What originally got you interested in working with youth arts? EV: When
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
Dear Rehearsal for Life Friends, As many of you know, our two flagship programs, Urban Improv and the Freelance Players, are newly unified under the name, “Rehearsal for Life.” Having founded the Freelance Players in 1974, it has also been my privilege to be one of the founders of Urban Improv, our youth empowerment program,
