During the 2020-2021 school year, Urban Improv partnered with Dr. Joseph Spinazzola and the Foundation Trust to innovate a new curriculum exploring loss and grief. The result has been three new filmed scenes called “After Koda,” in which a group of young people grapple with the recent sudden death of a young friend. Our collaborative,
Holly Tarnower (she/her) is a Teaching Artist with Urban Improv and Rehearsal for Life’s Resident Scholar. Her blog, Life Unscripted, offers audiences a deeper look into our organization's work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences with students. According to Holly, staying connected to — and being able to look more closely at — a
Holly Tarnower (she/her) is a Teaching Artist with Urban Improv and Rehearsal for Life’s Resident Scholar. Her blog, Life Unscripted, offers audiences a deeper look into our organization's work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences with students. According to Holly, staying connected to — and being able to look more closely at — a
On top of serving as an Urban Improv Teaching Artist for almost a decade, Holly Tarnower has recently been hard at work as Rehearsal for Life's Resident Scholar! It brings her joy to debut her new blog, Life Unscripted, which offers audiences a deeper look into our work, shedding light on our processes, practices and experiences
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 —
