URBAN IMPROV NEWS
Exploring Loss & Grief through Urban Improv
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
Life Unscripted #3: Youth Unscripted: “The Life That’s Within Us All”
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
Life Unscripted #2: A Conversation on Music in the Urban Improv Classroom
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
Life Unscripted #1: Pivot
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
Meet Jackson Jirard, Urban Improv Associate Director
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,
A Story of Student Transformation through Urban Improv
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
Rehearsal for Life’s Response to Covid-19: Creativity!
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
Collin Knight: Live Like A Local
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;
Banned in Boston: Interview with Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton
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
Peek Behind the Curtain: Meet Urban Improv’s Veronica Wells
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
Students Share Why They Love Urban Improv
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 Urban Improv Method: Why Rehearsal for Life Works
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
A Message from Kippy Dewey
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
SideTrack: Urban Improv
Urban Improv and Banned in Boston are featured in Boston Herald's Thursday, January 18 SideTrack Column! Olivia Vanni highlights Banned in Boston whose expected guests include Aerosmith bass player, Tom Hamilton; co-host of NESN’s “Dining
Boston Boldfacers are Banned in Boston
Boston Globe writer Mark Shanahan recaps the 2017 Banned in Boston fundraiser to support Urban Improv. The article mentions notable participants Governor Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, US Representative Jim McGovern, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, City Councilor Tito
Malden Resident Helps Students with Conflict Through Urban Improv
An article published in Wicked Local Malden features Malden resident Yaa Acheampong and her involvement with Urban Improv. Yaa recently transitioned from an actor/educator into the associate director role at Urban Improv and continues to impact
Improv Show in Weston Tackles Cyber Bullying
An article published in Wicked Local Weston features how an Urban Improv assembly at Weston Middle School used structured improvisational theater to teach violence prevention, conflict resolution and decision making. The Urban Improv Troupe of