EDUCATION TERESA SPENCER 9305 CAROLINE AVE SILVER SPRING, MD 20901 (317) 331-8988 TERESASPENCER@GMAIL.COM WWW.TERESASPENCER.NET M.F.A. in Classical Acting The Shakespeare Theatre Company s Academy for Classical Acting at George Washington University Thesis Performance: Isabella in Measure for Measure, directed by Robert Richmond B.A. in French, Magna cum laude with Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa 2006 Amherst College ADVANCED TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS Fitzmaurice Voicework Certification: 2-year advanced pedagogical training Catherine Fitzmaurice, Saul Kotzubei, Cynthia Bassham Expected August 2019 Society of American Fight Directors Advanced Actor-Combatant: 400+ hours in 8 Weapons Disciplines plus Theatrical Firearms Chuck Coyle, Adam Noble, John Bellomo, Brad Waller, Jenny Male 2011 2019 Intimacy Choreography Introduction: Intimacy Directors International, Tonia Sina Lecoq Neutral Mask: Dody DiSanto, Center for Movement Theatre Culturally Responsive Teaching: Community College of Baltimore County Commedia dell Arte: Faction of Fools, Matthew R. Wilson 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification: Yoga District, a Yoga Alliance School 2011 Synetic Physical Theatre Intensive: Mime, Tumbling, Modern Dance 2008 The Conservatory at Shakespeare & Company: Classical Acting Certificate 2007 COURSES TAUGHT Acting I for BFA Actors Intermediate Scene Study Shakespeare in Performance Movement for the Actor I Movement for the Actor II Voice for the Actor Advanced Voice for the Actor Speech and Dialect Business of Acting Stanislavsky-based realism techniques in solo performances, monologues, and scenes Acting styles for Harold Pinter, Chekhov, Oscar Wilde, and Noel Coward in applied scene study Rhetorical and metrical text analysis, heightened physical and vocal dynamics in monologue and scene study Body and spatial awareness through yoga, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Laban for the actor, and Lecoq Advanced ensemble dynamics through Grotowski; stage combat techniques in applied scene study (unarmed, knife, single sword) Fitzmaurice-based breath, resonance, and articulation principles Advanced vocal placement work for character voices, recording techniques for voiceover and audiobook narration International Phonetic Alphabet and vocal posture for dialect acquisition (eight new dialects and accents) Marketing and management for the contemporary multimedia actor 1
TEACHING EXPERIENCE Lecturer in Acting August Present Department of Theatre Arts, Towson University: Towson, Maryland Teach full-time course load (equivalent of eight courses per year) in Acting, Voice, and Movement, including Acting I for BFA Actors, Speech and Dialect, Movement for the Actor I and Movement for the Actor II, and Intermediate Scene Study. Serve the department and the university by fight choreographing and dialect coaching on mainstage department productions, mentoring students serving as teaching assistants, recruiting prospective students, and evaluating and selecting BFA Acting candidates through departmental auditions. Conduct scholarship and contribute to the field of professional theatre as an actor, deviser, fight choreographer, and dialect coach. Adjunct Professor August May Theatre and Media Performance, Stevenson University: Greenspring, Maryland Created and taught Business of Acting. Developed and taught Voice for the Actor, Advanced Voice for the Actor, and Theatre Movement. Served as fight consultant for department productions. Adjunct Professor January May Theatre Department, Community College of Baltimore County: Catonsville and Essex, Maryland Taught Acting I, Shakespeare in Performance, Voice and Diction, and Movement for the Actor. Served as Shakespeare text consultant, acting coach, and fight choreographer for department productions. Guest Lecturer January 2013 - Present Amherst College: Page and Stage: Reading Shakespeare From an Actor s Perspective with colecturer Associate Professor of English Anston Bosman. University of Mississippi: Shakespeare Performance for Acting I students. George Washington University: Yoga as an Actor s Tool. University of Maryland, College Park: Public Speaking for non-theatre majors. Goucher College: Weekend-long workshops bringing students and professional actors from Maryland Shakespeare Festival together to collaboratively produce Much Ado About Nothing and The Merchant of Venice. Teaching Artist Freelance:, Maryland, and Virginia June 2009 - Present Taught workshops on-request for professional theatre companies and elementary, middle, and secondary schools in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, including Shakespeare Performance, Movement for Actors, Voice, Yoga as an Actor s Tool. Taught at Constellation Theatre Company, Maryland Shakespeare Festival, The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, Oyster-Adams Bilingual School, and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, among others. 2
Vocal and Movement Coach June 2009 August 2012 Maryland Shakespeare Festival: Frederick, Maryland Led professional company vocal and physical warm-ups. Advised peer actors on vocal production for challenging outdoor Shakespeare-in-the-park settings. Teaching Artist and Performer August 2010 June 2012 Folger Shakespeare Library: Developed and performed in Bill s Buddies, a compilation of Shakespeare scenes for elementary through high school students. Taught workshops for elementary through high school students on Shakespeare s language. Teaching Artist and Performer January 2010 March 2011 Teatro delle Due: Reggio Emilia, Italy Led workshops on Shakespeare for Italian students learning English as a second language. Performed in full-length, English-language productions of Shakespeare s The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night s Dream for the general public. SELECTED PROFESSIONAL STAGE & SCREEN ROLES Julia Fallen Angels (Upcoming) NextStop Theatre Co. Herndon, VA Woman Too Like the Lightning short film Walterhoope Cincinnati, OH Natella Caucasian Chalk Circle Constellation Theatre Co. York Henry VI Parts 1-3 (original practice production) Taffety Punk Theatre Co. at The Folger Theatre, F, C Digital Eye Forum Theatre with the Swedish Embassy, Agent We Know Where You Live short film Somebody s Daughter Los Angeles, CA Tracey (role creator) Alice Alli Nerissa Still Life With Rocket (devised by the ensemble) Mnemonic (movement devised by the ensemble) Where Words Once Were (new play workshop) The Merchant of Venice (a commedia dell arte interpretation) Theater Alliance Theater Alliance The Kennedy Center Faction of Fools Olga Three Sisters Annapolis Shakespeare Co. 2019-18 3
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL STAGE & SCREEN ROLES, Continued Cecily The Importance of Being Earnest Annapolis Shakespeare Co. Rosalind As You Like It Annapolis Shakespeare Co. Emily Our Town (a commedia dell arte interpretation) Faction of Fools Black Will Arden of Faversham Brave Spirits Theatre Ferdinand The Tempest Taffety Punk s Riot Grrrls Signora Cini Absolutely! (Perhaps) Constellation Theatre Co. Phoebe As You Like It Chesapeake Shakespeare Co. Baltimore, MD Lydian Charm Taffety Punk Theatre Co. Harriet Bloody Poetry Taffety Punk Theatre Co. Demetrius Titus Andronicus Taffety Punk s Riot Grrrls Tranio The Taming of the Shrew Teatro delle Due Bologna, Italy Titania A Midsummer Night s Dream Teatro delle Due Bologna, Italy 2013 2011 2010 PRODUCTION STAFFING: Fight Choreography, Dialect Coaching, and Direction Dialect Coach The 39 Steps (Upcoming) Rep Stage Columbia, MD Writer/Developer Wellspring podcast series Walterhoope Cincinnati, OH Fight Choreographer Fuente Ovejuna Towson University Towson, MD Creator/Performer Too Like the Lightning: an interactive evening of cinema 4 Walterhoope Cincinnati, OH Dialect Coach Cloud 9 Iron Crow Theatre Baltimore, MD Dialect Coach Pride and Prejudice Towson University Towson, MD Assistant Director and Fight Choreographer The Trojan Women Taffety Punk s Riot Grrrls 2019
PRODUCTION STAFFING, Continued: Fight Choreography, Dialect Coaching, and Direction Fight Consultant A Midsummer Night s Dream Stevenson University Greenspring, MD Text Consultant Hamlet Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville, MD Co-Director Antigone Taffety Punk s Young Company Fight Captain As You Like It Annapolis Shakespeare Co. Fight Captain Arden of Faversham Brave Spirits Theatre Fight Choreographer Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom Community College of Baltimore County Catonsville, MD Fight Captain As You Like It Chesapeake Shakespeare Co. Baltimore, MD Fight Captain Titus Andronicus Taffety Punk s Riot Grrrls Washingon, DC Director A Midsummer Night s Dream Maryland Shakespeare Festival Frederick, MD 2013 2012 THEATRE ADMINISTRATION EXPERIENCE Resident Artist, Walterhoope, Cincinnati, Ohio Present Collaboratively plan seasons and shape artistic mission. Create, write, develop, and perform in multimedia world premier productions (film, audio, and stage). Board Member, Maryland Shakespeare Festival, Frederick, Maryland 2010 2012 Developed, in collaboration with twelve-member board, company mission and strategic planning. Oversaw a $300,000 annual budget for three professional theatrical seasons including five annual productions and educational programming. Company Manager, The Studio Theatre, 2007 Scheduled the travel and housing arrangements of actors, directors, and designers in eleven overlapping productions and managed eight company-owned apartments. Casting Assistant, The Studio Theatre, 2006 2007 Communicated with and coordinated relationships between hundreds of actors and the creative teams of eleven season productions; typed actors, evaluated auditions, and selected and dramaturged audition material. 5
SERVICE TO THE FIELD Committee Member, Not in Our House DC, - Present Collaborate and write with fellow theatre artists to develop a standard of safety in professional theatre, addressing sexual harassment and other abuse in the community. Adjudicator and Workshop Instructor, Maryland Thespian Festival Adjudicated and evaluated high school actors in statewide monologue competition; Lead workshops on stage combat and dialect acquisition. Reader, The Kennedy Center s Michael Kanin Playwriting Awards Read and evaluated twenty plays submitted by undergraduate playwrights for national recognition. AWARDS Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Production in a Play (Helen): Still Life with Rocket, Theater Alliance Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Ensemble in Play (Helen): Still Life with Rocket, Theater Alliance Helen Hayes Nomination for the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play: Mollye Maxner with the cast of Still Life with Rocket, Theater Alliance Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Ensemble in a Play (Helen): Mnemonic, Theater Alliance NBCUniversal Short Film Festival Best Film finalist: We Know Where You Live, Somebody s Daughter Portland Comedy Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast: We Know Where You Live, Somebody s Daughter Cindependent Film Festival Nomination for Best Ohio Short Film: Too Like the Lightning, Walterhoope PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Actors Equity Association Membership Candidate Screen Actors Guild Eligible Association of Theatre Movement Educators Society of American Fight Directors Intimacy Directors International Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher Voice and Speech Trainers Association 6