Teaching Artist, Administration, Social Media Manager

RACHAEL SWANN

SUMMARY:

• Has worked on several collaborations and devised pieces including piece at Doris Henderson Newcomers School: Doris Henderson Newcomers School serves recently arrived immigrant and refugee students in grades 3-12 who are novice English speakers.

• Spent two years working in Nonprofit Sector in Washington, DC

• Worked as Archivist for League of Washington Theaters

• Served as Young Playwrights Theater’s Assistant Tour Manager booking 60 sites in spring 2009 in the Greater Washington Area. Venues included John Hopkins Children’s Hospital, Smithsonian National History Museum, National Theater, Oak Hill Juvenile Detention Facility, and DC Alliance of Youth Advocates.

• Proficient with MS Office, Windows XP, Apple Products, and Social Media

• Worked at Books A Million in many capacities including Barista, Customer Service Specialist, and Kids Specialist. Awarded several times for selling the most discount cards in a week.

Bachelor’s Degree, December 2006

Performance Concentration, Directing Minor

Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Graduated member of Alpha Psi Omega, National Honor Theater Fraternity

Courses taken included:

Playwriting/Advanced Playwriting London: Study Abroad

Directing/Advanced Directing Theater History I & II

Character Development History of Musical Theater

Performance Art Capstone: Main Stage Performance

Stage Management Theater Administration

Teaching Artist

Newcomers School, Sept. 2010 – December 2010

The Doris Henderson Newcomers School serves recently arrived immigrant and refugee students in grades 3-12 who are novice English speakers.

-Devised performance piece through intensive weekly theatre instruction.

-Connected past life experiences with current lives in America.

-Developed knowledge of basic theatre skills and music skills.

Producing Assistant, May 2008 to January 2010

Young Playwrights’ Theater, Washington, DC

YPT is the only professional theatre in Washington, DC dedicated entirely to arts education.

Deeply engaged with local schools, YPT:

• Fully integrates into existing curricula, using its innovative approach to learning to help classroom teachers teach the required standards.

• Helps students learn the importance of writing, revision and grammar as a way to communicate what is important to them -- their ideas, dreams and beliefs -- to the world around them.

• Employs accomplished teachers, who are also seasoned artists, to teach students the craft of theatre and playwriting.

• Seeks to have long-term impact on student growth by working with a limited number of students each year and tracking their progress after their completion of the program.

• Shares only its students’ original works through professional productions and tours that include the area’s finest actors, directors and designers.

Development/Fundraising

Assist the Development Manager with all aspects of YPT fundraising, including practical and strategic relations with foundations, corporations, government agencies and individual donors.

o Assist with online research and monitoring of grants deadlines, individual donor profiles, and new avenues of funding for YPT.

o Research and generate reports on foundation, government and corporate grant opportunities and requirements.

o Research corporate sponsorship opportunities and match programs.

o Write grant proposals as appropriate.

o Assist with online database reporting requirements as necessary.

Events

o Staff donation table at events.

o Generate and maintain donor call lists for events and thank-a-thons.

o Assist with donor phone calls for events and thank-a-thons

o Assemble media and donor kits for events and meetings.

o Serve as a representative of YPT at all public functions.

Production

o Coordinate scheduling and communications with artists and student playwrights for all rehearsals and performances, assisting Associate Director with all logistics, including bookings, for New Writers Now and the New Play Festival.

o Assist Production Manager and Producing Artistic Director in preparations for Express Tour, including but not limited to tour performance bookings, auditions, rehearsal preparation, properties acquisition and tour management during performance weeks.

o Assist in rehearsals and with performances as needed.

Community Engagement

o Maintain Info Packet/Press area.

• Create new press packets

• Monitor usage of press packets

o Enhance YPT online presence with creation of new weekly or daily video clips for YPT website and Facebook page, including video filming, editing and posting.

o Marketing and PR binders

• Assist Community Engagement Manager (CEM) with archives of all press articles and marketing materials, including hardcopy and online (Wire).

o Send press listings to News outlets.

o Maintain, in conjunction with CEM, YPT website.

o Plan, implement and oversee enhanced online presence and campaigns, including on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

o Assist CEM in volunteer recruitment and management.

. Programming

o Serve as first contact for Young Playwrights’ Workshop Students.

o Serve as Teaching Artist in Young Playwrights’ Workshop Acting Session and Theater as Business

o Prepare for Young Playwrights’ Workshop Meetings each week, and make sure students are listed in DC Trust Attendance Website manager.

o Assist in the upkeep of Young Playwrights’ Library.

o Serve as member of the New Play Festival Reading Committee.

o Responsible for Booking Field Trips for Young Playwrights’ Workshop, and serving as chaperone.

o Other Duties as Assigned.

Stage Manager/Assistant Stage Manager Spring 2009 – Fall 2009

Young Playwrights’ Theater, Washington, DC

Pre-Production

• Attends all production meetings and takes notes on topics discussed.

• With guidance from the Production Manager, assembles the master tour binder, Stage Manger’s binder, and script binders for actors, directors and designers.

• Researches and assembles driving directions and venue information sheets for each venue, to be used by the Stage Manager on the road.

• Prepares a Stage Manager’s Tool Box with pens, pencils, duct tape, paper, etc., to be provided to the Stage Manager on the first day of rehearsal.

Rehearsal Period

• Inspects and sweeps the rehearsal space before each rehearsal.

• Creates and posts daily sign-in sheets for all tour artists, and encourages artists to sign in at the beginning of each rehearsal.

• Calls late actors, as directed by the Stage Manager.

• Supervises the proper storage of all props, set pieces and costumes after each rehearsal.

• Helps actors assemble set pieces, props and costumes at the beginning of each rehearsal, as directed by the Stage Manager.

• Purchases and creates rehearsal props and final performance props, as directed by the Production Manager.

• Assists Stage Manager with taking and maintaining blocking notes.

• Takes line notes and prompts actors who drop lines.

• Assists stage manager with all necessary tech, including the running of sound.

• May have other rehearsal responsibilities as assigned by the Stage Manager or Production Manager.

Tour Performances

• Travels on the Tour bus with the rest of the Tour company to each performance venue, arriving promptly at all designated call times and locations.

• Calls late actors, as directed by the Stage Manager.

• Helps Stage Manager navigate to each performance venue.

• Greets YPT’s contact at each venue and receives directions for load-in and set up before the Tour company unloads set pieces, props and costumes.

• Helps the Tour company load and unload all set pieces, props and costumes.

• Inspects the performance space before each show for safety and cleanliness.

• Assists stage manager with all necessary tech, including the running of sound.

• Leads post-show discussion and activities with actors and student audiences.

• Helps maintain the artistic intentions of the Tour directors and Producing Artistic Director on the road.

• Serves as eyes and ears for YPT on the road, providing daily written performance reports to the Production Manager and Producing Artistic Director, and immediately notifying the Production Manager and Producing Artistic Director of anything out of the ordinary, including anything that seemed to endanger or impede the Tour.

Archivist, May 2008 to July 2008

League of Washington Theaters, Washington, DC

• Served as project manager for the Archiving of League of Washington Theater’s Materials.

• Sorted through 30 boxes of League Archives, turning it into four boxes of properly stored materials.

• Learned past information about the League of Washington Theaters to inform new and current President of League.

Weekend Floater/Administration, April 2008 to January 2010

Imagination Stage, Bethesda, Maryland

• Served in many capacities over 2 years at Imagination Stage.

• Worked front of House, as an Usher, Front Desk, and in the Gift Shop giving audience members best possible experience.

Production Assistant/Intern February 2007 to April 2007

Tennessee Repertory Theater - Nashville, Tennessee

• Assisted Stage Manager as needed. Managed Backstage during run of Intimate Apparel.

• Responsible for maintaining breaks in accordance with Actor’s Equity Association.

• Responsible for prop upkeep, including re-sewing “money” quilt every night.

Customer Service Specialist, Barista, Children’s Specialist, April 2007 to April 2008

Books a Million, Murfreesboro, TN

• Served as manager over Children’s Section.

• Coordinated and performed in Weekly story time.

• Choose appropriate reading material for children aged newborn – 5 years.

Stage Manager, September 2004 to May 2006

MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tennessee

• Served as Stage Manager for Main Stage and Studio Performance during semesters.

• Shows included: How I Learned to Drive, Piel: A New Play, Take Me Out, and Conestoga Stories (ASM)

• Lead production meetings, which included MTSU staff designers.

• Managed cast of up to 15 actors.

• Ran both Sound and Lights during Studio shows.

• Called Main Stage shows and ensured perfect execution.

Counselor/Peer Mentor, Summers 1998 -2003

Nashville TN

• Served as Assistant and later as head of Summer Crafts Program at Hillhurst Church’s VBS

• Worked with underserved students in Nashville, giving them a chance at a fun summer camp experience.

• Lead both large and small projects, including making costume pieces for drama presentation.

• Lead classroom discussions with students aged 5 years -14 years.

Peer Mentor, August 1999 to May 2002

Beech Peer Mentors, Hendersonville, TN

• Worked with students aged 3 years -5 years within the Autism Spectrum.

• Taught socialization through “play”, and lead students to speak through song.

ACTIVITIES: • Collaborated and wrote Performance Art project “Metamorphosis” which was performed for the International Women’s Studies Conference in 2007.

• Volunteer as Child Wrangler for Community Theater productions, including:

Once on this Island for Kumba Players in Washington, DC.

• CPR and AED certified for Adults, Children, and Infants.

• Served as Wardrobe Head for several college productions.

• Collaborated with students from Doris Henderson Newcomers School on

original piece about the importance of self and the stories that lead us to

finding ourselves.

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