Reesa Graham
2310 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Apt. 7, New York, New York 10030 · reesagraham@gmail.com
Work Experience
For full resume, please go to http://www.linkedin.com/in/reesagraham
Teaching Artist
CUNY School of Professional Studies, Kigali, Rwanda
July 2015
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One of 12 teaching artists selected to travel to Kigali, Rwanda to teach at the University of Rwanda for an intensive applied theater training program
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Created and performed as Joker for the Forum Theater piece created for the program
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Helped students create their own Forum Theater pieces
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Helped in creation of devised “Play in a Day” with 80 students with little to no practical theater experience
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Participated in cultural exchange between the American teachers and the Rwandan students
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Facilitated warm-up games with 80 students based on goals and objectives for the day’s session
Main Street Theater, Houston, Texas
2000 - 2002
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Worked with children ages 7-18
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Developed personal curricula and lesson plans
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Taught the fundamentals of theatre, improvisation, play-writing, working with scripts, performance
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Guided and directed students towards final performances
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Cut scripts, designed shows, acquired props and costumes, and ran backstage during performance
Theatrical Director
Freelance Director
1997 - Present
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Choose, analyze, and edit scripts for production while following all copyright and intellectual property laws
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Oversee auditions and casting, schedule all rehearsals
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Communicate ideas with actors, designers, technicians, producers, and publicists to create a cohesive and collaborative vision of the show
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Negotiate for rehearsal and performance space
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Create and stay within the budget
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Theatrical resume available upon request
Theatrical Director and Facilitator
United Nations Working Group on Girls, New York, New York
October 2014 - Present
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Assisted with basic staging and theatrical development of an original theatrical performance that is performed at UN Special Events, including International Day of the Girl and International Women’s Day
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Facilitate workshops whose aim is to provide teenage girls the opportunity to have a voice in the international political sphere
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Helped behind the scenes with Power Point creation and graphical editing for handouts
Young Israel Forest Hills Senior Center, Queens, New York
October 2014 – May 2015
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Created an inter-generational project designed to bring seniors and teenagers together in theatre as a way to combat ageist beliefs
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Worked with seniors and teenagers to build theatre skills and trust with each other as a form of community building
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Planned and facilitated session with a partner based on goals and objectives of project as a whole
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Successfully facilitated the creation of a cohesive community among a diverse population
Adjunct Professor
LaGuardia Community College, Queens, New York
June 2014 – August 2014
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Responsible for planning class, writing syllabus, and choosing textbooks
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Lectured, taught classes, and workshops
Creator, Playwright, Actor
Graham’s Fairy Tales, Greater Houston Area
January 2001 – January 2006
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Created a volunteer theatre troupe to perform at children’s hospitals, with an emphasis on facilities such as Shriner’s Burns Institute, that are underserved by the performing arts community
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Cultivated a working relationship and regular performances at six hospitals, hospices, and terminal homes in the Houston/Galveston area
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Wrote scripts, found actors and translators, directed shows, and acquired costumes for cast
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Created an environment for play before, during, and after shows with the children for the children
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Head of fundraising and in-kind donations to keep the program free for participating hospitals
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Aided others in the Texas theatre community to start their own versions of the program in both San Antonio and Austin
Performer
Unabashed Idealist, Greater New York Area
February 2014 - Present
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Worked as Joker in an anti-bullying campaign for ages K-8
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Helped refine script, both in rehearsal and performance, to better reach goals
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Guided students through interventions by problematizing
Education CUNY SPS, New York, New York, 2013 – 2015
Masters in Applied Theatre (in progress)
Chosen to help plan and run the annual conference in first semester because of previous experience. Learned to use theatre in education, with young people and other populations. Chosen to be student speaker at graduation at Carnegie Hall.
Mary Baldwin College, Staunton, Virginia, 2007-2009
Post Graduate Study: Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature in Performance
Presenter at three conferences while attending: CEA 2007 and 2008, Mid-Atlantic Theatre
Conference 2008.
Helped prepare and run the international conference hosted at Blackfriars Theatre. Research based
program.
University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 2002-2006
BA in Theatre, GPA 3.8
University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 2002-2006
BA in Psychology, GPA 3.8
Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Service Fraternity, 2003-2006
President
Served as elected president for three years. Responsibilities included: overseeing the elected council, planning and maintaining fundraisers, producing, organizing, and funding monthly showcases and annual full-length production; chairing bi-monthly meetings; serving as student representative to
University staff meetings; annual staff reports; managing concessions for all main-stage shows.