AMY ELIZABETH MCKENNA

AEA • SAG • AFTRA
New York, NY

TEACHING

NEW YORK, NY

Guest Artist Instructor/Director
The Museum School (2003)

• Directed and coached sophomore student actors for a production of Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, focusing on clarity of thought and intention in the verse.

Writing Mentor/Guest Artist Instructor
P.S. 75, via The Knowledge Project's 'Looking for Shakespeare' program (2001)

• Lead 8th graders in detailed reading of Shakespeare's OTHELLO.
• Had students write on themes in the play relevant to their own lives and integrated that writing into a new one-hour adaptation of OTHELLO, which the students produced and acted in.

Guest Artist Instructor
TAPCO Junior High School (1997)

• Lead 6th and 7th graders in improvisational theater games.
• Created activities and lead discussions making the theater games relevant to subjects the students were studying.

SAN DIEGO, CA

University Instructor Introduction to Acting
University of California, San Diego (Spring 1995, Fall 1996, Winter 1997)

• Instructed students on basic elements of acting such as Action, Objective and Intention.
• Lead students in exercises including improvisational games, performing naturalistic, contemporary scenes and student-written monologues, and creating a collaborative, site-specific theater piece.

University Instructor, Introduction to Public Speaking
University of California, San Diego (Winter 1996)

• Independently created course for non-theater majors employing basic techniques of classical acting toward public speaking, such as articulation, projection, physical presence, clarity of thought and intention.
• Activities/exercises included story telling, mock job interviews, delivering political speeches, and creating and delivering a presentation of the student's choosing.

Teaching Assistant
Great Performances
University of California, San Diego (Fall 1995)

• Assisted lectures and lead discussion on films shown in class.
• Read and graded mid-term and final papers.

Instructor/Counselor
Fourth of July Creek Camp, La Jolla, CA, (Summer 1995)

• Lead 5- to 12-year-olds in improvisational exercises.
• Helped students write, design and act in their own original 20-minute play.

Instructor/Counselor
MONART, La Jolla, CA, (Summer 1996)

• Lead 5- to 12-year-olds in improvisational exercises.
• Helped students write, design and act in their own original 20-minute play.

SEATTLE, WA

Tutor
University of Washington, and freelance (1992 - 1994)

• Tutored UW athletes in Linguistics, French, Art History and Theater.
• Tutored high school students privately in English, History and Math.

Contact for information about private coaching.