top of page

Current Resume

Anchor 1
Profile

On the street and in the kitchen, in schoolrooms and boardrooms, in halls of government and academia, there exist vast chasms of empathy and communication. Through the craft of theatre Melissa works with the powerful and the powerless, the privileged and the underserved to bridge this gap in their community.

Experience
Stanford University
Lecturer
2014 - present

 

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Lecturer in Organizational Behavior

Appointed 2014: Acting with Power

 
Stanford University
Acting Coach / Assistant Instructor
2008 - 2015

 

Stanford University Department of Theatre & Performance Studies

Subsitute Lecturer, 2015: Acting for Non-Majors

 

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Acting Coach, 2008 - 2014: Acting with Power

 

Stanford University Continuing Studies

Assistant Acting Instructor, 2007 - 2015: Shakespeare without Fear; Awaken the Actor Within; Contemporary Scene Study; Contemporary Monologue

 

 

Speaker Coach / Workshop Leader

​2010 - present

 

Private clients include actors, executives, educators, doctors and more. Recent corporate and institutional affiliations include the following:

 

Clayman Institute for Gender Research at Stanford University, Speaker Coach

People Rocket, Global Management Design, Consultant

Singularity University, Guest Speaker

Intel, Speaker Coach & Consultant

Stanford Alumni Association, Alumnae GSB Women’s Circles, Guest Speaker

Stanford LPCH Pediatric Anesthesia Annual Retreat, Performance Coach

Dechert LLP, Global Intellectual Property Conference, Performance Coach

Stanford Travel/Study Annual Retreat, Workshop Leader

Women in Cable Telecom Conference, Senior Executive Summit, Performance Coach

Global Women’s Initiative Network Conference, eBay, Performance Coach

Executive Panel Workshop, eBay, Performance Coach

 

 

Director / Teaching Artist

​2009 - present

 

Develops & leads educational theatre curricula throughout the SF Bay Area as a Mentor Teaching Artist and Director.

 

- Conservatory Theatre Ensemble, Guest Artist: 2011 - present

- The C Street Project: Multi-disciplinary Arts Performanct, Director: 2014 - 2015

- One Act Play Festival: Mixed Ability Original Theatre Project, Director, 2010 - 2014

- Shakespeare Classroom Integration: San Rafael Unified School District, 2011 - 2014

- Mixed Ability Original Dramatic Art Project, Summer Intensive, Director, 2013

- PlayMaking - Theatre & Literacy Curriculum, Original Performances: Novato Youth Center, Novato Unified School District  (USD), West Contra County USD, Tam USD, Marin County Office of Education and more.

Full CV

& Teaching Statement availble in PDF format here.

Artistic Resume

& Headshot & Bio availble in PDF format here.

References

Academic, Professional & Theatrical references available coast to coast.

Education
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC, US
BA with Honors in Theatre, Communication & Education

 

Primary Training: Cindy Gendrich, Sharon Andrews (Acting Technique), Mark Cohen (Movement), James Dodding, RADA (Mime and Alexander Technique), Brook Davis (Educational Theatre), Dianne Scishle (Modern), Debbie Spencer (Jazz)

Honors Thesis: "THE BRIDGE: Theatre Education for Children in Need"

Jordan Scholarship Recipient

 

The Actor Center Conservatory

New York, NY, US

Certificate: Professional Training Program

 

Primary Training: Scott Freeman (Acting/ ACT, NYU), Grace Zandarski (Voice/ ACT, Yale), Felix Ivanov (Movement/ Vakhtangov Academy Theater Russia, Lincoln Center), Jane Nichols (Clown/ Yale, Julliard), Per Brahe (Mask/ NYU, Yale, Moscow Art Theatre) 

 

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

London, England, UK

Certificate: Summer Intensive

 

Primary Training: John Adams (Director/ RADA), Nicholas Barter (Directing/ RADA, Royal Shakespeare), Adreienne Thomas (Vocal Training/ RADA, British American Drama Academy), Sheila Allen (Text/ Royal Shakespeare), Andrew Cuthbert (Speech/ RADA, National Theatre)

 

Further Training

Co-Active Coaching Technique, CTI

Thiagi Facilitation Approach

Rosemary Harris: Shakespeare Intensive Workshop

Tim Miller: Master Class and Performance

Vocal Training: Jessica Walker, Teresa Radomski

Etc.

bottom of page