ANAROSE HUNT, CRS Documentary Theatre, The New School, 2021-22
“Alison's class came at a perfect time in my academic career, when I was figuring out what genres spoke to me and what kind of writer I wanted to be in addition to what kind of stories I wanted to tell as an actor. Alison introduced us to investigative theatre with joy; it was delightful to learn about the medium from someone with both impressive experience and deep passion for it. Her expertise and ability to work as a multi-hyphenate artist encouraged me to do the same and begin calling myself a comic/writer/actor instead of feeling a need to choose. Because of her Documentary Theatre course, I got to spend two semesters reading and watching pieces from The Civilians, Anna Deveare Smith, and Sanko & Hein, among others, while working on three investigative projects of my own. I learned the skills to conduct excellent interviews, what the writing and editing process looks like from verbatim transcripts, and how to complete these projects collaboratively with co-writers. Alison was always focused, encouraging, and going above and beyond to meet the needs of all of her students. The class was an incredibly valuable and fun learning experience that I've taken with me into my work even after the class finished.”
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
BRANDON DARCEL, CRS Documentary Theatre, The New School, 2020-21
“Before taking Alison’s class, the world of documentary theatre seemed obtuse, dull and frankly intimidating. But through her down to earth teaching style and practical lesson plans, I was able to open my mind to a whole new style of creation that I had never considered before. Alison’s care for each student, and willingness to foster their particular interests helped me to create a personal connection to the material and set this class apart from so many other over-intellectualized theory based classes who’s lessons fled my mind after receiving a course grade.”
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.
ALEXANDRA COOK, Text Analysis, Brooklyn College, Fall 2022
“Taking Text Analysis with Alison was an opportunity to not only delve into a wide variety of plays through the words that make them compelling, but also felt full of the sort of dialogue that pushes one to think deeply while building community and, in the nerdiest sense, having fun. The material she chose was relevant, challenging, and wide-ranging, while also universal enough in its nature to connect with a variety of audiences. Alison was clear with her expectations, set assignments that drove at learning objectives without feeling superfluous or overwrought, and made it a point to ensure her students connected with each other beyond their schoolwork, even through the difficult medium of Zoom. Coming from a background in dance, I began the semester nervous about my ability to keep up with my peers who (all coming from theatre backgrounds) had taken at least one text analysis course, if not more, already in their undergraduate work. I completed the class feeling condent in my ability to take the text of any play and root its core meaning and broad possibilities for creative production out with ease.”
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.
Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.