B. Manuel Simons, Phd Email & Phone Number

New York, Ny, Us

Multiple Locations

I have led a fulfilling and broad-based theatre career, stretching from off-Broadway to television and film. My focus has predominately been on underrepresented voices and communities in my theatre artistry. I am continuously updating my own practical and conceptual knowledge on the art of acting and theatre-making, having enrolled in multiple professional development courses throughout my career.I have held the honor of interpreting dramatic roles at institutions such as Lincoln Center and The Public Theater in New York. I have also performed on stages throughout the nation, including a two-year national tour of Driving Miss Daisy and regional productions such as A Soldier's Play and The Lord of the Rings. My film and television credits include Spike Lee's She Hate Me, Nick Paley's Picture Day, Law & Order, Sex and the CIty, and The Sopranos.I have also written my own plays, including Queer in the U.S.A., which has had multiple performances throughout New York City and across the nation. And I have directed multiple classic and contemporary plays on New York stages.

Brooklyn, New York, United States

As Undergraduate Deputy Chair of the Theater Department at Brooklyn College, I engage students to develop and expand their conceptual and practical knowledge and skills in theatre as a critically engaged medium that intersects with social justice issues in a global context.

New York City Metropolitan Area

I plan and conduct courses for undergraduates in acting, theatre arts, theatre for social justice, educational theatre, dramatic literature, and theatre history. I cultivate in my students a strong appreciation of theatre’s multifaceted elements, while applying proven pedagogical techniques. Through simulations and instruction, I help students develop expertise in theatre studies and performance.Here is just a sampling of the courses I have taught: • Theatre for Social Change – Introduced students to the creative process and performance techniques that engage theatre towards positive social change. Helped students utilize applied theatre techniques in their day-to-day lives and communities to promote social change. Harnessed students as leaders to draw upon creative approaches and non-violent actions, community building, and intergroup dialogue. Trained students to execute traditional and interactive performance techniques. • Introduction to Acting – Taught the fundamentals of acting, including development of the actor’s instrument, Stanislavski-based acting techniques, and role creation through rehearsal and performance. Sharpened students’ vocal and physical dexterity, concentration and imagination, and cooperation and ensemble skills via interactive and collaborative exercises. Developed students’ capacities to analyze and interpret plays and characters as part of an acting process of self-discovery and creative revelation.• Acting Workshop – Illuminated the art of building a role through the use of Stanislavski-based acting techniques including exercises developed by Adler, Hagen, Meisner, and others; play and character research and analysis; and active rehearsal methods culminating in students’ in-class presentations of monologues and scenes. Fostered students’ in-depth understanding and application of acting strategies including use of given circumstances, objectives, obstacles, and psychological actions to breathe life into a role.

New York City Metropolitan Area

Greater New York City Area

I instructed students to expand critical thinking, performance, and communication skills through dramatic writing, academic composition, film studies, and dramatic analysis. I designed and executed academic curricula to assess student performance and maintain engagement throughout the course. I also helped students develop critical literary analysis skills, from personal, social, cultural, and historical perspectives. Furthermore, I assisted students to prepare for university-level writing requirements.

New York City Metropolitan Area

For The American Place Theatre's signature program, called Literature to Life, I planned and conducted applied theater and drama-in-education residencies and workshops that utilized significant works of American literature to engage youth and diverse communities with social justice themes and concepts. I developed and taught theatre-based curricula around books such as Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, and Piri Thomas' Down These Mean Streets. I conducted residencies and workshops in dozens of elementary, middle, and high schools throughout NYC, including work with incarcerated youth, young people with special needs, and emerging bilingual youth. In addition, I traveled to facilitate residencies and workshops in schools, theatres, and community centers across the U.S.

I devised and led professional development workshops in drama-integrated instruction and interactive pedagogical strategies across the curriculum for NYC Department of Education K-12 educators, counselors, and principals.

New York City Metropolitan Area

I managed the design and implementation of a theatre education and literacy program, working with K-12 students throughout New York City to incorporate dramatic interpretations of classic literature into pedagogical curriculums. Drawing from my experience in building collaborative activities that develop and sharpen performance skills, I trained and supervised 20 professional teaching artists and successfully created comprehensive curricula and educational resources.

New York City Metropolitan Area

I taught a fundamentals course on communication and speech to college students, focused on the development of effective research, topic selection, outline and composition writing, visual aids, public speaking, and presentation.

Doctor Of Philosophy - Phd, Contemporary Learning And Interdisciplinary Research Specializing In Theatre, 4.0 Gpa

Graduate Studies, Theatre/Theater, 3.86 Gpa

Master Of Arts - Ma, Educational Theatre In Colleges And Communities, With Honors, 4.00 Gpa

Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

Bachelor Of Fine Arts - Bfa, Acting, With Honors, 3.77 Gpa

Tisch School of the Arts