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COMING UP:

-- The Road Signs Monday night reading series - The Siegels of Montauk - director

-- Musical theatre workshop for kids starting in March at the Lankershim Arts Center. Check back for details.

-- Scene study for children at The Little Brown Church starting next month, check back for details.


Grease - December 2009 - Director - Colfax Elementary School, 92 kids, 4 casts.
Go see some photos!


The Piedmont Gals - writing teacher/director - Personal Essay Workshop. I'm a member of the Road Theatre Company. As part of our developing a relationship with an organization called Engage, The Art of Active Aging, I taught a class to 7 amazing women. It was a writing/acting improv personal essay class. Each woman worked on a story; something that happened in their lives. Then on Dec. 9th 2009, they performed them. It was so successful that the program director at Engage wants to book the ladies to do their show in other venues. Soon we'll have some video up online.

Writer Amy Friedman has a syndicated column of myths and classic folktales that’s been featured in newspapers worldwide for 17 years. Now, Amy's wonderful stories are in CD format and I have co-produced and directed them. The stories are beautifully illustrated by Gillian Guilliland. My brilliant pal Laura Hall composed the music. The extraordinary actors who performed on the CD's include Charlayne Woodard, Rick Hall, and Len Cariou. I performed the first cut, Sense of Theft, on the original Tell Me a Story: Tales Around the World CD, which won both the Nappa Gold Parenting Award and the Silver Honor Parent’s Choice Award. The second CD, Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic, also won a Silver Honor Parent's Choice Award. On the third one, I got to direct Goddesses and Heroines: Paula Poundstone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Yvette Freeman, Jessica DiCicco, Margot Rose and Wendy Hammers. The CDs can be purchased at CD Baby, or our Tell Me a Story website, www.mythsandtales.com.

It's a great gift for kids and adults alike as well as a useful tool for teachers. For more information including an educational study guide go to www.mythsandtales.com, and read some RAVE REVIEWS at The Reading Tub and
SI Live.

From 2005 – 2007, I produced and directed a themed, personal narrative series, Melt in Your Mouth at The Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood. Melt in Your Mouth featured extraordinary LA writers who read their stories from a podium. We displayed the work of a different visual artist every month on the stage surrounding the writers. Occasionally, a singer was added to the lineup as well… usually me. Gemma Roskam and Lisa Cron co-produced as well as Kaz Mata Mura and Mike Rademaekers of the Secret Rose and Firerose Productions. Please contact me if you’re interested in having Melt in Your Mouth come to your venue.

I'm a musical theatre instructor at Vibe Studios in Santa Clarita. www.vpasonline.com

I coach actors privately for auditions, theatre, musical theatre, film and TV (on or off set), and cabaret.

I dramaturge and direct solo shows. Please contact me for more information.

Lori Jaroslow directed a play I wrote and she did what any good director should do. She elevated the material, found things in my play that I as the writer didn't even know were there and got fantastic performances out of the actors. Remarkably, she did all that under very extreme circumstances. In this play marathon, Lori was given to me as my director. We had never met. In five minutes she had this amazing ability; something innate in her personality to make me trust her instincts implicitly, which is hard to do with a writer. She gave me great specific notes on my play, and even proposed an alternate ending which I gladly implemented, amazed and jealous of her vision. At the table read, when I heard my play read for the first time, I was worried. The comedy wasn't coming out. The lines were wooden. The life of the piece was not there. But Lori first of all kept me from freaking out and pulling my play and then in two short days she brought my play to life. She got incredible performances out of the actors. On opening night I sat in the audience and heard laughter and a deep emotional response to my play. It was the best gift a writer could get. Lori had waved her magic wand. We need directors like Lori!
Julie Hays // Actress - Playwright

Lori Ada Jaroslow directed my one man show, which was called Zimmy. The thing about working with Lori that really stood out for me was the complete trust I had in not only her directing ability but her ability to help me edit my piece. She suggested things such as scoring the piece which added so much to the finished product. I would work with her again in a heartbeat...
Brad Zimmerman // Comedian

I came to Lori with some writing I'd done after not having been on stage for 10 years. Her humor and support and creative know how helped me create and produce my best work. The show was called Waiting at the Famous Deli and everyone who saw it loved it. I couldn't have gotten there without her. Lori understands timing and staging and the process of writing. Anyone who gets to work with her is lucky
Ronna Dragon //Singer-songwriter-actress

I am a stand up comedienne who wanted to add singing to my bag of tricks. I love parodies, so I started doing them. I am not a professional singer, I am a comedienne. Lori said she could help me with the singing, the choreography and the directing of the piece. I was doing 42nd Street and I wanted to change the lyrics to one of the songs to; Ooh I like To Eat. I was having trouble figuring out what to do with it. Cut to enter Lori: she added a pot, a spoon, some Fosse dance steps, some spicy Sondheim-like lyrics and a pinch of that positive affirmation crap and that spelled a recipe for success for me. It turned into a showstopper. Thanks to Lori I have been able to continue my parody numbers every year. Lori, not only has a good eye for what looks good and right and clean and professional, but she is superb at instructing musically. If she hadn't helped me with Avenue Q, I never would have gotten it. Thanks, Lori.
Poppy Champlin //Stand-up Commedienne

I was fortunate to work with Ms. Jaroslow a couple of years ago. I will never forget how incisive and laser focused Lori's critical eye and direction were. Lori was able to see quickly through my fumbling in order to direct my performance - and help shape my character through more specific choices - into one that by the end of the evening, was lauded as one of the best of the evening! Now how's THAT for direction… I'd be thrilled to work with Lori again!
Nancy Rhee // Actress


TELL ME A STORY: TALES AROUND THE WORLD

Twice-told tales never told better--the talent is first-rate from top to bottom. The stories literally jump off the CD and into the listener's imagination. I love the choices on all levels. This is the real deal.
John Wood, Kidzmusic.com

Tell Me a Story is a beautiful gift to the world. This is a CD for any age and can be enjoyed in the afternoon, evening or anytime you need to escape from the world. A Rare Discovery!
— The Rebecca Review

A wide range of listeners of all ages will relish Tell Me a Story; over seventy minutes of vivid description pack a fine gathering which will be a must' for folktale collections for any age group.
Diane Donovan, Editor & Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review, Bookwatch

A wonderful listening experience.
— School Library Journal, October 2006


2006 Parent's Choice Award for Storytelling
(NAPPA GOLD)

Parents Choice
Silver Honors Award

TELL ME A STORY 2: ANIMAL MAGIC

In the same high quality and magical tradition as her last CD, Tell Me a Story, Amy Friedman has taken the art of storytelling to a new height with the follow-up, Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic. Already lush and lyrical tales are given new light by a pairing of the perfect music and narrator with the traditional tales. Listeners are not simply introduced to the words and ideas of a particular culture, but also instruments and musical styles and even regional accents. With this CD, kids can go around the world in 60 minutes, while staying in the comfort of their homes, cars, schools or local libraries.
Tracy Games McCafferty, International Librarian Vienna, Austria

~ No annoying farm animal sound effects, no painfully performed sketches. Instead, this amazingly produced album features 6 original kids stories from around the world, all brought to life with composer Laura Hall's rich, culturally appropriate music, evocative narration from pros like Len Cariou, and a lovely children's chorus. The 4-8 set in particular will be enraptured, but their 30-something parents won't be racing to turn it off either.
Cool Mom Picks

Read by some of the most gifted screen and stage actors, Tell Me A Story 2: Animal Magic contains tales even the most TV addicted reader can listen to without distraction.
Norm Goldman Publisher/Editor of Book Pleasure


Parents Choice
Silver Honors Award

2008 Storytelling World Award
Honorable Mention

 

Lori Ada Jaroslow: Actress, writer, singer, director, and more. ©2008-2010