Resident Feature developmental disabilities.” Shortly after starting the program, Jody realized that SKIT was what had been missing all that time. “I said, ‘this is it!’” The “Yes, and” mindset works incredibly well with people of all abilities because “it teaches you to get there together,” says Jody, “there” referring to the end product: in the case of improv, a great scene! “It’s about focusing and listening and being fully present, not planning what you’re going to say or being the star. It’s about creating a story together, and serving that story. We cannot do that alone; we have to do it together. It’s the most rewarding work.” In his JW Actor’s studio classes, Jody teaches his students to understand that the people they are playing are human beings, and that they can pull them off the page and let them live for a while. Jody loves “watching the light go on” in a student’s eyes as they perform. And the students themselves are, for Jody, the most special part of the whole experience. Jody recalls one SKIT student, a boy with autism in South Jersey, who was shy and nervous to participate. “I shook his hand and said, ‘No problem. The only rule is you have to stay in the room.’” The young boy watched from the side at first, observing the other students. Slowly, he moved toward the group, where he eventually decided to try an exercise. One turned into two, and two turned into three. “He couldn’t stop! The teacher said, ‘What just happened? I’ve never seen him behave this way before!’ Everybody has something to offer.” Last summer, one of Jody’s SKIT groups put on an improv performance at the end of their two-week program. “They were
apprehensive to say the least,” he says, “so I told them they should think of it more as a way of showing our family and friends what our favorite improv games were. We went over an hour and they were awesome. To see such a light in their eyes and the confidence exuding from them was quite something.” After the show, at a pizza party celebration, Jody asked one of the young women who had performed how she felt. “Alive,” she replied. She looked at her mother, standing nearby, and they began to cry, embracing. “I stood there watching this, saying to myself, ‘Wow, this is why we’re doing this.’” Overall, the experience of opening JW Actor’s Studio and, more recently, SKIT, has been life-changing for Jody. “It has really opened my eyes to the potential of acting, what acting can be about. There’s no ego in this. Acting work is about communication and vulnerability and honesty. It can be used in a way that changes lives. That, to me, is even more rewarding than being in a movie.”
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JW Actor’s Studio welcomes students ages 7 and up. Please visit www. jwactorstudio.com for information about summer camp and other programs. For information on classes and summer camps for people with special needs, please see www.skitprograms.com.
Jody with the SKIT team in action
Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact Rachel Donington at rdonington@bestversionmedia.com. 10
July 2019