Academy SRT Instructor Bios
Jennifer Schemke
Instructor: Improvisation from the Ground Up
Jennifer Schemke holds both a BA and MFA in Acting from San Francisco State University and DePaul University in Chicago. She has trained with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company in Oxford, England, and is a graduate of The Second City Comedy Writing Program and The Groundlings Comedy School. In Los Angeles, she wrote and performed with sketch/improv groups Tito’s Harmony and Monkeyshines and worked in voice over and production for HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm. On the stage she has performed in genres from musical theatre to solo autobiography to classical works. Jennifer has appeared in many independent films; the short film she wrote and directed, Pimp My Rascal was an official selection at the Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Festival last year. Jennifer was a mentor at the 4th SuperFly Experience, where 50 youth from around the country converged on a reservation in Washington to produce four short films in 36 hours. Jennifer teaches Acting at University of Louisiana at Lafayette in addition to her private classes at Dauphine Rose Acting and Improv Studio. She has also used her improv background to promote "teambuilding" at the corporate level. Jennifer is currently working on two original sitcom pilots, as well as a new comedy short, and is in the zygote stages of writing a one-woman show based on some of her original sketch comedy characters.
Mary Jacobs
Production Designer & Aftercare Instructor: The Imagination Machine
Aftercare Instructor: Stellar Adventures
Mary Jacobs attends Cabrini College in the suburbs of Philadelphia where she studies communications and hosts a weekly radio show. Mary was trained in stagecraft and history at the Loeber School for Dramatic Arts in New Orleans from ’04 to ‘07. A graduate of Cabrini High, she did four years of set construction and design there while also performing in all productions. Shortly after her graduation in 2008, Mary and her colleagues started a small production company called Lofty Productions. She went on to produce, direct and act in a production of 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball. Lofty has plans for another production in late summer 2010. Mary interns at the Centre Theatre/Montgomery County Cultural Center in Philadelphia, where she works with children on weekend theatre workshops and helps in various ways on the theatres many productions. Mary hopes to continue pursuing her love of theatre and working with children.
Julie Faust
Director: The Imagination Machine
Instructor: Stellar Adventures
Julie Faust has been involved with the education of children for 10 years, both with a variety of acting camps and workshops and in home-schooling her own children. She teaches regularly with Academy SRT and Slidell Little Theatre and has directed many productions with adults and children. Julie also enjoys designing sets, scenic painting and stage management. She is the Vice President of Productions at Slidell Little Theatre and serves as Liaison to the Board of Directors for Young Actor's Theatre. Julie is the manager of La Nuit Comedy Theatre and recently started a production company called Stars In Crescent. As well as acting herself, she is the owner of Diameter X Productions and co-owner of Cutting Edge Theatre. Introducing children to the wonder of theatre is one of her passions!
