Testimonials & Recommendations

 
 

In Regards to The Crucible 2018

December 2018

Good morning, Mrs. Banda. I am a seventy-one year old product of the Jim Crow South, and I attended the performance of The Crucible on Friday evening. I want to commend you for a production that was both visual and visceral, and to say how impressed I am with the courage and vision necessary to have updated the lesson to address current circumstances. Seeing this play should be mandatory, not just for SDPCA, but for all students in the school system. The way it was presented instructs about the past while it illuminates the present and, at the same time, warns about the possibilities of a truly dark future. 

There is a lyric in Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the later songs from Kris Kristofferson, that asks, “Am I high enough on the chain of evolution to respect myself, and  my brother and my sister, and perfect myself in my own peculiar way?”

I think anyone who was in the audience for any of these performances will have moved higher on the path toward that lofty goal. Thank you.

Ann Skains

 

From a Colleague

April 8, 2019

To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to offer my recommendation of Jenn Banda as a teacher for your academic institution.  I have known Jenn for a year and a half, and have had the opportunity to interact with her as a colleague and director.  She would be a wonderful addition to your center of learning.

During my time working with Jenn, I have witnessed her passion for her students and her dedication to helping them succeed.  Jenn often shows up earlier than asked, and stays after school to work with students. She readily offers advice and direction for those interested in honing their craft, and increasing their acting experience.  Jenn is exceptionally gifted at gaining the trust and respect of her students, both in the classroom and in directing productions. She is able to make a learning space feel comfortable, and works to create and maintain a positive atmosphere. Students appreciate her knowledge, and request her as their acting teacher.

Jenn was asked to help with a difficult situation with a first-time director.  Through her assistance and patience, she was able to help guide the director’s understanding of how to create a story that has meaning and create visual awareness.  Her success in this project led to a request for her to direct our yearly production for the following school year. Not only were most performances completely full, but we witnessed a much larger pool of actors auditioning than had been seen in recent years.  Her willingness to teach and passion for the arts has inspired many students to pursue their dreams.

I highly recommend Jenn Banda for a position in your school.  I am confident she would contribute effectively and ignite a passion for the arts amongst your students.

If you have any requests or questions do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,

Andrea Gutierrez

Production Manager

San Diego School of Creative and Performing Art

 

From a Supervisor

For more than fifteen years I have worked with, supervised, known as a family friend and entrusted my children to Jenn Banda’s instruction. I met her when my oldest daughter took Ms. Banda’s theatre class at Life School Legends Charter School where I, too, was employed. Her passion for teaching theatre became fully apparent to me when she was able to take the most shy and awkward students as well as those with limited English and make them comfortable on stage in front of our community audiences. Jenn had recently returned from teaching in a small school in France and was not new to teaching, but I know it was her passion for theatre that she infused in her students which made them also want to be actors or involved with theatre production. 

I continued to work with Jenn in the next charter school, Classics and Four Arts Academy from March 2000 until the school closed in June 2005, where our roles took on a new level. I became the co-director of the school and a supervisor while Jenn continued to teach theatre as an academic study and to direct all of the productions. Her diligence at making her students study text, history, culture and characters of her production pieces raised the level of the productions to competitive quality. She even instituted a costume class where, under the supervision of another staff member, our students learned to sew and assemble period exact costumes for our Shakespeare productions. Furthermore, despite the small space, Jenn organized students, teachers, and parents in the alteration of what was a dance studio into a black box theatre complete with lighting and small sound board which her students learned to use. 

Although our school was very small (about 100 students), the theatre group was actively competitive in local thespian workshops, competitions, and state conferences as well as the annual Utah Shakespeare Festival. Students also became members of the International Thespian Society under her tutelage. There was never a moment where Jenn’s students weren’t busy doing something for theatre. Jenn’s work with students is admirable. Even the most non-verbal, the most shy, the most reluctant students become her ardent and dedicated performers. When one of our foreign students felt it was impossible to learn lines, Jenn climbed on stage and “read” a paragraph in the girl’s native language just to give the young woman confidence. 

She has mentored, counseled, and coached these young people both in the classroom and on their paths to audition for professional and collegiate work. My oldest daughter has not only successfully been Jenn’s student, but has continued to seek Jenn’s support for college entrance auditions and theatre auditions. Jenn coached her and traveled with her to auditions when my daughter asked for that support. My daughter even performed for Jenn in her Balinese production of As You Like It in Denpasar at the Bali World Arts Festival where Jenn directed the Shakespeare play as a collaborative effort with Balinese students and professional artists and dancers. Having worked intermittently with my daughter while at Cal Arts, Jenn also coached her for  post grad positions at RADA (where she was accepted) and at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, UK (where she received her MA this year).

During her teaching, Jenn also continued to perform successfully in the Phoenix theatres, participate in Southwest Shakespeare Company’s productions, and involve her students in community productions as well. Her dedication and passion for theatre is so strong that many of her students have chosen to go on to study theatre acting, directing, stage management and tech in colleges around the world: stage management at LAMDA, acting at California Institute for the Arts, acting at The New York Conservatory for the Arts and Arizona State University, among many others. 

Recently, Jenn has spent two years taking her lifelong career in theatre to the next level by achieving her MFA degree at the University of Essex in England; she continues to study Shakespeare and Education at the University of Birmingham. During this time she has maintained contact with former students, completed her studies, completed workshops in California and Bali, and coached college students who are intent on entering university theatre studies. 

Without a doubt, Jenn Banda has always been immersed in her craft, passionate about her teaching, and dedicated to her students. She has continued to refine her own work and expand her knowledge which makes her an excellent example for the students with whom she works. Furthermore, she is comfortable with all ages and groups of people. Her passion is infectious. Her addition to your staff will only heighten the quality of your program and the success of your students.

Sincerely, 

Clara Arenas  

Seminar Avante

 

From A Colleague and Fellow Actor

To Whom It May Concern: 

One of the great pleasures of my association with theatre in the Phoenix, Arizona has been to share both the stage and students with Jenn Banda. Jenn and I have performed in several productions together over the years and I have always been struck by her professionalism, artistry, style and technique when it comes to developing a character and how she works with her fellow theatre artisans. 

I have also had the privilege of observing Jenn instruct students. I have been a theatre teacher for over ten years and Jenn's training and experience as an educator has taught me new approaches to bringing classical theatre into the classroom, enhancing lessons and engaging students. Jenn's work both domestically and outside the United States has provided her with a style of teaching and approach to both students, content and pedagogy that I have not witnessed in other teachers of theatre. She brings an honesty and "groundedness" to the work and holds her students to high standards. Such standards and expectations come from her pure love of her art, advanced training in London, intensive programs here stateside and her level of professionalism (which has earned her a well-deserved place in Actors Equity Association). 

Jenn could teach at the university or secondary school level with equal aplomb and commitment to assuring her students receive superior training and preparation for the world of professional performance. I have seen her take students who are "somewhat interested" in theatre and, through her contagious enthusiasm for excellence, turned them into students who then desire to hone their skills and want to excel themselves. 

To conclude, Jenn Banda would be a truly solid asset to any theatre arts training program and they would be fortunate to have her as a member of their faculty. I have great admiration for her acting and directing talents and, moreso, her ability to engage, connect with and propel students into a higher level of learning to be theatre artists. 

I hope you will give Jenn Banda your sincere consideration for a position on your faculty. 

Thank you. 

Sincerely yours, 

Bruce Laks

Theatre Teacher Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics

 

From a Former Student

To Whom It May Concern,

I have known Jennifer Banda Bemis in her capacity as a teacher ever since I was thirteen years old and only just beginning my journey into the world of theatre. Since then she has been a presence in my life as a teacher, coach, and mentor who has continually enriched my understanding of this art form, and has additionally provided invaluable assistance in advancing both my professional and academic careers. 

When I was preparing to audition for university, she coached my audition pieces- which resulted in the offer of a full ride scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatics Arts, as well as my acceptance to California Institute of the Arts, where I ultimately graduated with my BFA in acting, class of 2013. Post-graduation, she coached me on multiple occasions as I as I endeavored on professional auditions in Los Angeles, which I booked. She coached me again as I prepared for graduate school auditions, and her help was instrumental in my eventually being offered a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. This was an intensely difficult program to gain acceptance to, and although I made the decision to pursue my MA elsewhere in a program that was less acting-specific, it is still an honor I hold dearly. I also have had the gratifying experience of working under her direction at the Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar, performing as Rosalind in an Indonesian language version of Shakespeare’s As You Like It. This bilingual production included traditional Balinese music, dance, and puppets, and was a stepping stone along the path of inspiration leading to my current development as a multi-disciplinary artist. 

Jennifer’s pedagogical work in the theatre is characterized by passion, pointed intelligence, and extensive knowledge. She works expertly with breath, language, layers of meaning, and a keen, sensitive understanding of the human spirit. This generous understanding of both of the dramatic character and of the actor as the person standing in front of her, allows her to respond to both their needs simultaneously, drawing with intuitive flexibility from her ample wells of expertise in order to best further their development.

Sincerely,

Cynthia Callejas

MA, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance

Theatre Faculty - Escuela Municipal de Artes y Oficios

 

From A Director

March 12, 2017

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been asked to be a reference for Jennifer Banda in her application for a position at our institution. I am more than happy to do so.

Jenn has been an employee of mine at Southwest Shakespeare Company over many years. She was a leading actress with the company and ran our Education Program full-time for over 5 years, from 2005-2011. SSC is the Classical Theatre of Arizona. There is none other in the state. As such, SSC is in a unique position to offer the kind of programming it does, and is pre-eminent in the state for producing Shakespeare and the classics. Jenn Banda was a prime company member for many years with us, reaching the rank of Associate Artist, our most important distinction for our artists. She is a very talented, dedicated actress, with enormous skill and knowledge of the acting craft. She played many of our leading roles for women, and was an audience favorite. She also showed ability as a director, directing projects and shows in our Education Program. She is also a wonderful teacher. Recently she has received her Masters Degree and is working on a second. As a Shakespeare scholar, teacher, and director, she is superlative.

Jennifer is hard-working, dedicated, organized and reliable. She is creative, works great on a team, is positive, supportive of others and a sheer joy with which to work. A handful of artists during the past decade have made an indelible impression on the company and Jenn leaves behind a great reputation.


In short, I cannot recommend anyone more highly. If you have questions or need more

information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Jared Sakren,

Artistic Advisor,

Producing Artistic Director Emeritus

Southwest Shakespeare Company

 

From a Supervisor

24 April 2012

To Whom It May Concern:

As director of the Bali Cultural Studies in Denpasar, Bali, I have the good fortune to work with visiting MA/MFA students from the University of Essex, East 15. It was as part of this program that I was introduced to and worked with Jennifer Banda Bemis. During her time with us, she was participant in the following programs:

  • Culture: introduction to art, politic, and religion;

  • Wayang Shadow puppet (Aesthetic skill and theory: ritual, entertainment, and socialcriticism);

  • Basic history of Bali (local, overseas connection, and extension);

  • Wayang puppet practice,

  • Religion and basic philosophy of Balinese people;

  • Puppet Making: Drawing, Carving, and painting;

  • Introduction to dance, music, drama forms and its context;

  • Dance practice (posture, movement, expression, theme/character);

  • Introduction to Topeng masked theatre;

  • Barong and Rangda;

  • Mask making (demonstration and practice);

  • Kecak (dance, movements, narration, sung lines, numerous patterns of chanting rhythms, and sung music);

  • Music introduction to various types of Gamelan ensembles;

  • Music practice: Gong Kebyar, Semar Pagulingan, and Gender Wayang (most challenging);

  • Colloquial with ISI students who are interested in the collaborative workshop;

  • Introduction to Balinese architecture;

  • Sung Arja (opera) dance drama;

  • Practical Prembon (simiar to commedia del arte);

  • Attending Odalan temple ceremony;

  • Special Project Performance and the end of the module.

Immersed in the culture and the life of Bali, Jennifer spent time with students, families, and artists of our community and expressed her desire to create a cross-cultural program with international students. She took the initiative to talk to me, the arts commissioner, and the king about this project which she and her fellow student, Lauren Karl, wished to propose for the summer arts festival in Bali. Having been given support from her Balinese friends, she and Lauren have created The Wandering Players group (www.thewanderingplayers.com) to organize and present this project. Her enthusiasm for the project was reflected in her MFA production of Macbeth with ISI and East 15 students which was a collaboration of Western and Balinese artistry. She incorporated the text/story of Shakespeare’s Macbeth with Balinese dance, music, puppetry and language to create a unique production for us.

As an instructor/director, she is innovative, involved, adaptable, energetic, and adventurous. Her students are attracted to her passion for the arts and therefore work well for her. I am happy to give my recommendation and support for Jenn in her application for employment with your institution.

Prof. I Nyoman Sedana, Ph.D.

Professor st the Indonesian Arts Institute

Denpasar, Bali

 

From A Supervisor

To Whom It May Concern:

It is with ardent interest that I recommend Jennifer Bemis for employment as an educator in your institution.

I was assigned as Jennifer’s supervisor for the 2015-2016 school year. I can attest to the fact that Jennifer Bemis’ lesson plans and instructional strategies supersede that of most theater directors with whom I have worked over the past thirty six years. Jennifer Bemis’ lessons always include a rigorous warm-up, followed by articulation exercises that maximize students’ articulation and vocal quality during rehearsals and performances. Jennifer Bemis also implements written discourse with all students. Students are able to perform an array of higher level thinking skills that measure and validate their understanding of theatrical performances both in oral and in written form. Students are exposed to an array of both old and contemporary genres during each class. In addition, Jennifer Bemis always includes a language content objective to ensure that all students benefit from mastery of language acquisition skills necessary for the workforce and college readiness.

Another professional component that Jennifer Bemis exhibits is her dedication and motivation to include and involve the school community. Parental involvement and communication is evidenced on a daily basis. Several clinicians from university programs have also provided key information for students who choose to pursue degrees or careers in theater. As a result, Jennifer Bemis’ cultural responsiveness has assisted students, parents, and community members/stakeholders as part of the

acculturation process.

I assure you that Jennifer Bemis will perform all necessary duties and functions so that students can achieve academically and socially. With high expectations that Jennifer instills within her program, students are definitely prepared to perform at a distinguished level!

Please contact me with any additional questions or information you need.

Michael Kennedy

Assistant Principal - Rancho High School Las Vegas, Nevada