CASSIE SLATER (773) 590-1358 [email protected] ______OBJECTIVE As a teaching artist I want to use my skills as an actor and singer to excite young people so that they may find their own unique voice as an artist and thinking person. I want to continue to challenge my students to explore their own unique gifts as performing individuals – using , music, and to advance their minds as artist citizens of the world. ______EDUCATION * The Theatre School at DePaul University B.F.A. Acting June 2003 * The Neighborhood Playhouse Summer Intensive Certificate August 2002 ______EXPERIENCE

Stomp and Shout Chicago, IL

OWNER/DIRECTOR: August 2013 – Present Stomp and Shout Chicago offers creative music and theatre classes for hip, urban kids ages 8 months - 11 years.

Stomp And Shout Kids Curriculum development and creative output for an original music and creative play program for kids ages 8 months – 4 years. Our mission is to innovate inspiring and challenging ways to bring music, art, and imagination to kids and their families. Our programming encourages creative thinkers. Laying the ground work for high self esteem, strong team work, problem solving, and big beautiful imaginations.

The Studio at Stomp and Shout programs thought provoking (fun!) music, theatre, & improv classes for grades K - 5. Our classes provide instruction in the fundamentals of the performing arts while offering our students opportunities to explore the world they live in through the lens of these imaginative mediums. Classes are lead by dynamic teachers who are active professionals in the Chicago theatre community.

Metropolitan Schoolhouse Chicago, IL

FINE ARTS TEACHER September 2014 – present As the sole Arts teacher at this small, private school. I’ve had the opportunity to develop the Fine Arts program with the principal. The small class sizes give us the wonderful opportunity for real hands on learning. Class focuses have included: Poetry Outloud, Documentary Film Making, Pop Art, Illustration, Sculpture, Improv, Beginning Theatre, and Music.

Music For Aardvarks/Music For Manhattan New York, NY

LEAD TEACHER: Jan 2012 – Dec 2013 A funky, early childhood (6 months to 4 years) music education program geared toward kids growing up in urban environment. The 45 minute class explores basic musicianship and creative play. The kids (and their grown ups) use shakers and rhythm sticks, scarves and instruments along with call and response songs to begin to introduce them to melody, singing and basic rhythmic patterns. Most of all, though, the class encourages imagination and exploration in the child’s own way at their own pace.

Broadway Bound Kids New York, NY

TEACHING ARTIST: Fall/Winter Semester 2012 As a lead teaching artist, I was a musical theatre teacher serving two school's after school programs. I wrote curriculum and taught three sections: kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade, and fifth through seventh grade. All of the classes concluded with a performance and were developed utilizing the NY state benchmarks for the performing arts.

Stagecoach New York, NY

TEACHING ARTIST: Summer 2011 This week-long day camp, geared toward 4 and 5 year olds, focused on music, creative play, dance, crafts and concluded with a public performance.

The Lamb School of Theatre and Music Sioux City, IA

GUEST TEACHING ARTIST: Spring 2010 I facilitated a musical theatre audition class that consisted of 7th – 12th graders. The focus of the class was exploring song as monologue. Students brought in their own material and performed for the class. As I gave ideas and notes they experimented with new ways to explore character and intention as well as applying a type of “text analysis” to the lyrics and music. They were encouraged to look at the song as equal parts actor, singer, and musician.

WRITER – MOVEMENT CURRICULUM : 2008 I was asked to write a movement curriculum that incorporated basic ideas explored in La Bonne and Viewpoints work for an advanced youth theatre program (ages 12-18). The intention of the class was to allow students who were growing into their bodies and learning to feel comfortable in their own skin the freedom to express themselves without the use of their voices and approach storytelling with their bodies. The class was used in it’s entirety twice and was later adapted into other class experiences at The Lamb School.

Eileen Boevers Performing Arts Workshop at Apple Tree Theatre Chicago, IL 2004-2005

ACT UP! ages 9 – 11 This was a basic Acting class with a twist. We explored, improvisation, theatre games, story theatre, and scene study to learn how to communicate in front of an audience. After learning different methods of storytelling, the class wrote their own story (in monologue form) that centered around the topic “School Days”. They presented their monologues in a brief presentation at the end of the year.

TRIPLE THREAT ages 9 – 15 I team-taught this class with a dance instructor. This class was designed to explore the three elements of musical theatre. Our main focus was on scene study (objectives and text analysis), solo and group music numbers, and self-expression. I created and directed the piece performed at the end of the semester incorporating the students’ ideas throughout the piece. The most wonderful facet of this class was that it encouraged confidence and positive self-image in the student. Each voice was important and heard and an integral part of the final project.

BROADWAY BABIES ages 6 – 8 & STAR TO BE ages 8 – 10 These classes were geared toward kids who loved to sing, act and dance and was designed to let the student explore who they are as performers and creative thinkers. A steady stream of theatre games focused on connection and imagination, while musically, the kids learned showtunes (solos as well as group numbers with harmony), basic dance routines, and gained confidence in front of an audience.

The Second City Training Center Chicago, IL 2003-2004

SHOWTIME ages 6 – 9 The class was a fun mix of improvisational games and exercises (the foundation for the class was in Paul Sills and ). The class enhanced the student’s ability to communicate with others, developed confidence in their own creativity as well as taught the students to respect the ideas of others.

ACTING ages 11-12 This was a basic acting class that used monologues, scenes and exercises to examine techniques an actor uses to establish a character. This class had its roots in Paul Sills and Spolin exercises but grew into objective work and text analysis.

The Lamb School of Theatre and Music Sioux City, IA

MUSIC TEACHER(2001) ages 6 – high school MOVEMENT TEACHER (2000) ages 11 – high school CREATIVE DRAMATICS TEACHER (1999) ages 6 – 13 This three-week summer camp was a fun, comprehensive, and dynamic exploration of the performing arts. The camp culminated in a final performance that included all of the students (90 plus kids. Ages 6 through high school) for the community. References Upon Request