Along with BATS Improv, Laura has performed with Start Trekkin', Pacific Playback Theatre, San Francisco Improv Co-Operative, and Scrapbook Theatre, among other groups.
Laura teaches at BATS Improv, ACT, Young Audiences, Vector Theatre Conservatory and has taught at UC Berkeley Extension, UC Berkeley with Lawrence Hall of Science, Stanford University, King's Court Players, Hampstead Players, the PIMPS, LifePlays, Hit and Run Theatre Company, Hillbarn Theatre, among others.
Laura teaches improv, acting and music to children K-12 with Young Audiences and other programs at various schools throughout South San Francisco, San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara and Marin counties. She is a Guest Artist at Redwood High School in Larkspur and a substitute teacher in Marin County. She does corporate training and performances up and down California. She directs an improv group in Palo Alto called Running On Improv that was founded in 2002. Laura also teaches private improv classes and does private one-on-one coaching and improv group coaching as well.
Laura directs shows at BATS, including The Harold, Improvised Shakespeare, The Swashbuckler and Spontaneous Broadway. She is also an improvised musician, scoring scenes and songs on the spot, and has played with BATS Improv, ACT, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Lucky Dog Theatre, Hit and Run Theatre and other companies. She continues to do scripted acting, directing Shakespeare plays and doing 24 hour playfests.
Laura loves film and makes and scores her own movies, plus she enjoys working in other people's films and showing up to independent and rogue film festivals looking cute and important.
And on a personal note, Laura loves wolves and one of her nicknames is Wolf Woman. She has gone out in the middle of nowhere in the snow and hung out with wolves and she fights to keep them on the planet. She has a horse named Pickles, a beautiful little black horse with a white star on her forehead, and the two of them play centaur and cowboys and pirates and Seabiscuit, when they aren't at schooling Horse Shows winning 1st place blue ribbons or off in the mountains riding amongst mountain lions, wild turkeys, jackrabbits, snakes and cows and jumping very tiny logs and poles and things. Laura also has two very beautiful cats named Bella and Luna who are in charge of running the household and making sure Laura gets enough to eat and sleep and things like that.
Q&A With Laura Derry
First BATS Show: The first show I remember was at the performance space off of 16th and something; I don't remember where exactly but I remember being fierce and excited to see the show as I walked down the street and then it slowly dawned on me I was not in a great neighborhood. So I acted like I was on my way to kick someone's ass while I surreptiously looked for the theatre. It was a Theatresports show and I was sitting there in the audience, totally hooked and a huge fan of the performers and the show.
First Improv Class: My first official improv class was a Beginning BATS class, March 1991. I had done improv for my scripted acting, but had a horrible experience in high school that swore me off of improv forever. So I was scared out of my mind when I walked in the door for my first improv class. The first people I met when I walked in the room were Rebecca Stockley, the teacher, and Gerri Lawlor, a fellow student.
Favorite Formats: The Harold, Improvised Shakespeare, The Swashbuckler, Spontaneous Broadway, Gorilla Theatre, and Theatresports
Funniest Moment on the BATS Stage: There have been so many moments! ("Oh look, it's the corn guy.") A while ago I was doing a Gold Rush Musical. This was before I knew how to ride a horse, but I was a cranky old squinty-eyed wagon driver in charge of the horses. Kasey Klemm, a Company newbie, was playing a young innocent man on his way out West. At one point in the musical, I snapped at him - "The horses don't like you." and he said "Why?" And I said slowly and in a cranky manner, out of the blue and surprising myself, "You smell like milk." Well, that killed both of us. I don't know why it was so funny. We both slowly turned upstage and we were laughing so hard and trying to control ourselves, and then we'd look at each other and it would start all over again, and it might have been a minute before we could continue on with the scene. I think I bonded with Kasey immensely in the moment, and he has been one of my favorite people to play with ever since.
Improv Advice: I do my best improv when I don't try to be a good improviser. I'm always learning, I feel like I am never going know all there is to know about improv. When I am on stage I open myself up to fail and crash and burn and it makes me feel fearless and spontaneous. Improv is and should be fun.
Favorite Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pirates of the Caribbean, Master and Commander, 5th Element, Shakespeare in Love, The Princess Bride, The Man from Snowy River
Favorite Music: I love music I can dance to, or make up songs to in the car, or that makes me feel. Hip hop, classical, rock, jazz, swing, soul, dance/house, broadway musicals.
Favorite Theatre: Angels in America, Burn This, Waiting for Godot, The Music Man |
