Tisch Study Abroad Alumni: Then & Now

Why study abroad? For some it’s the love of travel or opportunity to explore history. Others may study abroad to be immersed in a new culture and learn a new language. Many students study abroad to learn their craft from an international perspective. They gather stories about the people they meet and experiences they have and bring those stories to life through film, photography, performance, and other artistic expressions. 

What students learn through studying abroad influences their work for years to come. Meet Gabriella, Jacquelyn, and Jason. These Tisch alumni studied abroad during their undergraduate years at NYU. We had a chance to catch up with them about their time spent abroad and what they’re doing in their respective professional fields today. Get to know our former students and what they’re up to.

GABRIELLA MOSES ‘12 (BFA, THEATRE), 35MM MASTER CLASS IN FILMMAKING IN PRAGUE, SUMMER 2010)

Why did you choose the Master Class in 35mm Filmmaking program?

I chose the Prague Summer Master Class in 35mm because I wanted to travel to Europe for the first time with purpose. I also wanted a chance to immerse myself in a skill set I hadn't previously focused on in my courses during the year at Tisch. Cinematography had piqued my interest and I knew that learning about it through 35mm would only inform my knowledge as a director and would let me take part in learning more about an aspect of my industry that was dying — the use of celluloid. 

Share a favorite memory from your time abroad.

We traveled around the country to work on each other's productions and I remember shooting in the countryside right out of the center of Prague in a field of brilliant bright yellow flowers. The teamwork in such a cinematic location somewhere else in the world with an international crew really captured the spirit of filmmaking that drew me to Tisch.

How did your program impact you?

It made me more confident as a female filmmaker because I had operated a 35mm beast of a camera and learned the fundamentals of cinematographic language in a foreign country. I knew then I wanted to tell global stories and this experience helped me learn about what that would be like and how to gain [the] respect of a crew and effectively work as a crew. 

What are you doing now?

I am currently in development on two feature films as a Writer/Director and work as a Freelance Production Designers in Film/TV and Commercial Productions.

JACQUELYN GREENSPAN ‘10, (BFA, THEATRE) SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE AT RADA IN LONDON, SPRING 2010

Why did you choose the Shakespeare in Performance at RADA program?

I had been to London once as a teenager for a week-long course at the Globe and had fallen in love with the city, British culture, and British theatre. I had considered applying to schools in the UK for undergrad and also looked very closely at the study abroad opportunities available when applying to schools in the US. So, when I decided on NYU and knew that the RADA program existed, I knew it was absolutely something I needed to do while I was at school. Travel in general and getting to experience other cultures has always been something that is very important to me, so to have that as something that was also a part of my education was something I could not pass up.

Share a favorite memory from your time abroad.

 It is hard to pick just one. A few that stick out are:
 

• The work with Brigid Panet that I can best describe as coming into tune with our bodies as their best selves as a conduit for the work was very opening and enlightening.
  
  
• The day we got to try on traditional Elizabethan costumes of both genders, including corsets, was just so much fun as well as educational.
  
  
• Getting to work with famed English actor Julian Glover for scene study. I was working on Act 1, Scene 2 of Richard III, the scene between Lady Anne and Richard. At one point, Julian stepped in for my scene partner as part of an exercise and getting to act with such a great actor even in just a classroom for a few moments was an experience I will never forget. A fellow classmate and I also went to see him in the West End production of Oliver that he was currently appearing in and he was so lovely when we went to see him backstage after the show.
  
  
• I also took part in the HOST Visit program that was offered where we got to stay with a local person or family in a city outside of London for the weekend. I stayed with the most lovely woman down in Brighton and she really took the time to show me her city and share her life.
  
  
• I would almost always walk from the housing to class and tried to take a different route on the way home every day and discovered some really special parts of the city that way that I never would have seen or known about.
  
  
• I took what opportunities I could to travel Europe (which is very possible, even on a budget) and to see and experience as many places and ways of life as I could, which, to me, is as equally important to growing as an actor and a human as the training itself is.

How did your program impact you?

My love of British theatre and culture definitely grew and appreciated. My time at RADA also led to my decision to pursue my graduate degree in the UK. At RADA, I was also given the opportunity to look at Shakespeare from a new perspective and was therefore given more tools and techniques to use when performing it (and other forms of theatre as well). One aspect I particularly loved was the holistic approach to Shakespeare. By this I mean, in addition to all of the traditional classes one would expect in training, we also were given courses in Elizabethan dance and song, as well as focus on the sonnets, and the opportunity to explore how the themes that Shakespeare wrote about are present in more contemporary theatre pieces. We also got a crash course in broadsword and knife combat that I still use as a foundation for all of my weapon-based stage combat work today.

What are you doing now? 

I am currently back living in NYC, having completed my graduate degree in Acting at East 15 Acting School in England. I recently performed in a production with Nylon Fusion Theatre Company as well as a few short film/web projects. I am also a part of a few play reading groups in the city that will hopefully be putting up work post-pandemic. I have my own projects that I began developing in graduate school that I am continuing to work on. I also had my first foray into producing in 2018 with an all-female production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) that I acted in as well.

JASON SILVERMAN ‘12, (BFA, Theatre) SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE AT RADA IN LONDON, FALL 2010

Why did you choose the Shakespeare in Performance at RADA program?

I chose the Shakespeare in Performance at RADA program because I was looking for rigorous Shakespeare training and I also wanted to study abroad. It was the best semester of my entire time at NYU and I still talk to most of my classmates to this day.

Share a favorite memory from your time abroad.

My favorite memory from abroad was trying various Sunday Roasts at pubs with friends.

How did your program impact you?

RADA was the most intense semester I had at NYU. The bar was set very high and there was nowhere to hide. Everyone knew how difficult it was to get there and now that we were accepted, we knew we had to deliver every single day. It pushed me outside of my comfort zone in the most supportive way possible and I take those lessons and skills into every project I do, Shakespeare or not.

What are you doing now?

I’m still acting and enjoying the madness that is the hustle as best as I can. For financial security, I work in sales for a major tech company that specializes in the arts and I’m a licensed NYC tour guide, giving classic film tours and superhero sights tours of NYC.

Tisch study abroad programs are open to NYU and visiting undergraduate students. Visit the Tisch Special Programs website to learn more. We are currently accepting applications for spring 2021 programs in Berlin, Havana, London, Prague, and study away in Los Angeles.