Mandy Canales, MPA

Experience

• 

  Prisoner's Education Network

  Sept 2009 - May 2010

  Teaching Artist

  Based in Monroe Correctional Complex, this class focused on teaching the basics of theater history, practice, and playwriting. Each student chose to write or perform a monologue for their final project.

• 

  Eclectic Theatre One Act Festival

  Jun 2014 - Jun 2014

  Playwright

  Cut Here is a One-Act play littered with pop culture references which discusses accountability and empathy in friendships.

• 

  The Metronome Society

  Jul 2015 - Jul 2015

  Playwright

  Four Boys on a Beach is an original One-Act satiric play which analyzes how American's view world affairs. It was produced by The Metronome Society.

• 

  The Pocket Theatre

  Mar 2019 - May 2019

  In this program, I worked with a co-director to create and teach a team of four people the basics of writing and performing sketch comedy using comedic principles of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade. This program also covered the basics of how to direct, market, and produce a sketch comedy show. Created and taught the workshop "Blocking Writer's Block" in which I discussed with other writers how to identify the causes behind their writer's block. Once identified, we approached each cause with a specifically crafted writing exercise.

  • Co-Director

    Mar 2019 - May 2019

  • Teaching Artist

    Mar 2019 - Mar 2019
• 

  SketchFest Seattle

  Jul 2019 - Sept 2019

  Playwright and Performer

  Wrote and performed “CheerSpeare”, a comedic monologue that combines cheerleading and Shakespeare; this high energy monologue opened Seattle SketchFest.

• 

  Everett Community College

  Sept 2020 - May 2021

  Drama Teacher

  This class focused on how to bring theater into the virtual space. Our production was a live Zoom event and was a retelling of Macbeth using the framework of the television show Unsolved Mysteries. I assisted the students with devising the script through text analysis and writing assignments. The goal of the class was to show that theater can still be performed and experienced even with constraints placed on theater venues during the COVID pandemic. During the spring semester I helped run the Drama Club via Zoom in which I presented mini lectures on Improv, Sketch Comedy, and Digital performance. Show less

• 

  The Rude Mechanicals

  Oct 2020 - Jun 2021

  Playwright

  The Rude Mechanical's produced my One Act "CheerSpeare". Directed by Phinney Brown and starring Raleigh Hawthorne this performance was a part of the "Shakespeare Inspired Shorts" online festival.

• 

  Small Hours Festival

  Mar 2021 - Mar 2021

  Playwright

  In digital collaboration with Chicago playwright John Michael, the short play "Mute" was written specifically to be performed online in a Zoom call. This comedic short explores the follies and consequences of not pushing the mute button.

• 

  Ferryman Collective

  Jul 2021 - Nov 2022

  Production Team and Performer

  Assisted with the narrative design of a live immersive, interactive, and episodic performance in virtual reality on the VRChat platform. In addition to the design, I also created multiple characters with back stories that I will performing. Tech and apps used during this process include the Oculus Quest 2 headset, VRChat, and VR project management virtual world, Noda.

• 

  Adaptive Art Works

  Aug 2021 - Nov 2022

  Co-Founder and Associate Artist

  We are group of multidisciplinary artists seeking to apply our skills in unique, creative ways to assist fellow artists, students, and business people in other fields in enhancing their personal and professional lives and livelihoods.

• 

  Open Online Theatre

  Sept 2022 - Nov 2022

  Resident Artist

  Artists in this residency explored different approaches to hybrid XR performances and learned about how to pragmatic approaches to the organization of a digital performance including on boarding process, ticketing, audience experience. The residency concluded with my introductory workshop, "Introduction to Social VR Platforms for Performers".

• 

  VR Dance Academy

  Oct 2022 - now

  Teaching Artist

  I teach a class called "Comedic Movement" in which we explore the the strengths and limitations of expressions through avatars in a virtual reality environment. Drawing from Commedia dell' arte lazzi, the class practices physical comedy bits and improv while also analyzing different approaches to comedic expression.

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  Washington State University

  Aug 2023 - now

  During the Fall 2023 semester, I taught a class on Immersive Storytelling in XR using the platform Spatial. This Spring 2024 semester, I will be teaching Digital Storytelling.

  • Assistant Professor

    May 2024 - now

  • Lecturer

    Aug 2023 - now
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  Skits N Bits

  Sept 2023 - Oct 2023

  Writer and Performer

  I co-wrote and performed in the audience interactive murder mystery "Who Killed Johnny?" that was performed live in VRChat and broadcasted via Twitch on The Virtual Reality Show from VRChat. During the course of rehearsals, I also assisted with VR specific interactive training for the actors.