Jane Nichols

Jane Nichols is a teacher, director, and actor who has been teaching Clown for over 15 years. Her work brings together skills and techniques of Improvisation, Mask, Le Jeu, Physical Comedy, Clown, and Fool. She has studied with world-renowned Clown Master Philippe Gaulier, Avner Eisenberg (Avner the Eccentric), Clive Mendes (Theatre Complicite), Ronlin Foreman (DellArte School of Physical Theatre), Michael Kennard (co-founder of Canada’s acclaimed Mump & Smoot, and Master teacher of the Richard Pochinko native American mask/clown technique), Bolek Polivka, Antonio Fava, Davis Robinson, Keith Johnstone, and Merry Conway. She has taught at Harvard University, Institute at American Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Stella Adler Conservatory, University of Washington, University of Utah, Emerson College, Simon’s Rock College of Bard, Lesley College Graduate School.

She is the founder and artistic director of the Crosswalk Theater in Boston. Her acting credits include roles at En Garde Arts, New Georges and SoHo Rep, Dallas Theater Center, Portland Stage Company, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare & Co., the Lyric Stage, Nora Theater, and Berkshire Public. Jane has performed for film and television in School Ties, Heights, Law & Order: SVU, Ed, America's Most Wanted, and Rachel's Dinner.

For seven years she taught at the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at American Repertory Theatre, and at Harvard University where she directed Les Liaisons Dangereux, Feed the Monkey, Noises Off, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jane is currently on the faculties of the Yale School of Drama, Juilliard, Actor’s Center in NYC, and Shakespeare & Co in Lenox, MA.

Jane is also one of the official bloggers of the NY Clown Theater Festival. To read her thoughts about the festival, visit http://www.nyclowntheaterfestivaljane.blogspot.com