Foundations of Interactive Performance

Amanda Meyers is an LA-based creative director specializing in interactive and site-specific theatre. In 2022, Amanda founded A Party at Anna’s to pull more Gen-Z artists into the world of immersive. Recent stage management credits include Capital W and Will Coile, and original immersive works have featured live musicians, improvised scenes, audience transport, and even a noise complaint or two (successfully negotiated). When it comes to Party At Anna’s, Amanda’s mix of structure and spontaneity leads to inventive, resource-maximizing productions that punch above their weight. Having trained with Jeff Wirth and Joanna Harmon since 2022, Amanda is honored to begin passing along Interactive Performance Training to the next generation of immersive creators.

Mentor in Residence

This summer, Jeff Wirth serves as Mentor in Residence, available to support students as they develop their own work. Rather than leading classes, he works directly with artists on in-progress ideas, stuck moments, and evolving pieces. Bring what you’re working on. Jeff helps clarify intention, sharpen structure, and test how your work holds up in the presence of real participants. His strength is in interactive performance, with practical insight that carries across physical theatre, clowning, and experimental forms. The focus stays on your goals, with feedback you can immediately apply.

Beyond the Fourth Wall

Josh Matthews (They/He) is a teacher, actor, and clown/circus performer. He has traveled around the world with his theater company, Under the Table, performing original physical comedies. Josh Has performed at The Lincoln Center (NYC), The Big Apple Circus (NYC) and Third Rail Projects (NYC) to name a few companies. Josh has been a teaching artist and guest lecturer for the past 25 years, some of the organizations Josh has worked with have been the New Victory Theater, Word For Word theater company, American Conservatory Theater, Occidental College, Sarah Lawrence College, and New York University. Currently Josh serves as a lead clown and artistic director for Medical Clown Project medicalclownproject.org.