Jodi Baker

JODI BAKER

performing arts, theatre
207-801-5736 |  jbaker@coa.edu

Jodi joined the COA faculty in the fall of 2012 and teaches courses in Performing Arts. She came to COA after spending a number of years in Western Massachusetts teaching, consulting and developing new projects with local theatres and communities. Originally from Utah, Jodi earned an MFA from the National Theatre Conservatory and began her career as a professional actor with the Denver Center Theatre Company. She has studied in England and the U.S. with members of The National Theatre of Great Britain and The Royal Shakespeare Company and performed in a wide variety of contexts in New York, Los Angeles, Asia and Europe.


Jodi has strong interests in documentary theatre, street theatre and stranger studies. In recent years, she has produced unconventional plays in unconventional locations and developed new approaches for teaching performance skills to non-traditional students. Most recently, she researched and trained with Rena Mirecka, a founding member of Grotowski’s Laboratory Theatre and she currently has collaborative relationships with Double Edge Theatre, The Missoula Oblongata and the novelist Kio Stark.


She is excited to work with COA students, faculty and staff toward creating a unique and truly interdisciplinary theatre curriculum.


BA Theatre, California State University, Fresno, CA 1989

MFA Acting, National Theatre Conservatory, Denver, CO 1992

Courses Taught

AD487Play Production Workshop

This is the student production course. Students research, rehearse and produce a performance for the public in collaboration with a faculty director. Students with any or no experience in theatre are welcome and those interested in non-actor aspects of production (tech crew, design, stage management etc.) are especially encouraged to enroll. The show will be cast and staffed by the director within the first two weeks of the course from those on the roster. Any further casting or staffing positions will be filled by campus or community volunteers. Students enrolled must be available for a certain amount of work outside class time (for additional rehearsals, construction and actual performance dates). Production schedule will be available by week one. Evaluation is based on commitment to the particular demands of the project as well as a final reflective paper based on the experience. Default grading option is Credit/No Credit.

Level: Introductory/Intermediate.  Prerequisites: None.  Course limit: 15.  Lab fee:  $40.  *ADS*

AD492The Science of Comedy

This course explores the nature and history of modern comedy and investigates the tools and techniques of great comic performers. We'll cover the evolution of comedy aesthetics from vaudeville and silent film to contemporary stand up and television and we'll explore what, if any sort of 'funny' is timeless. The course uses film, video, live performance and readings. Students gain practical experience through  work on classic routines, physical comedy skills and sketch development as well as experimenting with the peculiar mathematics of comic timing. Together, we will try to pinpoint what actually makes something funny and as importantly, why people crave laughter so much in the first place. There will be at least one field trip. Evaluation is based on participation in activities and discussion as well as a portfolio of short topic responses and a final presentation/paper.

Level: Introductory/Intermediate.  Prerequisites: none. Course limit: 12.  Lab fee: $55.  *AD*