Profile

Gai Laing Jones

EdTA Governing Board Past President,
Theatre Sage

Contact Details

EdTA Governing Board Past President,
Theatre Sage
Platinum Member

Social Links


Bio

Certifications and Accreditations:
Junior High Teaching Credential
Life Time Standard Secondary Credential
Administrative Credential

Research and Training:
Grant Proposal Writing Certification April 2013
EdTA Leadership Summit
American Association for Theatre Education (AATE) Leadership Institute
Stop Gap Theatre
Placentia Yorba Linda USD Theatre Curriculum Writer
National and CA State Standards Reviewer
USC Theatre of the Oppressed
American Conservatory of Theatre (A.C.T) Summer Theatre Institute
NYU Summer Theatre Institute
UCLA Directing
Roosevelt Summer Theatre Institute
University of CA Irvine (UCI)Experiential Psycho Drama
Commercial Intensives: Carolyne Barry, Michael Donovan
Voice Over Classes/Demo
The Actor’s Bootcamp
ComedySportz
Kalmenson and Kalmenson Voice Over

Professional Memberships:
Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Association(SAG/AFTRA) 2002
EdTA member Thespian Director, Senior Theatre League, Professional Member, Chapter Director, Past Territorial Director/Past Regional Director, Emeritus Member, Board member 1968-present
AA Community Theatre
AATE Member, past CA Representative
Americans for the Arts
CA Educational Theatre Association, member, membership V.P, Past President
CA Thespians, Ex Trustee, VP membership, past Director
CA Teachers Association
CA Alliance Arts Education policy board member/legislative action committee
CA State University Fullerton(CSUF) Alumni Association


Daughters of the American Revolution(DAR)
Drama Teachers Associations of So. CA(DTASC) Member, Membership Secretary, VP Advocacy
Girl Scouts of America
Grady County Historical Society
CA Alliance of Arts Educator (CAAE)Legislative Action Committee,
National Educational Association
Order of the Eastern Star
Parent Teacher Student Association
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) Alumni Association
Zeta Phi Eta
Co-Creator/Executive Producer/Company Manager of Making Magic/Defying Gravity (MMDG),
National Thespian Scholarship Benefit 2012-present
CREATE CA, Superintendent's Task Force

Awards:
Black Box Theater named GAI JONES THEATER, El Dorado H.S. Placentia, CA 2002; The World’s Who’s Who of Women; Secondary Educators of America; Young Educators of America, OCW Young Alumni Hall of Fame; CAAE Leader in Theatre Education; Stage Directions-Leaders in America; Outstanding Arts Educator, Orange County; CETA Outstanding Educator/Life time Achievement Award; CA State Thespians Hall of Fame; EdTA Hall of Fame; CETA South Distinguished Service; CETA South Secondary Teacher; Theatre in out Schools national award, AATE; PTSA El Dorado Service Member; EDHS Faculty Member of the year; CA Youth in Theatre Founder-CETA Award for Outstanding State Project, Drama Teachers Association of SO CA Life Achievement, Honored on the Floor of the CA State Senate for CA Youth in Theatre Education Advocacy; Women In Theatre (W.I.T) LA award for women in education; Ojai Art Center Life Time Member, Worldwide Who’s Who.

Publications:
American Association of Community Theatre online Journal
Theatre Folk, Guest Writer
Sage to Stage Founder and Curriculum
Secondary Schools of Theatre Association “Shop Talk”
EdTA “Teaching Theatre”
American Alliance for Theatre Education (AATE) “Stage and School”
AATE Guest Editor and contributor “Stage of the Art”
Theatre Arts Curriculum, grades 7-12
LA TIMES
BACKSTAGE WEST
DRAMALOGUE
STAGE DIRECTIONS
CETA News Journal
CETA Position Paper 2007
Sage to Stage Curriculum, senior citizen
Osher Institute Curriculum, CSU, Channel Islands
CSU, East Bay, Curriculum professional developments
www.dramaeducation.com
Edutopia blog "Feeling the Power of Oral Communication" April 2015

Books:
Lecture and Demonstrations of Six Styles of Oral Interpretation, MA Thesis Project, 1968
RAISING THE CURTAIN, Activities for the Theatre Arts Classroom, Perfection Learning 2006
Break A Leg, Tips for The Theatre Educator, self-published, 2008
New Textbook to be published in 2014


Interests and Volunteer Positions *Present and Past
Co-creator/Company Manger MM/DG
AllExperts.com contributor
DramaEd.com guest writer
Theatre Folk Guest Contributor
Dames to Duchesses Creator Executive Producer and Actor, touring group of professional older actresses
Working with Robin Lithgow on AP Theatre Test
CA Youth in Theatre (CYIT) Founder, sponsored over 3000 student performances for CA legislators, 1997-12
UUVC Theatre Director
DeBenneville Pines Theatre Director
Ojai Library Reading Lady
Senior Honor Thespian Scholarship Founder-CA Thespians
Gai Jones Senior Thespian Scholarship Founder and Contributor, El Dorado High School
Theatre 150 Off the Page actor, director
Ojai Performing Arts Theatre Academy (OPATA) Education Advisory Board
Recording for the Blind, Santa Barbara,
Pet Assistant Therapy
Ojai Art Center Theatre Branch, Artistic Committee, Executive Branch
Ojai Performing Arts League
Ojai Film Festival
Ojai Shakespeare Festival
Ojai Film Society
Ojai Educational Foundation Guest Presenter
Ojai Women’s Club Presenter
Consultant CA Alliance of Arts Education working with Lobbyist and Policy Director
Leading CA Activist for Theatre credential
Ojai Art Center Theatre Executive Board
Theater 150 Advisory Board
Workshop Leader at Ojai Youth Entertainment Studios (OYES)
Director at Elite Theatre, Ojai Art Center Theatre, and OYES
Commercial actress in television
National workshop leader and adjudicator
National commercials-actor

Past Volunteer Positions
Theatre Consultant; Swim Team Booster Member-high school-university; Room Mother; Asst Brownie Leader; Soccer Mom; Director EDHS Faculty/Staff Talent Show and Film.

Skills
Social Media; Computing; Access Databases; Networking; Emailing; Membership Databases; Job and Materials Databases; Judges for Theatre Youth Festival Coordinator for 1900 professional theatre education adjudicators; Virtual Theatre Creator; Sage to Stage Founder/Curriculum writer; Consulting; Story Lady; Accents; Legislative Advocator, state/national; Networking; Helping Theatre educators; Commercial actress; Voice Over Talent; Director; Producer; National Workshop Leader on Ensemble Based Theatre Education, Daniel Hoff, Commercial Agent, Allegory Casting, Commercial Agent

Education

Oklahoma College for Women
BA
To 1964

Chickasha High School
BA
To 1960

California State University-Fullerton
MA

Professional Associations

SAG-AFTRA
2013 - 2023

Job History

Santa Barbara City College Life Long Learning
Teacher
Santa Barbara
September 2012 - present

CA State University, East Bay and Ventura College Community Ed
Associate Professor and Instructor
January 2011 - present

EdTA member since 1968. Board member 2010-2013
Educational Theatre Association
January 1968 - present

Ventura College Community Ed
Teacher
Ventura, CA, United States
March 2009 - June 2012

Theatre 150
workshop leader and actor
January 2002 - June 2011

Camp Bravo
Instructor
April 1995 - April 2011

CYIT CA Youth in Theatre
Founder
January 1998 - January 2011

CAAE
policy council
January 1990 - January 2011

Elite Theater
Director/Workshop Leader
January 2005 - January 2010

Ojai Art Center Theatre
Director/Workshop Leader
January 2002 - January 2010

Commercial Workshops/Textbook writers
Actress/Leader/Author
January 2002 - January 2010

Ojai Art Center Theatre
Director/Workshop Leader
January 2002 - January 2010

Commercial Workshops/Textbook writers
Actress/Leader/Author
January 2002 - January 2010

Ventura Theatre Directors
Director
January 2002 - January 2010

CETA Membership/Past President
Past President/Membership VP
January 1995 - January 2010

CETA (CA Educational Theatre Association)
officer
January 1990 - January 2010

AATE member
member
January 1990 - January 2010

DTASC
Emeritus member
January 1980 - January 2010

Theatre educator
elementary Teacher
July 2009 - July 2009

Theatre Sages
Master Teacher
July 2009 - July 2009

EdTA
Guest Lecturer
January 2009 - July 2009

Theatre Sage
BREAK A LEG, TIPS AND TRUISMS FOR THEATRE EDUCATORS
March 2008 - February 2009

Fullerton College Theatre Dept. Youth Theatre Conservatory
Consultant
January 1980 - January 2002

El Dorado High School
Director
January 1968 - January 2002

Wilshire Junior High School
Director
January 1964 - January 1968

Theatre Sage
Theatre Arts Educator/Director/Consultant

Honors and Awards

President's Award
EdTA
2016

Vice President EdTA Governing Board
EdTA
2017, 2018, 2019