We’d love to introduce you to one of our incredible TBG staff members, Geoff Grimwood! Read our interview with him below…
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What do you enjoy most about working at TBG?
GG: I love working in front of and behind the scenes, so to speak, any place I work, and that’s what I get to do here at the Barrow Group. I’m one of our improv & sketch teachers, plus front desk staff, plus facilities/maintenance staff.
Each of these teams’ work impacts the other two’s work. So in each role, I can experience firsthand the opportunities, and the pain points, that I can help with when I’m wearing my other hats. We all want to know that the work we do makes a difference. Getting to see firsthand that it does, and how to refine it further? It rules.
What is your favorite class you’ve taken at TBG?
GG: The screenwriting & filmmaking segment of my 1-Year Program was a highlight of that year. That class took the mysticism, fear, and preciousness out of those processes – for example, by giving each of us a prompt and then saying, “Write a four-page screenplay. You have ten minutes. Go.” It pulled a lot of us through our self-imposed barriers.
Over just a handful of classes, we went from “I’m interested in writing and filmmaking but not sure if I have it in me” to “Holy crap, I just wrote a short film, my classmates directed and acted in it, and now we’re screening it on the TBG TV.” One of the million instances of TBG helping people realize we absolutely can do the things we dream of doing; we can do it on our own say-so – and it can be fun. Not a nightmare.
What is a project that you’ve been a part of that you are proud of?
GG: I got to voice several characters in the scripted podcast Superhuman Public Radio, and the improvised audio drama podcast Josie’s Lonely Hearts Club. Both have been a blast, and as an added bonus I got to record them from the home recording booth I built during lockdown. I love it in there.
I’m also currently scoring, live on stage, the monthly improv shows of the legendary team Centralia at the Peoples Improv Theater. These guys have gone from being heroes of mine, to mentors, to friends, and now to colleagues and teammates. The shows are killer, and give me the chance to stretch my music abilities to their limit, and expand them every month. A dream come true.
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To take Geoff’s favorite classes, try 1-Year Programs starting Fall 2024 or the Short Film Creation Workshop starting 9/16!
Check out TBG’s full schedule of classes!