It is forbidden to walk over the grass. It is not forbidden to fly over the grass.

(Augusto Boal)

It is forbidden to walk over the grass. It is not forbidden to fly over the grass. (Augusto Boal)

“It is not the place of the theatre to show the correct path, but only to offer the means by which all possible paths may be examined.”

~Augusto Boal

My Background

I have a background in theatre and the performing arts. My first degree is in performance, and my second is in Drama Education (Pre-K - 12). When I was studying drama education, I learned about drama therapy, and while I was skeptical at first, after the first class I was hooked! It was this discovery that ultimately led me to become a therapist.

Drama Therapy and Theatre for Change

I have trained in a number of types of drama therapy and drama therapy-adjacent work. Of my years of study, I have been most drawn to Psychodrama, Developmental Transformations (DvT), and Theatre of the Oppressed. These are the types of drama therapies I am most likely to use in my therapeutic work with clients and in my group facilitation work. If you are interested in learning more about psychodrama you can visit this website here, and learn more about DvT here. A great explanation of Theatre of the Oppressed can be found here.

Return to the Theatre

After many years in the neighboring field of drama therapy, I have been invited back into the theatre through many wonderful people in the Portland theatre scene. I couldn’t be more grateful to have been “found out”, and “reeled back in”. Many thanks to Marc with the Mandala Center for Change, Vin at The Historic Alberta House, Nik at Bag&Baggage Productions, and Holly at Corrib Theatre for making it impossible to stay away.

What Can We Invite You To Do?

Let's Play

  • I’m available for and interested in hosting pre and post show discussions with audience members.

    I am well equipped to manage challenging or complicated subject matter with gentleness and firmness, as is required. I look forward to pushing and soothing your audience.

  • I am available for and interested in participating in productions throughout the process, to create a trauma informed set or rehearsal room.

    I can provide one on one actor support, group cast support and facilitation, and support for the production team, including suggestions for lobby design, program notes, website copy, content warnings, and more!

  • If you’re writing, editing, or revising your script/scene, I’m more than happy to review it and provide feedback.

    I can offer input on:

    • accurate portrayal of mental health diagnoses and experiences

    • potential impact of traumatic imagery or content

    • the need for content warnings or other trauma informed measures

    and more!

  • I can provide content-specific education to anyone on a production, to increase the room’s understanding of the story being told and to deepen the work.

  • I use a variety of drama therapy techniques, exercises, and activities that help actors to deepen their self-knowing and core feelings, without resorting to some of the more painful classic techniques we used in early acting training! We don’t need to harm ourselves or each other in order to access our best work.

  • I have significant training in artistic change work, especially Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed methods. I have experience joking Forum Theatre, and the Rainbow of Desire (one of Boal’s least used methods). I would be happy to use what I know to create some Theatre for Social Change!

Artistic Change Work