Professor, Director, Performance-Based Activist
Brittney S. Harris
Professor, Director, Performance-Based Activist
Field Work Highlight: 4-VA Collaborative Research Grant, Summer 2025
As a co-research contributor with Dr. Rachel Rhoades at James Madison University (JMU), Voices Unbound: Reclaiming Youth Identity, Expression, and Belonging in a Post-COVID World is this summer’s participatory action research project engaging teens in the Harrisonburg region and Greater New River Valley through creative wellness and devised theatre.
This is our 2nd year in a row receiving this grant!
In response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory declaring loneliness and isolation a public health epidemic, this project aims to strengthen youth well-being by centering identity, creative expression, and connection. Through personal storytelling and ensemble performance, teens reclaim their voices, deepen their sense of belonging, and take on visible roles as artists and changemakers in their communities by culminating in a public theatre piece and facilitated dialogue.
More Info Coming Soon
Playwright Highlight: The Request (or Prison Fan Fiction), Seattle, WA
My full-length play, The Request (or Prison Fan Fiction), will be workshopped at The Shattered Glass Project in Seattle, WA.
From late March through May 2025, I’ll be collaborating under the direction of Jordan-Michael Whidbey with a remarkable group of artists to refine and develop the piece, culminating in a staged reading followed by a feedback session using Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process.
The Shattered Glass Project is dedicated to uplifting theatre that amplifies underheard voices, and I’m deeply honored for the opportunity to grow this work in alignment with that mission.
More about TSGP: https://www.shatteredglassproject.org/2025-plays-in-progress
Article Feature: 'Here Us Out' | Theatre Topics
My article featurette, ‘Here Us Out: Building Inclusive Theatre Classrooms through Community Agreements’, is now available in Theatre Topics (Johns Hopkins University Press), Volume 35.1, as part of ‘Paragraphs on the Pedagogy of the Now.’
This piece explores how community agreements can transform theatre classrooms into more inclusive, equitable, and collaborative spaces.
Spring 2025 Highlight: Pedigree
Pedigree has had a solid Spring 2025 so far! Screenings in London, Toronto, and LA!! This piece continues to activate dialogues that support the narratives of performance activism and the art of protest:
International Black & Diversity Film Festival (IBDFF)
Rapport Festival (Black Film Festival)
The InterCultural Voices Film Festival
These festivals serve as vibrant spaces where storytellers and filmmakers from historically underrepresented backgrounds can present their work, amplify their voices, and engage with diverse audiences.
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: Spring 2025
Creative Scholarship Overview for Spring 2025:
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Mar. 6-9, SESSION CHAIR & PRESENTER
Two of my community-centered, performance-based activism abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the 56th Northeast Modern Language Association Conference (NeMLA) in Philadelphia, PA.
- My newest abstract “Here Us Out’: Building Collaborative Community Agreements for Collegiate Classroom Spaces”
- 'Embodying the Revolution: Storytelling and Performance for Social Resilience' (Session Chair/Presenter)
Mar. 19-22, PRESENTER
Dare to Devise: Ensemble-based Theatre workshop has been accepted into the 2025 Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) in Baltimore, MD.
Apr. 25-27, PRESENTER
My original creative-based collaborative method, 'Here Us Out': Building Collaborative Community Agreements, has been accepted for presentation at the Conference on Race, Racialization, and Resistance: Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Humanities (CRRR) in Seattle, WA.
Creative Scholarship Highlights: Devising Initiative Coordinator, KCACTF 4
As the Devising Initiative Coordinator for KCACTF Region 4, I played a pivotal role in shaping the Festival 57 student experience, collaborating with the Regional Committee to foster an inclusive and equitable environment. Serving the U.S. Southeast, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, I helped design programming that reflected this year’s devising theme, Lost and Found.
Hosted in Greensboro, NC, I coordinated four teams from diverse institutions, UNCG, NC A&T, Bluegrass Community and Technical College, and Georgia Southern University—guiding them through masterclass workshops on ensemble-based devising and theatre’s relationship with the environment. I also curated two showcase opportunities: one featuring invited respondents led by CRP Liz Lerman and another attended by approximately 60 participants.
The festival concluded with each team receiving a Certificate of Engagement, reinforcing a collaborative and impactful experience.
Creative Scholarship Highlights: End-of-Year 2024
Creative Scholarship Highlights: End-of-Year 2024
Highlighted
- Featured Interview: From the Ground Up Podcast by HowlRound Theatre Commons, hosted by Jeffrey Mosser
Episode: “Preserving and Transmitting American Ensemble-Based Theatre, Part One: Participant Perspectives”
Sharing our experiences at the 2023 National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Preserving and Transmitting American Ensemble-Based Theater Institute, which highlighted the impact of devised and physical theatre, its application in professional and university settings, and the limited scholarship around it.
November 6-8, PRESENTER
My activist performance piece, Embodying the #Hashtag: Performing Pedigree, has been accepted into the 2024 Society for Comparative Literature and the Arts Conference (SCLA) in Austin, TX. This year’s theme, Justice, explores literature as an artistic expression that transcends national and linguistic boundaries.
Panel focus: Justice in Multimedia Artistic Practices: A Dialogue
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025!
Pedigree: International (Africa) and Beyond
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlight:
Pedigree continues to gain international recognition with its official film festival selections in Africa, screening in both Kenya and Nigeria, as well as in New York. I look forward to workshopping and facilitating dialogues that support the narratives of performance activism and the art of protest:
(Winner of Best Actress)
Under Our Skin Festival: International Festival on Human Rights
Africa International Human Rights Film Festival
Each of these festivals provides dynamic platforms for creatives and filmmakers from underrepresented communities to showcase their work, share unique stories, and connect with a broader audience. They foster understanding, celebrate cultural richness, and drive social change.
This is a significant achievement for the Pedigree team, and we are thrilled to have reached audiences across the globe.
New Dual Role Appointment, Virginia Tech
Starting in Fall 2024, I accepted a dual-role appointment as an Assistant Professor of Applied Theatre and the newly designated Co-Director of Research for the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech.
My primary research and scholarship will center on Applied Collaborative Techniques, Communicating Science, Performance as Activism, and Applied Theatre, focusing on performance and community engagement.
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: Summer 2024
Creative Scholarship Overview for Summer 2024:
Highlighted
Announcing the official selection of 'Pedigree' in 2 film festivals:
United We Heal Film Festival (Philadelphia, PA)
Freedom Film Festival International
Jul. 26-29, PRESENTER
My ‘River Stories’ Narrative-based Reflection workshop has been accepted into the 2024 Black Theatre Network Conference in Winston-Salem, NC. This year, the conference theme is ‘centering blackness by nurturing the creative spirit.
https://blacktheatrenetwork.org
Aug. 1-3, PRESENTER
My original creative discourse method for devising narrative-based theatre ‘The Umbrella Method’ has been accepted into the 2024 Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) conference panel: Devising Theatre for Social Justice: Methodologies & Strategies for University Classrooms & Production Seasons.
Featured Article: The Umbrella Method
My article, Creative Discourse: The Umbrella Method, is now available in Yale THEATER magazine, Volume 54.2 on 'Devising Futures' published by Duke University Press.
This piece highlights my original creative framework method for developing narrative-based solo and ensemble theatre works based on autobiography or editorial materials called the 'Umbrella Method'. I devised this approach in 2019 as part of my creative research and scholarship over the past few years. I continue to use it in all of my community-based projects.
Field Work Highlight: 4-VA Collaborative Research Grant
Co-research contributor with Dr. Rachel Rhoades at James Madison University (JMU), ' The River of Life'- Utilizing Devised Theatre for Equity and Community Development: Newcomers Translate Experiential Knowledge through Embodied Storytelling' is a summer intensive participatory action research initiative launched in June 2024 focused on creating theater performances based on the experiences of newcomers (refugees).
We aim to evaluate the impact of the theater-making process and performance and ensuing dialogue on newcomers' confidence, building a sense of community and belonging, and promoting active participation in advancing equity in their professional lives and personal endeavors.
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: May 2024
Creative Scholarship Overview for May 2024:
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May 4, PRESENTER
My performance as activism abstract, 'Embodying the #Hashtags & Headlines: Performing Narratives of Social Resilience and Resistance,' has been accepted into the 2024 Philadelphia Theatre Research Symposium (PTRS) and National Black Theatre, which will focus on 'Theatre as Catalyst for Liberation.'
The PTRS aims to provide a forum for scholars and practitioners working in theatre research and practice to collaborate, share their research, and engage in a dialogue about performance studies, theatre and culture, theatre and politics, and theatre theory.
Read more about PTRS 2024
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: April 2024
Creative Scholarship Overview for April 2024:
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Apr. 5 & 6, CO-PRODUCER
I co-produced the 2nd Annual Z Fringe Festival, which was hosted by Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach, VA. The Z Fringe Festival featured a diverse group of artists from the Hampton Roads area in Virginia and from all over the United States. The festival showcased a variety of unique and creative works, including adventurous theater and performance art that pushes boundaries. It was a weekend full of exciting events that genuinely celebrated the arts!
The Z Fringe 2024 producers: Terry Flint, Brittney Harris, Jason Kypros, and Akin Ritchie
Apr. 9, PRESENTER
My performance-based activism piece, ‘Breathing Life into the Black and White: Performing Sandra Bland,’ has been accepted into the 3rd Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference (HRSJC) panel: Short Talks: Storytelling and Social Justice. This year, the conference aims to address pressing societal challenges through interdisciplinary and cross-sector dialogue.
Featured Playwriting Highlight: The Request (or Prison Fan Fiction)
My full-length play, The Request (or Prison Fan Fiction), has been accepted into the renowned The Workshop Theater 2024 Winter Intensive cohort (NYC).
Since January 2024, I've been working with a cohort of tremendously talented creatives and playwrights from NY to LA who've been instrumental in finessing and workshopping this piece to a final draft. I've learned so much and gained an even more profound respect for the playwriting process.
More about WTWI:
https://www.workshoptheater.org/intensives/workshop-intensives-winter-2024
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT: Intersections: Art, Activism, & Advocacy Weekend
Partnering with the Little Theatre of Norfolk (LTN), Intersections: Art, Activism, & Advocacy Weekend is a two-day event cultivating necessary conversations about the importance of mental health, the unbreakable image of the black woman, social justice, the power of narrative-based storytelling, and utilizing art as a form of social resistance.
Joined by community organizations (Teens with a Purpose and Opera for Us) that provide the resources to assist our communities with the issues that we face daily.
A staged reading of my one-woman show, 'The Intersection: The Sandra Bland' will be featured followed by an audience dialogue highlighting the importance of creative wellness and mental health.
Premiere of EXODUS: HOMECOMING Documentary
January 2024 screening premiere of the documentary EXODUS: HOMECOMING partnered with The Inheritance Theater Project and WHRO in examining the history and lived experiences of the people of Hampton Roads in relationship to the themes and narrative of the book of Exodus.
Serving as the 'Assistant Director' on this project, I'm truly proud of our 757 community for this major accomplishment. Documentary will be available on WHRO TV- 15 starting at the end of January.
2023 Emmy Award Winner for Societal Concerns (Short Form Content) with WHRO Public Media for Exodus: Homecoming!
Read more about my creative research on Exodus: Homecoming Project
Center for Artistic Activism (C4AA) Faculty Fellow
Selected as a 2024 Center for Artistic Activism Faculty Fellow (C4AA). The fellowship focus is their Unstoppable Voters program, which is an expansive 'non-partisan voting initiative supporting creative risk-taking, strategic, ambitious organizations, people, and projects that protect voters and voting in the U.S. Out of a national search and application process, 9 faculty fellows were selected.
Through innovative research and providing free resources, the Center for Artistic Activism has helped build, sustain, and develop the field of artistic activism, specializing in helping advocacy groups use creativity and culture to implement impactful campaigns.
Faculty Highlight: proposed a 'pro-voter nonpartisan interdisciplinary collaboration initiative' integrating the information and materials from C4AA in my advanced acting courses for Spring and Fall 2024 to highlight the pivotal role the performing arts play in promoting social justice, as well as civil, environmental, and human rights, to foster civic engagement, dialogue, and community problem-solving.
More about C4AA: https://c4aa.org/
FEATURED ARTICLE: Professor Shows Theater’s Power to Transform
Featured by the ODU College of Arts and Letters, this article addresses my artistic process and experiences from working with ASYV in Rwanda, Africa to NEH devised theatre summer institute with Pig Iron and now with directing 'Blood at the Root' for ODURep Theatre.
Highlight from the feature:
“Harris asked the young people to express concepts like joy or pain using only their bodies. They would show what oppression meant to them, then the opposite, liberation. "The work itself should lend to some kind of artistic enlightening or opening," Harris said. "I don't want this work to be triggering. But let's create not just a safe space but a sacred space to explore that."
International Premiere: 'Pedigree', Activists Without Borders Film Festival
Pedigree is going INTERNATIONAL! As an official selection for the 'Activists Without Borders Film Festival' in Dec 2023 in London, U.K.!
Celebrating diversity in film content and perspectives, the AWBFF amplifies voices often unheard in the industry by highlighting films that inspire action and connections foster impact. This festival is rewriting the script for a more just and hopeful world where activism knows no boundaries.
This is another major accomplishment for our Pedigree team and so proud of us for making it across the pond!
Winter 2023 Highlights and More to Come!
Announcing the official selection of 'Pedigree' in 3 film festivals:
Activists Without Borders Film Festival
2023 Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film
Virginia Black Film Festival
And for 2024: two newly published peer-reviewed articles on narrative-based solo and devised theatre, an international faculty fellowship, and, of course—nat’l-based conferences coming soon!
I hope 2024 is gonna be a prolific year!
Directed Blood at the Root, ODURep Theatre
For the Fall 2023 mainstage season for ODURep Theatre, I directed Blood at the Root by Dominique Morisseau. Navigated as a stylized ensemble movement-based play, this play scrutinizes the intrinsic links between justice, bias, and identity.
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: Summer 2023
Creative Scholarship Overview for Summer 2023:
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Aug. 31-Sept. 2 , MASTERCLASSES: IMAGE THEATRE EXPLORATION & ENSEMBLE-BASED DEVISED THEATRE
Heading to Atlanta Black Theatre Festival (ABTF) this summer to host two masterclasses on 'community-centered image theatre work ' and 'ensemble-based devised theatre.' ABTF provides opportunities for theatre and performing artists to develop, present, and preserve, in an authentic voice, multi-disciplinary art for and about the pan-African experience. Since 2012, the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival has hosted over 3,000 theatre producers, writers, artists, and art lovers to celebrate creative works for and about the Black experience.
July 22, PRESENTER
My activist performance piece, 'Personifying Resilience Through Theatre: Performing Pedigree,' was accepted into the 2023 American Alliance for Theatre and Education National Conference (AATE). With this year's theme, ILLUMINATION: Shining a Light on Social Justice, AATE demonstrates the powerful intersection of how art enhances education and vice versa by representing artists, educators, and individuals at the forefront of education.
Panel focus: Applied Theatre and Social Justice
View presentation here
N.E.H. Higher Education Faculty Fellow
Selected as a National Endowment for the Humanities Higher Education Faculty Fellow for Summer 2023.
Hosted by Pig Iron Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA, this summer’s institute focus is ‘Preserving and Transmitting American Ensemble-Based Devised Theatre.’ Out of over 100 applicants, 25 fellows were selected. NEH Summer Institutes allow higher education faculty to enrich and revitalize their teaching by studying humanities topics that bear upon undergraduate education.
Devised theatre is perpetually progressing, and I’m thrilled to be at the forefront of this conservation with fellow artists and practitioners who want to delve deep into a critical examination of ensemble-based devised theatre, past and present, and foster new collaborations beyond our niches and communities.
More about this institute: https://pigiron.org/pig-iron-neh-institute
INTERNATIONAL DEVISED THEATRE PROJECT: ASYV & In[HEIR]itance Project
In May 2023, I will have the honor to co-direct and devise abroad in Rwanda Africa at the ‘Agahozo Shalom Youth Village’ in partnership with the In[HEIR]itance Project as part of an artistic delegation from the United States.
Our final project was titled 'AHAZAZA: Looking to the Future'.
As an international-based devised theatre initiative/project, we will be working with students and staff at ASYV to create a brand-new piece of theater that will focus on exploring the ways collective creativity has the power to build relationships and community. The focus of this project will be utilizing art for equity, confidence, and healing mirroring the values of ASYV and inviting the students to determine what those words mean to them.
This process will also support skill building for participants in public speaking, storytelling, and confidence communicating in English. Read our weekly blog!
L.A. Premiere: 'Pedigree', The Micheaux Film Festival
Pedigree is an official selection in the Micheaux Film Festival in July 2023.
Inspired by Oscar Micheaux, a visionary filmmaker whose trailblazing work challenged the boundaries of Hollywood during the early 20th century, the Micheaux Film Festival is a vibrant tapestry of cultural expression, welcoming filmmakers from every background and showcasing a kaleidoscope of narratives that reflect the rich tapestry of human experiences
This is a major accomplishment for our Pedigree team!
Featured Masterclass: Devised Theatre
Hosted by the Zeiders American Dream Theater (aka The Z), this masterclass led by Asst. Professor of Theatre Brittney Harris provides insight about Devised Theater and all the ways it can help us talk about the important issues of our time.
A little about the Z:
Zeiders American Dream Theater is a professional, non-profit theater that introduces new works and emerging artists, presents unique artistic experiences, and inspires creative growth in the Hampton Roads Community. The Z’s founding principles are that creativity drives the growth of individuals and communities; and that the imagination, passion, and discipline of creation are universal requirements for all successful endeavors, artistic and otherwise.
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: April 2023
Creative Scholarship Overview for April 2023:
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Apr. 7 & 15, FEATURED PLAY
My short play ‘How To Tie A Tie’ has been officially selected into the 3-6-9 Monologue and Short Play Festival hosted by Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective in Asheville, NC. This festival features nine evenings filled with fifteen heart-warming, dramatic, funny, heart-breaking and provocative theatrical pieces (represented in 3 weekends, 6 short plays, and 9 monologues)
April 12, PRESENTER
My activist performance piece 'Personifying Resilience Through Theatre: Performing Pedigree' has been accepted into 2nd Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference. The purpose of the Hampton Roads Social Justice conference is to facilitate deeper interdisciplinary and cross-sector dialogue amongst researchers, policy makers, nonprofit organizations, community activists, business leaders, and the faith community on the pressing social justice issues present in our world today.
www.cnu.edu/ccejrp/conference/
April 19, MASTERCLASS: DEVISED THEATER
Hosted by the Zeiders American Dream Theater (aka The Z), this masterclass led by Asst. Professor of Theatre Brittney Harris provides insight about Devised Theater and all the ways it can help us talk about the important issues of our time. Zeiders American Dream Theater is a professional, non-profit theater that introduces new works and emerging artists, presents unique artistic experiences, and inspires creative growth in the Hampton Roads Community.
Spring 2023 Solo News: BEING B.A.D.
Fully back to live theater, my one-woman show 'Being B.A.D.' hits the East Coast in a two-state tour!
Embodying creative resistance against oppressive gender stereotypes and domestic violence, 'Being B.A.D.' is a piece about personal acceptance and redemption from the cycle of abuse.
Highlighted
(April 7-8), Virginia Beach, VA
(April 22-24), Charlotte, NC
NEW DEVISED PIECE: Silhouettes: Cut to Black
Project Title- Silhouettes: Cut to Black, The Kara Walker Project
Commissioned as a part of ROUGE productions ‘arts in the community’ series, this ensemble-based devised theatre work culminates in a moving performance demonstrating some of the ways visual artist Kara Walker's black resistance work resonates today in our region of Coastal Virginia.
I devised the concept and directed this project.
Premieres April 1st. Read full production details here
Creative Scholarship/Works Highlights: March 2023
Creative Scholarship Overview for March 2023:
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Mar. 16 & 17, CO-FOUNDER/FEATURED PANELIST
‘StoryTell(HER) Summit 2023: Her Voice, Her Narrative & Her Vision’, hosted by ODU and NSU, is an inaugural collaborative event which will provide a two-day perspective of excitement in celebration of “Diversity, Equality, and Inclusivity in honor of all things “HER”.
Mar. 23-26, PRESENTER
My narrative-based performance piece ‘Embodying Redemption Through Theatre: Performing Being B.A.D.’ has been accepted into 54th NeMLA Northeast Modern Language Association conference in Niagara Falls, NY.
Panel focus: When Resilience Isn’t Enough: Justice for Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors.
Mar. 28-29, PRESENTER
Research and Creative Activity 2023 International Hybrid Symposium hosted by Alabama State University presenting two papers: BLAND & PEDIGREE.
Featured Workshop Presenter @ 2023 KCACTF Region IV
Invited to 2023 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region IV annual conference presenting workshop sessions on ‘ensemble-based devised theatre’ and image theatre work.
The main goal of KCACTF Region IV is to serve and support student artists:
- Welcoming the voices of all artists
- Engaging in the creative practice of storytelling through theatre
- Exploring through our art what it means to be human
More info about the KCACTF Region IV 'devised theatre initiative'
Featured Scholar: Arts & Letters Junior Faculty Forum
ODU Institute for the Humanities presents the 2023 College of Arts & Letters Junior Faculty Forum. This annual workshop brings together junior scholars to present their research in an informal, collegial atmosphere.
Presentation title:
Embodying the #Hashtag: Performance as Activism
BHM 2023: Collaboration with Barry Arts Museum
In collaboration with the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts at ODU, the Barry Art Museum will host “Coffee & Contemporary Art” on Feb. 16 in the museum’s lobby for Black History Month 2023.
I'll be performing a staged reading of my one-woman play, “The Intersection: The Sandra Bland Project" explores issues related to individualism, freedom, and resistance through the Boalian technique of "Cop in Head" and the performance of resilience.
Throughout February, Old Dominion University will mark Black History Month with events celebrating and reflecting on African American culture and heritage.
Full schedule of ODU BHM 2023 events/activities here
Official Selection into TWO Film Festivals for Winter 2023
Kicking off 2023 with two film festivals for 'Pedigree': DMV International Film Festival (DMVIFF) and Seven Cities Showcase of Hampton Roads.
Seven Cities Showcase: Jan. 7, 2023 in Va Beach, Virginia
DMVIFF: Feb. 25-26, 2023 in Washington D.C.
Again, so proud of our Pedigree team and grateful to the @sevencitiesshowcase & @dmviff for the platform for this work!
4 NEW WORKSHOPS OFFERED!
I offer workshops on the development, consulting, and building of narrative-based solo performance and devised theatre for individuals, students (6th thru college-aged), community orgs, and ensemble building:
River Stories: Reflective Narrative Exploration
Flying Solo: Solo Performance Exploration
Dare to Devise: Ensemble-based Devised Theatre Exploration
Resilient Stillness: Image Theatre Exploration
For booking, pricing, or any other workshop inquiries, contact here.
Winner for Best Woman Director for 'Pedigree', Changefest 2022
With over 130 films selected for the festival and out of 7 esteemed nominees, Pedigree won for ‘Best Woman Director’ and I was invited as a guest panelist for the 11th Int’l Social Change Film Festival (Changefest) 2022 ATL premiere.
So proud of our Pedigree team and grateful to the @changefestfilmfestival & @atlsocialchange for the artistic process discussion and platform for this work!
NEW WORKS: Tag! You're It!
For Fall 2022, I’ve been commissioned to direct/create/devise ‘Tag! You’re It!’ is an interactive, ensemble-based devised theatre piece utilizing the Boalian technique of Image Theatre. In a 4-week rehearsal process, our ensemble cast will create and devise original text/literature (poetry/rap, choreography, etc.) that explores issues of individualism, unmasking/unveiling of freedom, creative self-expression through performance, exploration, resistance, and protest.
The collective ensemble will culminate in creating a living “mural” that will live on in the minds of audience members long afterward.
Read full production details here