The Umbrella Method

The Umbrella Method is an original narrative-based theatre tool designed for accessing, generating, and activating stories of resilience and resistance within collegiate and community settings. Developed through years of coursework and community-center collaborations, this method serves as a framing device for devising both solo and ensemble works.

Born from my own need to help groups find common language across difference, Umbrella Method emerged while I was developing my first solo show, The Intersection: The Sandra Bland Project. In that process, I explored parallels between my own experiences and BLM activist Sandra Bland’s, confronting the unspoken trope of the “unbreakable Black woman” and the societal mirror through which we are often seen. The work revealed something powerful about merging personal and collective narratives, how one voice can carry many. What began as scaffolding for solo exploration has since evolved into a collaborative method for ensemble creation, guiding artists in transforming individual truth into shared expression. Each time I return to the process, I’m reminded that when personal stories meet in creative space, they form a deeper collective voice. It functions as a creative discourse model that helps artists explore the relationship between personal identity and broader social, political, or cultural themes.

By emphasizing the interplay between self and subject, this approach guides participants in interweaving diverse viewpoints through multiple artistic genres, experiences, and topics. Ultimately, it offers a practical framework for collaboration, reflection, and the development of cohesive devised performances that resonate across varied communities and ensemble contexts

Why this Tool?  Whether as a reflective tool or as an autoethnographic tool, which includes using journals, looking at archival records - whether institutional or personal, interviewing one's own self, and using writing to generate a self-cultural understanding.