NONVERBAL CONSENT FOR IMMERSIVE PERFORMERS

Keep your performers and your audience protected and at ease. Foster a safe space for an immersive world to bloom. Ever present on the producer's mind: protect yourself from liability!

Borrowing from my extensive knowledge of sex education and my time at Shag Brooklyn as a sexuality educator, I created this workshop in direct response to feeling violated by audience members when performing interactive theatre. I'd been licked, picked up, squeezed, heckled, and harassed many, many times, and I started picking up tricks to spot potential problematic scenarios before they erupt, find and support fellow performers in unpleasant or bad situations, de-escalate without breaking character, harness the power of the audience to protect myself, and - most importantly - communicate my consent and receive the consent of others non-verbally. This concept is common in sexuality, where you do not always have to have verbal consent to have clear consent, and you can non-verbally express that you do not consent. Actors, by nature, are great at reading and giving non-verbal cues. By explicitly giving your actors these tools in an easy and fun format (there's a lot of hugging in this workshop, literally), we can ensure a safe and fully immersive experience for everyone involved. Immersive theater seems poised to stay, but actors will learn tools they can use in non-immersive work as well.

You want your immersive show to be in the press, but not because a drunk audience member groped one of your actors.

RETROS FOR THEATRE COMPANIES AND CREATIVES

Learn to communicate and give feedback more effectively; improve team relations and morale; address conflict before it escalates. Retrospectives are common in so many fields, but not in theatre. My retros are suited to an especially creative crowd. I have an enormous library of games, techniques, and exercises from which to pull, and I tailor the day's activities to your teams exact needs at that time, with a flexible list of options so we can meet each team member where they are that day. Quality, frequent retros have been shown to increase productivity and save money, and I've seen them prevent catastrophes quite a few times. Part therapy, part team-build, part action plan, part arts & crafts. Plus, they're fun.

VOCAL TECHNIQUE FOR MOVERS (& SHAKERS)

What creates the sound that is your speaking voice? Most trained actors (and singers) know this answer, but dancers, fitness professionals, and other movers usually do not. Again and again, I hear vocal fatigue, vocal chord nodules, and vocal strain that is all fully preventable. If you dance, you activate, stretch, and train your muscles. If you want to be able to continue using your voice while you move, you need to give your vocal resonators and articulators the same attention. As a mover, I know how to effectively communicate these concepts in terms you'll understand. You don't need to loose your voice to teach dance or fitness! Let me help and give your poor voice some love and care. You'll emerge with actionable tips and a flexible vocal warmup routine. Workshop for groups or individuals!

SOMATIC CONSULTING

A movement director and choreographer with more than a decade of experience in independent and experimental New York theatre, I am certified in dance modalities like Liquid Motion (Levels 1.0 and 2.0, and Liquid Pole) and Floor Flow, have anatomy training from GirlsGoneStrong and The Kane School, and  am trained and well versed in movement modalities like contact improvisation, Alexander Technique, The Viewpoints, Laban Analysis, and more. Pairing these movement skills with my experience as a sexuality educator, my own extensive personal experience using physicalizations to address chronic pain, and my knowledge of anatomy, I regularly consult for private therapy practices in New York City. My work in this capacity has a particular focus on body love: pleasure-centric education for teenagers; sexuality, anatomy, and self-esteem work for trans and genderqueer teens; movement therapy for all ages; drama therapy for children and teenagers; sensual somatics for sexual dysfunction; trauma healing for assault and eating disorder survivors; and pain education. I have tailored these concepts into interactive and movement-filled workshops for various niche audiences, and I am happy to send a proposal if you think this work would serve your group (or you, personally)! I have consulted for therapists, community centers, acting schools, sex worker community organizations, reproductive justice organizations, survivor advocacy groups, and more.

GET IN TOUCH FOR BOOKING & REFERENCES. NON-PROFIT RATES AVAILABLE. 

IN-PERSON & DIGITAL VERSION AVAILABLE.

FOR GROUPS LARGE AND SMALL, ALWAYS CUSTOMIZED TO FIT YOUR GROUP & EVENT.

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