ABOUT SHANA

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Through all facets of my work, I aspire to increase our capacity to connect, reflect, and create in order to forge a more curious, compassionate and creative world. 

I was born and raised in Seattle, WA. Thanks to my parents, I grew up not only an actor, but an international ethnic folk dancer and Pacific Northwest hiker. I have a lifelong passion for multicultural connections, cross-sector partnerships, and using arts as a vehicle for social and environmental justice. This is a legacy gifted by parents and grandparents, by amazing teachers and artists I was fortunate enough to have as mentors, by passionate and talented colleagues, and by my students. I am indebted to each and every of the hundreds of young people I've encountered along the way, whose discoveries continue to resonate and who inspire the delight and curiosity that propel me towards the next adventure.

I act out of a belief that building a strong artistic foundation is inextricably connected to building a strong individual, community, and citizenry. I find power in strong rhythm, complex characters, and juicy text; stories that allow us to feel more deeply, to reflect honestly on ourselves and community; stories that challenge our expectations and allow us to dream; stories that spark a connection and inspire action. 

I love developing programs, working closely with communities to build sustainable programs that meet their goals. I believe passionately in youth ownership and agency, supporting their access to professional resources, and providing rigor and structure in a culture of inclusiveness, fun, and faith in their ability to succeed beyond their own imaginations.

I’m a voracious reader, writer, and lover of words. I delight in classic and contemporary texts, and in cultivating new work with both students and professionals. I am an intrepid traveler, often seeking out odd or lonely places. I have a degree in Modern History and find purpose in interdisciplinary collaborations across the arts, humanities, and sciences. 

I am always hungry for work that simultaneously challenges, stimulates, and entertains. In a highly mediated world, creative approaches offer an opportunity to rediscover the world, to transform isolation and communication breakdowns into stories that give our lives clarity, confidence, and compassion.

Bringing a creative lens to social justice work, and a social justice lens to creative work

Creative projects can strengthen the fabric of civic life, elevate issues, and promote the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. My work is dedicated to realizing the potential of theater to develop awareness of self and society, to build and strengthen community, to foster self-responsibility and belonging, and to empower action.

I produce and direct professional, community, and student theatrical events, and I offer assistance to education institutions and educators to address curriculum goals, teaching the language of theater and using that language to challenge, engage, and motivate students in the learning process.

More about my background

Building on my decades as an artist-in-residence with classrooms, schools and colleges, and professional development programs, I partner with international organizations to share strategies and best practices, and/or to lead programs using theater and literature to advance academic and social goals. I collaborate with educators to look at various models of text analysis and comprehension, physical and vocal training, and exploration of character and theme.

I am passionate about integrating my artistic practice with my role as an environmental activist. I work with local playwrights and national initiatives such as Climate Change Theater Action and The Arctic Play Cycle to nurture a new theater of eco-systems, uplift marginalized voices around issues of climate concern, and spark multi-generational and cross-discipline conversation. I strongly believe we need more language to describe both the genre and the realities of environmental justice if we are to expand our collective imagination towards hope and inspire others towards change. Using the tools of theater, I have worked with both youth and adults to document what's happening in rural or marginalized communities and illuminate their stories in urban centers. Through both classic and contemporary texts, I use theater to explore identity and gender, encouraging individuals to try out roles and relationships, emotional expression and risk-taking in a safe space. My practice both celebrates cultural traditions and works towards expanding culture to be more inclusive and authentic in celebrating the individuals who inhabit it.

As both a professional theater director and arts educator, I believe in integrating professionals and amateurs to create dynamic, exciting, immediate and resonant art. Making theater demands collaboration, and exposes underlying assumptions, tensions, and language barriers that can stay hidden or glossed over in regular daily life. The collaboration of moving a script to stage demands asking difficult questions in a language everyone can understand. Because of this, the work of theater is multilayered – developing common language, risking failure, braving the difficult questions, exposure to new and uncomfortable situations, and expressing deeply held values.

Culture in general, and theater in particular, is important and inspirational: it ignites curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and connection to other people and the places around us. Theater is social work for individuals and groups. Theater is coalition-building, partnering partner with municipal projects, creatively addressing internal issues like workplace morale, or external goals like making public services more user-friendly. Theater can literally save lives by giving people voice and can shift cultural norms by centering marginalized stories.

Collaboration starts with your community's needs and goals. Please feel free to contact me if you’re interested in discussing the ways in which theater can be a vehicle for social change in your community!