April 2018
Honored to be part of a staged reading of I Never Saw Another Butterfly at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, MA, for Holocaust Remembrance Day. I also got the wonderful opportunity to facilitate a "Sustainable Teaching Artistry" workshop at the Emerson College Theatre Education Graduate Festival on April 15th, which was a terrific opportunity to explore strategies for coping with burnout, stress, and anxiety in the arts.
March 2018
Thrilled to be starting interviews for a brand new documentary play with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company about artificial intelligence. If you know anyone in the field or anyone who is passionate about the topic, be sure and drop me a line. I'd love to connect with you!
February 2018
So excited to be part of The Vagina Monologues again this year with the fabulous Girls With Glasses Productions!. Performances at Warehouse XI in Union Square February 15-17th, with all proceeds benefiting Planned Parenthood. Follow the hyperlink for ticket information. Should be a fun time!
January 2018
I am back full force at auditions this month, and enjoyed getting to read for The Office of War Information, Boston University's Theatre department, and Girls With Glasses Productions. I am grateful for the opportunity to act not only onstage, but in the audition room as well.
November 2017
I got an amazing physical and emotional workout this month at the Suzuki Masterclass offered by instructor Jesse Hinson at Actors Shakespeare Project in Somerville, MA. This is my third class in the series, and if you are interested in learning more about this incredible acting training technique, feel free to read the blog post I wrote about it last time around: Saturdays With Suzuki
October 2017
Looking forward to being part of the Emerson College Teach In on Race this month, taking part in a panel discussion "Say the Right Thing" that focuses on how we can use art to facilitate uncomfortable conversations. I am so grateful! Update: you can watch the entire conversation for free via Emerson's website here: Say the Right Thing
September 2017
I am absolutely delighted to be teaching a Documentary Theatre course at Emerson College this semester, getting the chance to work with Theatre Education graduate students seeking to learn how to bring this dynamic and powerful genre to their classrooms and community centers.
July 2017
I finished my first draft of The Perpetual Visitor: A Field Guide For Artists, a book that aims to explore a new path for artists that includes health, curiosity and sustainability. I am currently seeking book agents and interested publishers, so if you have any leads or are interested yourself, feel free to drop me a line.
June 2017
Pleased to be joining forces with bitsandflow to offer an evening of excerpts from BIG WORK, the play I co-created with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, followed by community conversations at the Morville House in the Fenway on June 22nd at 7:30 PM. Details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-work-tickets-35028182236www.eventbrite.com/e/big-work-tickets-35028182236
March 2017
Thrilled to be part of The Vagina Monologue with the fabulous Girls With Glasses Productions and a cast and crew of incredible women. Performances at Warehouse XI in Union Square, with all proceeds benefiting the Boston Rape Crisis Center; ticket information to come!
Also proud to announce that BIG WORK, the first play by The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, will be touring in Portsmouth, NH on March 4th 2017. Follow the hyperlink for ticket information, and we hope to see you there!
February 2017
Had the pleasure of teaching a documentary theatre workshop to the incredible students at the Harvard School of Education's graduate program. What a powerful experience to see students become acquainted with the form for the first time, and get to meet a new cohort of artists from in and around Boston making art and working for social justice!
January 2017
My newest article written for Howlround is now up and running! Please hop over to their site to read more about how documentary theatre can be the catalyst for conversation that we so desperately need in our current political climate.
October 2016
Reviving my role as Lydia Maria Child in the lovely Letters to Medford, by Two Roads Performance Projects. Come see me at the Medford Historical Society for performances September 29-October 8th! For tickets and more information, please visit: Two Roads
September 2016
BIG WORK, my brand new play with the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, is headed to the Actors Studio of Newburyport, MA for another run of performances! Grateful to the theatre for hosting our cast for three evenings of performances and post-show conversations. More information and tickets can be found here: BIG WORK
May 2016
Thrilled to be acting as Elaine in "Too Quick a Pick" by Gary Garrison at this year's Boston Theatre Marathon on Sunday May 8th from 12 PM-10 PM. For tickets, visit http://www.bu.edu/bpt/our-programs/boston-theatre-marathon/
I'm delighted to be working with an Emerson colleague and friend Sue Bear on her documentary play "Blogging Unplugged", which brings local Boston bloggers to life onstage at the Davis Square Theatre on Sunday May 15th at 7 PM. Sold out already!
April 2016
Wrapped a short student Emerson College film this month. Thrilled to have gotten another chance to act for film and reconnect with my alma mater!
Also confirmed that I will be teaching a session "Raise Your Voice: Using Documentary Theatre to Empower Your Classroom or Community" at at the Boston-Area Educators for Social Justice Conference at Fenway High School in May. Don't miss this FREE educational conference--find more information HERE.
March 2016
BIG WORK has SOLD OUT all four days of performances at The Outpost in Inman Square, Cambridge. Thank you to our cast and all the audiences that came to be a part of this very special production. Look for news about potential additional performances soon! Check out our blog article in Howlround as well, where we explore the multi-faceted art that is documentary theatre.
Also, an essay of mine appears in Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It, an anthology of work by writers worldwide inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling book Eat Pray Love. It's set for publication on March 29th, so get your copy now!
February 2016
Continuing with rehearsals for BIG WORK and am delighted to have booked a small role in a student film shooting in Boston this spring. Should be fun!
January 2016
Thrilled to have started rehearsal's for BIG WORK with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company. Grateful to have our dream cast for the readings, which are scheduled for March in Cambridge, MA.
November 2015
Hosting auditions this month for The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company's spring staged reading of BIG WORK, our premiere play. Know anyone interested? Send them to us!
September 2015
I am proud to announce that my second blog for Howlround was published this month! Head here to read about my thoughts on what it means to succeed, how to redefine success for ourselves, and how vital it is that we must do so as artists: Slowing Down For Success. So grateful for their support!
August 2015
This summer finds me editing my newest documentary play, Big Work, slated to have a workshop performance in the spring 2016. Head over to the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company site to learn more about our process!
May 2015
My first blog article for Howlround has been published! I am so excited to share with you my musings on how my many different day jobs have shaped me as an artist and why I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had. Check it out here!
April 2015
I am so grateful to the dozens of people of different ages, professions, races, religions and backgrounds who shared their stories with us over the last several months for the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company's inaugural documentary production. While interviews are nearly complete, we are still looking for people who work multiple jobs and / or minimum wage jobs who are willing to be interviewed.
If you or anyone you know may be interested in being interviewed for this piece, please email us at [email protected]. Visit us at http://www.perpetualvisitorstheatre.org/shows-and-events.html to learn more about the project!
February 2015
I am thrilled to let you know that a dear friend of mine and I have officially launched The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company LLC. We are proud to establish ourselves as Boston's first documentary theatre company, committed to telling stories based on real events, first person interviews, and a variety of other source materials.
We are founded on the belief that each human being has a unique story of life as a "visitor," when a vital part of who we are and how we experience the world impedes our sense of belonging in the community around us. Sometimes this feeling is perpetual, causing us to feel like we belong everywhere and nowhere in particular. Our goal is to foster understanding, empathy and human connection through theatre that explores uncommon human experiences. And of course to tell entertaining, compelling stories.
We are thrilled to begin the creation process for our first play – an original documentary piece – that we plan to stage in the fall of 2015. This piece will look at our modern day relationship to our jobs and how the idea of “The American Dream” influences how we see ourselves and others. Inspired by
conversations with each other as well as with friends and colleagues, we want to investigate how our job shapes our identity and sense of self, how it shapes how we see and are seen by others, and how it affects our ability to create the rest of our lives.
We are hoping to cast as wide a net as possible for interviews. Our only criteria are that individuals be 18 years of age or older and that they currently reside in the United States. Please let me know if you or anyone you know may be interested in speaking with us by emailing us at [email protected]; we plan to conduct interviews now through the end of March 2015.
Thank you so much for your help! We look forward to sharing more details about this production as it comes together, and to sharing our new website with you in April 2015.
November 2014
Check out my week long blog series on life lessons from the theatre over at The Perpetual Visitor Blog HERE. Join me each day for musings on how life in the theatre can relate to that thing we call "real life".
I've got a brand new page on Facebook, feel free to visit and like the page to get updates on performances, projects and blog posts HERE.
October 2014
Very pleased to be performing as Lydia Maria Child in "Letters to Medford", playing 10/17-18 and 10/24-25 at the Medford Historical Society. Take a look at the trailer below and follow the link to learn more about this original devised play that imagines a fictional encounter between Boston historical figures and the modern world and starts a conversation about the past, present, and future of humanity. More information and tickets here: http://www.tworoads.org/home.html
August 2014
I am so excited to be participating in Our Voices VIII , an annual festival of Boston area women playwrights and writers! The event includes a daylong conference that ends in an evening of staged readings of new ten minute plays. My ten minute play "Untitled Hospital Sketch" is not being performed for the public in the evening, but will be read and discussed during the day session-I am so pumped!
Check out the site for the festival if you are interested in seeing some great ten minutes plays by local women playwrights in the evening though--it's free!
http://kellydumar.com/our-voices-annual-festival/
February 2014
After a break for the holidays, I'm diving back into the New Year with a few auditions and a project or two. I'm also continuing to work on my blog The Perpetual Visitor, which you can visit here: http://www.theperpetualvisitor.com/ Just to put a big in your ear, I'm hoping to get some printed copies of SafeGuard available in the next few months. I have a few folks that have asked about getting a copy, so that's my next project. Happy February!
November 2013
Thanks for all the good thoughts, I carried them with me! My SafeGuard performance at UMass Boston's Joiner Institute for War and Social Consequences went well; I had a small but very engaged audience, and I got to speak with many of them afterwards, including some veterans. It was am amazing experience! Thank you to my one man tech crew, my husband Dave. Photo is me post-performance, pre- Vietnamese food celebratory dinner!
October 19, 2013
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Anne Loyer from the Boston based Odysseus Project, (more about the project below!). who interviewed me briefly about my upcoming performance of "SafeGuard" at UMass Boston on Wednesday October 23rd at 4 PM at the UMass Boston Campus Center, as part of the Combat Paper Event this coming week. The video is below if you want to take a look!
Also, swing by my blog to check out the latest entry about this interview, and some thoughts on the questions we ask each other: http://www.theperpetualvisitor.com/2/post/2013/10/the-questions-we-ask.html
October 6, 2013
Check out this lovely blurb for my play "SafeGuard" on The Odysseus Project's website. The Odysseus Project aims "to promote open dialogue between artists, veterans, students, refugees, immigrants and members of the Boston community, using art as a means to understand the connections between communities here and conflicts overseas" and they are co-sponsoring the Combat Paper Project Event at UMass Boston. I'm getting so excited that the event is only a few weeks away! FYI the location will be at the UMass Boston Campus Center, First Floor Terrace. Look for a poster coming soon!
Very excited to be performing my play "SafeGuard" at the William Joiner Center for War and Social Consequences at UMass Boston on October 23rd at 4 PM. My play is part of an amazing week long event at the University, with many cool programs by and for veterans, including the incredible Combat Paper Project. Check out the link to find out more: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530042347065846&set=a.454652684604813.1073741825.110153589054726&&theater
September 15, 2013
My blog has moved to a space of its own and I would love for you to check it out! Visit www.theperpetualvisitor.com to read about the daily joys and struggles of being a working theatre artist in 2013. My goal is to share my own experiences and make space for others to share theirs as well, so if you are an artist of any check, take a visit!
May 2013
Delighted to be playing Mrs. Hargreaves in the inaugural reading of Boston Children's Theatre's New Works Series, "What We Lost Along the Way", a beautiful new play by the lovely Corrine Esme Glanville. Join us at 6 PM tonite at the Roberts Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, at the Boston Center for the Arts, free admission.
April 2013
Wrapped filming and voiceover work for Found & Lost, a short film. Can't wait to see it screened on May 2nd!
Had the pleasure of adjudicating Triton High School's TOP Fest, a festival of new student written work; what an honor to see such brave new work by the next generation of theatre makers!
Had a great time at the StageSource Annual Auditions, and was happy to have had a pre-audition coaching session with M. Lynda Robinson. She is a absolutely fabulous coach, and can be contacted through Boston Casting if you're interested.
March 2013
Got cast in an Emerson College student film Found & Lost!
February 2013
Happy New Year (a little belated of course)! I am currently taking Acting for Films with M. Lynda Robinson through Boston Casting's Media Performance Institute. I highly recommend checking out a class with Lynda sometime; she's a wonderful warm, and supportive teacher.
Recently went to CP Casting's open call on Saturday February 16th at the Paramount Center in Boston. Great chance to put what I'm learning in my film class to work!
December 2012
Winter Session- Six Class Block
$85 per participant for the whole session
Six Mondays, 7-8 PM (January 7th-February 11th)
This six week course is designed to give teachers, community-engaged theatre artists, and activists an introduction to using theatre for social change and community building. Participants will learn and experiment with drama games, Theatre of the Oppressed exercises, documentary theatre, and story circles. Theatre is a powerful tool for learning about and changing the world around us, and this session will explore how we, as educators and artists, can use theatre as a tool to explore vital issues in our schools, communities, and world.
For more information, contact Melissa Bergstrom at [email protected]
October 24, 2012
Today I was lucky enough to perform "SafeGuard" at Cloud Place in Copley Square, Boston to a wonderfully supportive audience. Thank you to all who came out to support this project, and thank you for the generous feedback about your experience of seeing the piece.
September 23, 2012
September 1, 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
January 2012
December 2011
October 2011
September 2011
It's been a busy month!
August 3, 2011
July 29, 2011
July 9, 2011
June 27, 2011
May 25, 2011
May 11, 2011
Honored to be part of a staged reading of I Never Saw Another Butterfly at the Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, MA, for Holocaust Remembrance Day. I also got the wonderful opportunity to facilitate a "Sustainable Teaching Artistry" workshop at the Emerson College Theatre Education Graduate Festival on April 15th, which was a terrific opportunity to explore strategies for coping with burnout, stress, and anxiety in the arts.
March 2018
Thrilled to be starting interviews for a brand new documentary play with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company about artificial intelligence. If you know anyone in the field or anyone who is passionate about the topic, be sure and drop me a line. I'd love to connect with you!
February 2018
So excited to be part of The Vagina Monologues again this year with the fabulous Girls With Glasses Productions!. Performances at Warehouse XI in Union Square February 15-17th, with all proceeds benefiting Planned Parenthood. Follow the hyperlink for ticket information. Should be a fun time!
January 2018
I am back full force at auditions this month, and enjoyed getting to read for The Office of War Information, Boston University's Theatre department, and Girls With Glasses Productions. I am grateful for the opportunity to act not only onstage, but in the audition room as well.
November 2017
I got an amazing physical and emotional workout this month at the Suzuki Masterclass offered by instructor Jesse Hinson at Actors Shakespeare Project in Somerville, MA. This is my third class in the series, and if you are interested in learning more about this incredible acting training technique, feel free to read the blog post I wrote about it last time around: Saturdays With Suzuki
October 2017
Looking forward to being part of the Emerson College Teach In on Race this month, taking part in a panel discussion "Say the Right Thing" that focuses on how we can use art to facilitate uncomfortable conversations. I am so grateful! Update: you can watch the entire conversation for free via Emerson's website here: Say the Right Thing
September 2017
I am absolutely delighted to be teaching a Documentary Theatre course at Emerson College this semester, getting the chance to work with Theatre Education graduate students seeking to learn how to bring this dynamic and powerful genre to their classrooms and community centers.
July 2017
I finished my first draft of The Perpetual Visitor: A Field Guide For Artists, a book that aims to explore a new path for artists that includes health, curiosity and sustainability. I am currently seeking book agents and interested publishers, so if you have any leads or are interested yourself, feel free to drop me a line.
June 2017
Pleased to be joining forces with bitsandflow to offer an evening of excerpts from BIG WORK, the play I co-created with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, followed by community conversations at the Morville House in the Fenway on June 22nd at 7:30 PM. Details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-work-tickets-35028182236www.eventbrite.com/e/big-work-tickets-35028182236
March 2017
Thrilled to be part of The Vagina Monologue with the fabulous Girls With Glasses Productions and a cast and crew of incredible women. Performances at Warehouse XI in Union Square, with all proceeds benefiting the Boston Rape Crisis Center; ticket information to come!
Also proud to announce that BIG WORK, the first play by The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, will be touring in Portsmouth, NH on March 4th 2017. Follow the hyperlink for ticket information, and we hope to see you there!
February 2017
Had the pleasure of teaching a documentary theatre workshop to the incredible students at the Harvard School of Education's graduate program. What a powerful experience to see students become acquainted with the form for the first time, and get to meet a new cohort of artists from in and around Boston making art and working for social justice!
January 2017
My newest article written for Howlround is now up and running! Please hop over to their site to read more about how documentary theatre can be the catalyst for conversation that we so desperately need in our current political climate.
October 2016
Reviving my role as Lydia Maria Child in the lovely Letters to Medford, by Two Roads Performance Projects. Come see me at the Medford Historical Society for performances September 29-October 8th! For tickets and more information, please visit: Two Roads
September 2016
BIG WORK, my brand new play with the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, is headed to the Actors Studio of Newburyport, MA for another run of performances! Grateful to the theatre for hosting our cast for three evenings of performances and post-show conversations. More information and tickets can be found here: BIG WORK
May 2016
Thrilled to be acting as Elaine in "Too Quick a Pick" by Gary Garrison at this year's Boston Theatre Marathon on Sunday May 8th from 12 PM-10 PM. For tickets, visit http://www.bu.edu/bpt/our-programs/boston-theatre-marathon/
I'm delighted to be working with an Emerson colleague and friend Sue Bear on her documentary play "Blogging Unplugged", which brings local Boston bloggers to life onstage at the Davis Square Theatre on Sunday May 15th at 7 PM. Sold out already!
April 2016
Wrapped a short student Emerson College film this month. Thrilled to have gotten another chance to act for film and reconnect with my alma mater!
Also confirmed that I will be teaching a session "Raise Your Voice: Using Documentary Theatre to Empower Your Classroom or Community" at at the Boston-Area Educators for Social Justice Conference at Fenway High School in May. Don't miss this FREE educational conference--find more information HERE.
March 2016
BIG WORK has SOLD OUT all four days of performances at The Outpost in Inman Square, Cambridge. Thank you to our cast and all the audiences that came to be a part of this very special production. Look for news about potential additional performances soon! Check out our blog article in Howlround as well, where we explore the multi-faceted art that is documentary theatre.
Also, an essay of mine appears in Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It, an anthology of work by writers worldwide inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling book Eat Pray Love. It's set for publication on March 29th, so get your copy now!
February 2016
Continuing with rehearsals for BIG WORK and am delighted to have booked a small role in a student film shooting in Boston this spring. Should be fun!
January 2016
Thrilled to have started rehearsal's for BIG WORK with The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company. Grateful to have our dream cast for the readings, which are scheduled for March in Cambridge, MA.
November 2015
Hosting auditions this month for The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company's spring staged reading of BIG WORK, our premiere play. Know anyone interested? Send them to us!
September 2015
I am proud to announce that my second blog for Howlround was published this month! Head here to read about my thoughts on what it means to succeed, how to redefine success for ourselves, and how vital it is that we must do so as artists: Slowing Down For Success. So grateful for their support!
August 2015
This summer finds me editing my newest documentary play, Big Work, slated to have a workshop performance in the spring 2016. Head over to the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company site to learn more about our process!
May 2015
My first blog article for Howlround has been published! I am so excited to share with you my musings on how my many different day jobs have shaped me as an artist and why I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had. Check it out here!
April 2015
I am so grateful to the dozens of people of different ages, professions, races, religions and backgrounds who shared their stories with us over the last several months for the Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company's inaugural documentary production. While interviews are nearly complete, we are still looking for people who work multiple jobs and / or minimum wage jobs who are willing to be interviewed.
If you or anyone you know may be interested in being interviewed for this piece, please email us at [email protected]. Visit us at http://www.perpetualvisitorstheatre.org/shows-and-events.html to learn more about the project!
February 2015
I am thrilled to let you know that a dear friend of mine and I have officially launched The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company LLC. We are proud to establish ourselves as Boston's first documentary theatre company, committed to telling stories based on real events, first person interviews, and a variety of other source materials.
We are founded on the belief that each human being has a unique story of life as a "visitor," when a vital part of who we are and how we experience the world impedes our sense of belonging in the community around us. Sometimes this feeling is perpetual, causing us to feel like we belong everywhere and nowhere in particular. Our goal is to foster understanding, empathy and human connection through theatre that explores uncommon human experiences. And of course to tell entertaining, compelling stories.
We are thrilled to begin the creation process for our first play – an original documentary piece – that we plan to stage in the fall of 2015. This piece will look at our modern day relationship to our jobs and how the idea of “The American Dream” influences how we see ourselves and others. Inspired by
conversations with each other as well as with friends and colleagues, we want to investigate how our job shapes our identity and sense of self, how it shapes how we see and are seen by others, and how it affects our ability to create the rest of our lives.
We are hoping to cast as wide a net as possible for interviews. Our only criteria are that individuals be 18 years of age or older and that they currently reside in the United States. Please let me know if you or anyone you know may be interested in speaking with us by emailing us at [email protected]; we plan to conduct interviews now through the end of March 2015.
Thank you so much for your help! We look forward to sharing more details about this production as it comes together, and to sharing our new website with you in April 2015.
November 2014
Check out my week long blog series on life lessons from the theatre over at The Perpetual Visitor Blog HERE. Join me each day for musings on how life in the theatre can relate to that thing we call "real life".
I've got a brand new page on Facebook, feel free to visit and like the page to get updates on performances, projects and blog posts HERE.
October 2014
Very pleased to be performing as Lydia Maria Child in "Letters to Medford", playing 10/17-18 and 10/24-25 at the Medford Historical Society. Take a look at the trailer below and follow the link to learn more about this original devised play that imagines a fictional encounter between Boston historical figures and the modern world and starts a conversation about the past, present, and future of humanity. More information and tickets here: http://www.tworoads.org/home.html
August 2014
I am so excited to be participating in Our Voices VIII , an annual festival of Boston area women playwrights and writers! The event includes a daylong conference that ends in an evening of staged readings of new ten minute plays. My ten minute play "Untitled Hospital Sketch" is not being performed for the public in the evening, but will be read and discussed during the day session-I am so pumped!
Check out the site for the festival if you are interested in seeing some great ten minutes plays by local women playwrights in the evening though--it's free!
http://kellydumar.com/our-voices-annual-festival/
February 2014
After a break for the holidays, I'm diving back into the New Year with a few auditions and a project or two. I'm also continuing to work on my blog The Perpetual Visitor, which you can visit here: http://www.theperpetualvisitor.com/ Just to put a big in your ear, I'm hoping to get some printed copies of SafeGuard available in the next few months. I have a few folks that have asked about getting a copy, so that's my next project. Happy February!
November 2013
Thanks for all the good thoughts, I carried them with me! My SafeGuard performance at UMass Boston's Joiner Institute for War and Social Consequences went well; I had a small but very engaged audience, and I got to speak with many of them afterwards, including some veterans. It was am amazing experience! Thank you to my one man tech crew, my husband Dave. Photo is me post-performance, pre- Vietnamese food celebratory dinner!
October 19, 2013
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting with Anne Loyer from the Boston based Odysseus Project, (more about the project below!). who interviewed me briefly about my upcoming performance of "SafeGuard" at UMass Boston on Wednesday October 23rd at 4 PM at the UMass Boston Campus Center, as part of the Combat Paper Event this coming week. The video is below if you want to take a look!
Also, swing by my blog to check out the latest entry about this interview, and some thoughts on the questions we ask each other: http://www.theperpetualvisitor.com/2/post/2013/10/the-questions-we-ask.html
October 6, 2013
Check out this lovely blurb for my play "SafeGuard" on The Odysseus Project's website. The Odysseus Project aims "to promote open dialogue between artists, veterans, students, refugees, immigrants and members of the Boston community, using art as a means to understand the connections between communities here and conflicts overseas" and they are co-sponsoring the Combat Paper Project Event at UMass Boston. I'm getting so excited that the event is only a few weeks away! FYI the location will be at the UMass Boston Campus Center, First Floor Terrace. Look for a poster coming soon!
Very excited to be performing my play "SafeGuard" at the William Joiner Center for War and Social Consequences at UMass Boston on October 23rd at 4 PM. My play is part of an amazing week long event at the University, with many cool programs by and for veterans, including the incredible Combat Paper Project. Check out the link to find out more: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530042347065846&set=a.454652684604813.1073741825.110153589054726&&theater
September 15, 2013
My blog has moved to a space of its own and I would love for you to check it out! Visit www.theperpetualvisitor.com to read about the daily joys and struggles of being a working theatre artist in 2013. My goal is to share my own experiences and make space for others to share theirs as well, so if you are an artist of any check, take a visit!
May 2013
Delighted to be playing Mrs. Hargreaves in the inaugural reading of Boston Children's Theatre's New Works Series, "What We Lost Along the Way", a beautiful new play by the lovely Corrine Esme Glanville. Join us at 6 PM tonite at the Roberts Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, at the Boston Center for the Arts, free admission.
April 2013
Wrapped filming and voiceover work for Found & Lost, a short film. Can't wait to see it screened on May 2nd!
Had the pleasure of adjudicating Triton High School's TOP Fest, a festival of new student written work; what an honor to see such brave new work by the next generation of theatre makers!
Had a great time at the StageSource Annual Auditions, and was happy to have had a pre-audition coaching session with M. Lynda Robinson. She is a absolutely fabulous coach, and can be contacted through Boston Casting if you're interested.
March 2013
Got cast in an Emerson College student film Found & Lost!
February 2013
Happy New Year (a little belated of course)! I am currently taking Acting for Films with M. Lynda Robinson through Boston Casting's Media Performance Institute. I highly recommend checking out a class with Lynda sometime; she's a wonderful warm, and supportive teacher.
Recently went to CP Casting's open call on Saturday February 16th at the Paramount Center in Boston. Great chance to put what I'm learning in my film class to work!
December 2012
- Spread the word! I will be teaching a community class at Spontaneous Celebrations in JP...more information is below!
Winter Session- Six Class Block
$85 per participant for the whole session
Six Mondays, 7-8 PM (January 7th-February 11th)
This six week course is designed to give teachers, community-engaged theatre artists, and activists an introduction to using theatre for social change and community building. Participants will learn and experiment with drama games, Theatre of the Oppressed exercises, documentary theatre, and story circles. Theatre is a powerful tool for learning about and changing the world around us, and this session will explore how we, as educators and artists, can use theatre as a tool to explore vital issues in our schools, communities, and world.
For more information, contact Melissa Bergstrom at [email protected]
October 24, 2012
Today I was lucky enough to perform "SafeGuard" at Cloud Place in Copley Square, Boston to a wonderfully supportive audience. Thank you to all who came out to support this project, and thank you for the generous feedback about your experience of seeing the piece.
September 23, 2012
- Grateful beyond words for SurvivingDeployment.com's generous offer to help me promote my October 24th performance of "SafeGuard" . If you have a moment, please do check out the lovely article as well as their amazing website for military families, here http://www.survivingdeployment.com/safeguard.html
- Pleased to announce that I will be presenting on October 27th at the New England Theatre Conference in Natick, MA. The session , "Raise Your Voice: Using Documentary Theatre to Empower the Classroom and Community", is designed to give educators and community-engaged theatre artists the tools they need in order to create an original piece of documentary theatre with their students and/or members of the community. http://netconline.org/
September 1, 2012
- Pleased to announce the first public staged reading of SafeGuard, my new solo performance piece about the female perspective of being on the homefront during a loved one's deployment overseas. Get your tickets to this FREE event here! http://safeguard.eventbrite.com/?ref=elink
June 2012
- Began my second year teaching Summer Studios at Boston Children's Theatre! Will be teaching the 4-6 year old class as well as the 7-11 year old class.
May 2012
- Commencement at Emerson College, M.A. Theatre Education 2012. Thrilled to get to hear Tony Kushner speak at the ceremony.
- I was honored to receive the Emerson College Theatre Education Department Award for "SafeGuard", solo performance piece on women and war. In addition, I received the Emerson College Graduate Association Special Project Award for "SafeGuard", with a generous financial contribution to help me take the play to a Boston area theatre.
April 2012
- I performed "SafeGuard" for a small but wonderful audience at Emerson College. Truly a memorable experience and the beginning of an amazing journey.
January 2012
- Began my semester long student teaching placement at Malden High School. I will be teaching Play Production, and two sections of Dramatic Literature.
- Officially began my Directed Study with Robbie McCauley on "SafeGuard", a solo performance piece on women and war. I have interviewed a few women for this project already and am actively searching for more who are willing to share their stories with me.
December 2011
- Reprising my role as the Good White Fairy in "Little Black Topsy and The Magical White Fairy Soap" by Cori Spencer at the Oberon Theatre New Works Series at A.R.T. on Monday December 19th, 2011 at 8 PM. FREE! http://www.cluboberon.com/events/oberon-new-works-series
- Come see me perform in "Common Ground", a workshop performance at Emerson College. "Common Ground" is a piece of investigative theatre that I helped to write, along with members of the Adaptation class, directed by Melia Bensussen and Kirsten Greenidge. The piece that takes Tony Lukas's book about the busing crisis of the 1970's and combines it with updated perspectives about race, class, education, and the future of Boston. Check out an article about the show here: http://www.emerson.edu/news-events/emerson-college-today/theater-collaboration-brings-boston-controversy-life
- Finished my third semester at Emerson College!
October 2011
- Excited to announce that I will be reprising my role as the Good White Fairy in "Little Black Topsy and The Magical White Fairy Soap" by Cori Spencer at the Oberon Theatre at A.R.T. in Cambridge in November. More details to come!
September 2011
It's been a busy month!
- Began my second and final year of study for my M.A. at Emerson College!
- Started teaching fall classes at Boston Children's Theatre Saturdays
- Booked some voiceover work with SAVI Training Partners in Cambridge, MA
- Taking an acting class with Amanda Good Hennessey and Art Hennessey, two wonderful teachers based out of Davis Square. Check out their site here at http://www.bostonactingclasses.com/
August 3, 2011
- Booked an audition for an industrial training film with Charles River Media Studios. Should hear back in a couple of weeks.
- Got called back for a Boston Improv Comedy Show in the South End.
July 29, 2011
- Off to Chicago to attend and present at the American Alliance for Theatre and Education Annual Conference! Looking forward to meeting theatre artists from all over the country, seeing some great theatre and presenting a session on how to use drama games as a means of teaching young people about human rights. Check out the conference site here: http://www.aateconference.com/weeblylink_new_window
July 9, 2011
- Booked some more background actor work on the film "Ted" starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis shooting in Boston.
June 27, 2011
- Began Summer Studios today at Boston Children's Theatre! I teach six weeks of classes, alternating between week long programs for four to six year olds and seven to nine year olds. Visit BCT's website for more information! http://bostonchildrenstheatre.org/weeblylink_new_window
May 25, 2011
- Booked some background actor work on the film "Ted" starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis shooting in Boston.
- Received approval from Emerson College to begin research on an original ethnodrama exploring women and war, which will eventually be developed into a one woman show.
May 11, 2011
- Looking forward to appearing in "Women of Sand" at Boston Arts Academy, a testimonial play about the femicide in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. For more information, please check out the play's blog site at http://mujeresdearenateatro.blogspot.com/weeblylink_new_window
- Completed my first year of my M.A. in Theatre Education at Emerson College!
- Found out that I will be teaching 2011 Summer Studios at Boston Children's Theatre!
- Appeared in "Little Black Topsy and the Magical White Fairy Soap" dir. by Cori Spencer at Central Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA.
- Confirmed that I will be teaching a workshop at the 2011 American Alliance for Theatre in Education Conference in Chicago, IL this July! The workshop is titled "The Right to Play: Engaging Young People in a Reflection on Human Rights Issues Through Theatre Games".