Performance
Directing and Dramaturgy
Director (Professional)
2024 Anatomical Hearts, developmental reading in Wisconsin Wrights new play festival, Forward Theater, Madison, Wisconsin
2024 What the Constitution Means to Me, Forward Theater, Madison, Wisconsin. Asst to Dir. Jennifer Uphoff Gray
2023 Out in this World Monologue Festival, Forward Theater, Madison, Wisconsin
Director (Non-Equity)
2020 So I Could Be Macbeth, Part II, Hearst Center for the Arts/Scene D Theatre Project, Cedar Falls, Iowa
2019 The Christians, Scene D Theatre Project, Cedar Falls, Iowa
2019 So I Could Be Macbeth, Hearst Center for the Arts/Scene D Theatre Project, Cedar Falls, Iowa
2018 Stop Kiss, Scene D Theatre Project, Cedar Falls, Iowa
2018 In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, Hearst Center for the Arts/Scene D Theatre Project, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Traveling in Place, Forward Theater
Stop Kiss, Scene D Theatre Project
Upcoming Directing: Wisconsin Wrights New Play Festival
ANATOMICAL HEARTS by Lila Hovey
The goal of Forward Theater Company and Wisconsin Wrights is to support and develop new theatrical work, via a biennial new play festival that features up to three works by Wisconsin playwrights. After a submission and selection process, selected playwrights communicate with professional directors, dramaturgs, and actors to develop their plays, culminating in public readings at the festival. Each night is dedicated to a single play.
Dramaturgy & Literary Management
2023 Reader, Wisconsin Wrights new play festival, Forward Theater, Madison, Wisconsin
2023 Reader, Capital Q Festival, Stage Q, Madison, Wisconsin
2022- Literary Committee, Forward Theater, Madison, Wisconsin
Selected Assistant Director (Non-Equity)
2014 A Piffledywiff Christmas, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2014 Modern Anxieties, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2014 Christmas Stew, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2013 The Wedding, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2012 Toys in the Attic, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2012 Variety de l’Amour, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2009 Pyrates!, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
2008 Racing the Train, dir. Jeff Hanson, Lampost Theatre Co., Cedar Falls, IA
from the What the Constitution Means to Me Pre-Show Lecture
"Assistant Director as Dramaturg"
by Forward Theater Artistic Associate Marcella Kearns
"Our production of Constitution benefited from the support of an assistant director, whose research and rehearsal work at Jen’s side afforded the team broader context and a more efficient process: Orion Risk, a Ph.D. candidate in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies at UW. They serve on the Literary and Finance Committees at Forward and directed one of the monologues in our Monologue Festival last May.
The scope of an assistant director’s duties shifts from production to production. Orion has been responsible here for background research, observing to offer a touchstone for Jen, and taking on rehearsal blocks with our young performers (more to come on that note!). Their work started with Heidi Schreck’s two-page reading list of resources in the script. Orion tracked down all of the sources to review them for the sake of the team. In the process, they distilled points into a research hub, a “digestible pile,” for Jen and the actors. They also tracked down background on where the play came from, from its ten-minute inception to its Broadway run, for context. But that wasn’t all: research extended to related and sometimes surprising topics, from high school debate structure (What does it look like?) to What is log rolling? (wait for it). "
Social Practice Performance
GenderTalks Series
GenderTalks (2020)
GenderTalks: Women & Age (2022)
GenderTalks: Healthcare (2024)
In my conversation performance method, I bring speakers together on Zoom for live, unscripted conversations before an audience.
GENDERTALKS Play
GENDERTALKS is a docu-play remixing performances of actual zoom conversations between trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people about gender experiences during COVID.
Featured: Minnesota Fringe, Fringe PVD, Free Fringe Philly, TransTheatreFest-Madison
(Waterhouse Collective production directed by Sy Bedrick)