How I Spent 2021

(inspired by Derek Sivers)

Other Years

Click here to learn what I accomplished in 2022

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW

Click here to learn what I am doing now

Here’s how I spent 2021, listed alphabetically I focused on: applied improvisation, collaboration, consulting, dialogue facilitation, freedom Fridays, performing, professional development, speaking, being a standardized patient, teaching, and workshop facilitation.

Focus: Applied Improvisation

• Completed a collaboration with Diana Scott Shields to deliver a 6-series of applied improvisation workshops for business to a corporate client to develop skills of leadership, communication, creativity, and team-building to new leaders and managers.

• Co-hosted virtual half-day retreat in April for creatives, SME Presents: Improvising Your Creative Life. This was a collaboration with two other applied improvisation facilitators, Erica Towe and Sloane Miller.

Focus: Collaboration

• Hosted a January collaboration Sip and Share with some amazing collaborators. This is a reflection for anyone I’ve collaborated with in previous months (2020) to connect and celebrate our accomplishments.

• Worked on a campaign for Black Improv Alliance to feature 100 Black improvisers this year.

• Collaborated with Artists, Devika Ranjan, Ariane Barnes, and Nia Johnson to guest teach Anti-Racism and Equitable Practices in Theatre course at Carnegie Mellon University.

Focus: Consulting

• Collaborated with a Higher Education Institution (HEI) to deliver training on inclusion to faculty and staff and facilitated an orientation event on the same topic to all incoming first-year students

• Hired as part of a collaborative team to deliver content to Fortune 500 Top 25 company managers on how to become a trusted ally and express vulnerability during career conversations with supervisees.

Focus: Dialogue Facilitation

• Completed a project with a private client, leading dialogue groups to address racism within University leadership.

Focus: Freedom Friday

• Intentionally choose not to schedule meetings on Friday so I can do the work on my business. This is also a time for me to rest and recharge for myself.

Focus: Performances

• Produced and performed in an in-person 60-minute improvisational comedy show, for a private client on behalf of Black Improv Alliance.

• Part of a Live Read Ensemble reading scripts from a variety of black sitcoms with associated themes like Black Girl Magic, Black Families, Black Boy Joy, and an original script for this series, “How to Get Away With Scandal.”

• Performed on Hold Up Book Club, featuring a piece from Audre Lorde.

• Performed with Do The Right Scene in a fundraising show for Library of Africa and the Diaspora, a library in Accra, Ghana.

• Performed the last Friday of the month with The Replacements as part of Black Joy Fridays simulcast on Black Improv Alliance and Highwire Improv.

• Performed in a weekly unscripted, improv soap series called DULUTH. Check out the latest episode on the World Improv Network YouTube Page here.

• Performed the third Friday of the month with All Request Radio as part of Black Joy Fridays simulcast on Black Improv Alliance and Highwire Improv.

• Performed in The Better With Improv Presents The 2 Person Improv Show and Season Finale with Keith Williams.

• Performed with Do The Right Scene and The Replacements for Black Impact Fundraiser Vol. III.

• Performed with Black Improv Alliance for an open mic night of Black in Physics.

• Performed in The Black Hallmark Christmas Special is a #blackjoyfriday full of holiday family drama simulcast on Black Improv Alliance and Highwire Improv.

• Performed in the first performance of Black Improv Alliance’s Playback Theatre Troup, PlayBack in a show-themed, “Holiday Memories.”

Focus: Professional Development

Improv has become my avenue for professional development. Classes both increase my skillset as a performer and support me off stage with my communication. In 2021 I took the following:

• Improv College with Ti Coleman (Monoscene - One Room to Rule Them All) and Frédéric Barbusci (Galapagos)

• The Comedy Conservatory with Jeris Donovan (Advanced Improv and Character Work)

• Bird City Improv with Tavish Forsyth and Talya Tavor (Social Justice Improv | Advanced Improv Training)

Focus: SPeaking

• Hosted Facebook and Instagram live with Anna Claire Walker to speak about our work on anti-racism and allyship in academia. Catch the replay here.

• Spoke to Royal Central School of Speech and Drama students during a Performing Research Intensive about our research on an internal case study on representation our spoken-word inspired presentation, and how after the module we published an academic article, produced and delivered workshops, and was accepted to present at a conference.

• Interviewed by David Escobedo from The Improv Boost as part of the Everybody Get In Here! Improv Festival.

• Interviewed March Madness Improv Competition Winner Cake Walk on Socially Distant Improv.

• Completed Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) Humor Academy Level I in April and started Humor Academy Level II in May. Learn more about my experience in my blog.

Focus: Standardized Patient

• Supported current medical students to become more compassionate care providers through the portrayal of fictional patients. This was one of the last jobs I had while living in Pittsburgh and I feel privileged that it was one of the first jobs I was able to do in the pandemic because of the move to virtual engagement.

Focus: Teaching

• Hired as Special Visiting Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama teaching a required course to all incoming first-year and incoming graduate students on, “Anti-racism and Equitable Practices in Theater” for Fall 2021.

• As part of the role with Carnegie Mellon University, also led faculty and staff in three workshops on anti-racism, “Casting a Common Vocabulary,” “Rehearsing Equitable Practices,” “Directing Long-Term Growth.”

• Hired by Point Park University Conservatory of the Performing Arts to teach Spring 2022, Ensemble Lab V: Combining methodologies from playback theatre and theatre of the oppressed to create ensemble performances.

Focus: Workshop Facilitator

• Co-led workshops in January with Anna Claire Walker on Anti-racism and Allyship in Academia informed by an article we published last year. More here.

• Presenting workshops at the Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit (virtually) on January 23. More on these workshops can be found on my website here.

• Co-facilitated and was the primary lead on a BIPOC only sold-out workshop for Do The Right Scene Crash Landing, supported by Hoopla Impro.

• Led a sold-out workshop, “Playing with Yourself on Stage: An Exploration of Identity” for Improv MKE.

• Facilitated a workshop with Different Women Project on Dismantling Inner Bias and Invisibility for BIPOC practitioners as part of the two-day series on The Power Of Self Care.

• Hosted a Playday in May. Playdays are applied improvisation playshops with rotating themes.

• Presenting Anti-Racism and Allyship at the Diversity Forum on July 28 and at the ATHE conference on August 6. These workshops are informed by this article we published last year.

• Facilitated workshop on Applying Improv to Address Bias at annual Applied Improv Network (AIN) global conference in October.

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