How I Spent 2022
(inspired by Derek Sivers)
Other Years
Click here to learn what I accomplished in 2021
What’s Happening Now
Click here to learn what I am doing now
Here’s how I spent 2022, listed alphabetically I focused on: consulting, honors, humor, improv, performances, professional development, speaking, being a standardized patient, teaching, workshop facilitation, and writing.
Focus: Consulting
Delivered virtual training workshop 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 supervises.
Hired as a Senior Equity Facilitator and Consultant for the Center for Equity and Inclusion facilitating diversity, equity, and inclusion-related training, consulting, and coaching using culturally responsive and experiential learning techniques.
Just Collaboration has been hired by returning clients to deliver anti-oppression training for staff and the Board of Directors including a subcontract hire to provide data collection and data analysis for community members.
Focus Honors
Say Hey August Honoree who was recognized in the largest multi-cultural networking event in Oregon and southwest Washington. Mary’s intro is viewable here.
Focus: Humor
Completed Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) Humor Academy Level II in March and started Humor Academy Level III.
Focus: Improv
Member of the planning committee for From Another Mother Festival (F.A.M. Fest) an improv festival happening the weekend of Juneteenth(17th-19th) featuring talented troupes, workshops, jams, and much more! In addition, the festival included filming an anthology of the history of Black Improv!
Produced an anthology and documentary of the history of Black Improv. This project was supported in part by the Frank-Ratchye Fund For Art @ the Frontier Grant #2022-040 and the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University.
Cast in a recurring show, Dropped Notes: An Outrageous Musical Revue, first Saturday of every month at 9:30 p.m. at Curious Comedy Theater. See events to know which shows Mary will perform in.
A regular guest with Kickstand Comedy for Secret Aardvark show in Portland Oregon, playing with 30 of the top improvisers in Portland
Focus: Performances
Told a 5-minute story for Broke Gravy & Friends event in September at the Clinton Street Theatre to a live audience of over 100 attending
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 2022 I took the following:
Completed a course, Build Your Confidence, with Michelle Gilliam from the Worlds Greatest Improv School
Super Scene Study and So You Want to Do a Walk On with Ti Coleman in October 2022
Focus: Speaking
Hired as Speaker for Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC) Fall Symposium: Decolonizing Theatre on the topic of applied theatre's role in race equity and DEI.
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 Adjunct Instructor by Point Park University Conservatory of the Performing Arts (COPA) to teach Spring 2022, Ensemble Lab V: Combining methodologies from playback theatre and theatre of the oppressed to create ensemble performances.
Extended contract as Special Visiting Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama to teach Theatre of the Oppressed-An Introduction to Forum Theatre Performance and Applying Improv to the Workplace for Spring 2022.
Focus: Workshop Facilitator
Led workshop with Liz Foster-Shaner on The Ethics of Community Engaged Art for Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council
Focus: Writing
Hired as contributing author for Improv for Gamers: Second Edition to write a piece on developing and portraying characters that are not rooted in stereotypes or cultural tourism. The book is authored by Karen Twelves and Published by Evil Hat Productions.