An American Nightmare
The Play
This work is a direct response to the tender revelations that I was fortunate to experience in building relationships with many of the families that survived the Sandy Hook School Tragedy. I hold the greatest respect and honor for the wounded clients who chose to work with me and experience the nurturing process of art therapy. I chose to create this play first and foremost to educate other creative arts therapists on the inner workings of masterful art therapy trauma response.
I prepared the original adaptation of this play for a performance at The American Art Therapy Association’s 49th Annual Conference in November 2018. I created the soundscape with Devin Greenwood, at the Honey Jar recording Studio in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
What I love about this performance is that songs such as Drawing Fears/Lock the Doors and One Cold Winter were originally recorded in the early months of 2013, as an initial response to the work I was mobilizing in Newtown, CT. These songs were directly inspired as I was creatively processing the intense trauma myself. An additional note: I use my vocals as the siren for Siren Song.
From the initial AATA performance with over 125 attendees, I made many more connections with healthful feedback and eventually performed the work for The Art Therapy Project at the School of Visual Art in New York City and at the New York Theater Festival Summerfest.
This recording is of my performance at Summerfest 2019 and is an expression of modern shamanism; I utilize all forms of the creative sciences to inspire a paradigm shift in the viewers’ understanding of the depths of human trauma and how the art therapy relationship truly aids one in their healing journey. By the completion of the play one may feel many unpredictable sensations depending upon your own associations and histories. Above all know that I, the wounded healer, am doing just fine.
Upon purchase, you will receive a PDF that contains a link to view the recording.