Educator: Theatre and Writing for Social Justice

Since 2002, I have facilitated theatre, writing, and arts workshops in a variety of non-traditional settings in the US, UK, and Europe. I began my career running improvisational workshops for incarcerated adult men through the Prison Creative Arts Project. I then worked for seven years as a program manager and teaching artist for Storycatchers Theatre in Chicago, producing original musical theatre inspired by the personal stories of urban and incarcerated youth. I have extensive experience in personal story writing and devised theatre, working with traumatized populations, and program management.

Later on, I was the program manager for the Arts Integration Mentorship Project (Project AIM) and the Teaching Artist Development Studio (TAD Studio) at Columbia College Chicago's Center for Community Arts Partnerships. With Project AIM and TAD Studio, I managed and coached a multi-disciplinary artist cadre in arts integration residencies, facilitated professional development for teachers, and supported a teaching artists development program.

I currently serve as adjunct theatre faculty for Columbia College Chicago. My educational pedagogy is informed by the liberatory education and creative play frameworks.

I hold a bachelors in theatre arts from the University of Michigan, and a masters in applied drama from the University of London-Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I was nominated for the 3Arts Award in Teaching Arts in 2016.

Testimonials

"Alyssa is a dedicated, passionate teacher with a real gift for engaging and inspiring teens. It is particularly notable that she is so effective working with young people whom many would categorize as difficult or "at risk." I have been very impressed with her attention to detail and her ability to track and record important data while managing a program with 15-25 teenagers. This is particularly important to me as the Grants Administrator for the organization - Alyssa is a gifted teaching artist with a talent for administration and organization, and that is a rare combination. She is also extremely effective at cultivating relationships with key adults in her students' lives, resulting in support from families and educators of the program participants."
- Rachel Combs, Development Director at Storycatchers Theatre
"Alyssa is an intense, dynamic and committed professional who really knows her craft."
- Jonathan Shailor, Professor of Communication at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

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