As an artist, I often feel so much like a visitor; to my many day jobs, to schools and conferences where I go to do one time workshops, when I go into a community that is not mine to hear new stories and make new connections. In many ways, artists are perpetual visitors; feeling like we belong everywhere, and at the same time not feeling like we are of one particular place.
You belong here at The Perpetual Visitor. What does being creative mean to you? How do you play every day? This is a space for taking a break, a breath, and finding ways to flex our imagination and find the joy where we can. I'm glad you're here.
You belong here at The Perpetual Visitor. What does being creative mean to you? How do you play every day? This is a space for taking a break, a breath, and finding ways to flex our imagination and find the joy where we can. I'm glad you're here.
My name is Melissa and I'm a Boston-based actor, writer, and teaching artist who believes in the power of storytelling to give us the tools we need in order to create the kind of world in which we want to live.
I believe that we are all creative at heart and that play, curiosity, and imagination are key ingredients for a life that is joyful, healthy, and sustainable.
I believe with my whole heart that being an artist is not just about the art we make, it's about how we make it.
Looking for reflections, strategies, and ideas to help you build a creative life of your own that includes curiosity, community, health, and sustainability? Interested in taking a peek at some of my own creative projects? Whether you are a self-identified creative or a someone looking to discover the magic of play, you've come to the right place.
I grew up in Upstate NY, where I earned my B.A. in Theatre Performance and History from SUNY Geneseo and my Master of Arts in Theatre Education at Emerson College, where my focus was on documentary theatre, human rights education, and theatre for social change. Currently, I am proud to be the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of The Perpetual Visitors Theatre Company, a company that produces documentary theatre and aims to foster connection and community conversations through storytelling. My first play, SafeGuard is based on interviews with women of military families about their experience of being on the homefront during deployment.
I've taught at Emerson College, Harvard University, and with Boston Educators for Social Justice. In addition to my stage and screen acting work in Boston, I've blogged for Howlround, an international theatre journal based at Emerson College, and for Creatively Independent, a company dedicated to sustainable arts education practices. The different hats I wear nourish the different ways that I make art in the world. When you're an artist, nothing is wasted; you can use it all.
When I'm not working my day job and performing/writing/teaching? I love spending my time with people I love, exploring Boston, reading a good book, watching a great movie, hiking, traveling, riding my newly acquired bicycle, and making (and eating) delicious food.
Thanks for joining me here. Now let's make something magnificent.
Photo by Mervyn Chan on Unsplash
