Dana Sayre

dana.sayre@gmail.com

Education

Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, University of Texas at Austin, 2021-2022 cohort.

Post-graduate drama therapy training, North American Drama Therapy Association. 2015-2019.

Master of Arts Performance Studies, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, May 2012

Thesis: “Queer Utopian Performance at Texas A&M University.”

Bachelor of Arts English, Suma Cum Laude, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, May 2010

Bachelor of Arts Theatre, Suma Cum Laude, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, May 2009

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Employment History

Drama Therapy Austin. Executive Director. January 2019-Present.

National Domestic Violence Hotline. Digital Advocate. July 2018-Dec 2019.

KidsActing Foundation. Teaching Artist. Feb. 2019-May 2019.

Seton Shoal Creek Hospital. Behavioral Health Tech. Sept. 2017-July 2018.

Creative Action. Teaching Artist, Jan. 2016 – May 2017.

Dougherty Arts Center. Summer Camp Theatre Instructor, June 2016 – Aug. 2016.

BookWoman, Director of Operations Feb. 2014 – May 2016.

The Horn, Freelance Writer, Sept. 2013 – Aug. 2015.

Graduate Assistantship, Department of Performance Studies, Texas A&M University, Aug. 2010 – May 2012.

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Internships/Workshops/Classes

2020 NADTA Annual Conference: Riding the Wave: The Next Act for Drama Therapy 

2020 Compassion Fatigue Certification Training for Healthcare,
Mental Health and Caring Professionals with Debra Premashakti Alvis, PhD, C-IAYT (via PESI)

2020 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2020 Movement trauma healer certification program – level 1 with TRACC4Movements.

2020 Anti-Racist Theatre Foundational Course with Nicole Brewer.

2020 Finding Your Role in the Movement Ecosystem: Panel Discussion with Healers. TRACC4Movements.

2020 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2020 Anti-Oppressive & Decolonial Care: Navigating Non-Western Movement Care. TRACC4Movements.

2020 Pandemic To Protest: Emotional First Aid for Movement Trauma 101. TRACC4Movements.

2020 Drama Therapy at Home with Nisha Sajnani.

2020 Everything is Not Going to be Okay (But it’s Better With You) performance festival with Nisha Sajnani and Christine Mayor.

2020 Online Drama Therapy workshop with Diana Chu.

2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2019 NADTA Central Region Conference: Exploring the Spectrum: Modalities in Embodied Therapies with Susan Powell and Randy McCommons.  

2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2019 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2018 NADTA Annual Conference: Beyond the Fourth Wall: Engaging Therapeutic Performance to Expand Our Impact on Communities.

2018 Using Sandtray Protocols in Play Therapy, Marshall Lyles.

2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2018 DBT and Art Therapy with DeAnn Acton.

2018 BodyShift Event: Patterns of Disruption with Sandra Paola.

2018 DvT and Trauma Workshop with Randy McCommons.

2018 ASGPP Annual Conference: Expanding Horizons: Using Action Methods to Join All Humanity.

2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2018 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2017 NADTA Annual Conference: From Theory to Practice: The Drama Therapist’s Toolbox.

2017 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2017 Improv 101 at Coldtowne Theater.

2017 PolyDallas Millennium Conference: Power, Anarchy, and Equality in Polyamory.

2017 Developmental Transformations Workshop with Randy McCommons.

2017 NADTA Central Region Conference: Finding Our Niche: Where in the Region are the Drama Therapists?

2017 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2017 Psychodrama Workshop at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2016 NADTA Annual Conference: The Power of Dramatic Play and Creativity: Sunshine Under the Umbrella.

2016 Psychodrama Facilitation Group at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2016 Psychodrama Workshop at Centerwood with Susan Powell.

2016 PollyDallas Millennium Conference: Designer Relationships.

2016 Contemporary Relationships Conference.

2016 Art Therapy 101 with Art Therapy Austin.

2016 NADTA Central Region Conference: Active Exploration and Healing: Performance Variety in Drama Therapy.

2016 Write Your Life as a Woman with Dean Lofton.

2015 NADTA Annual Conference: Magnetic Forces: Working with Attraction and Aversion to Difference and Social Justice.

2015 Essentials of Starting a Business with SCORE Austin.

2015 Write Your Life as a Woman with Dean Lofton.

2014 Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas MOOC – Social Media for Journalists: The Basics

2012 Community-Based Theatre Workshop with Cornerstone Theatre.

2011 Devised Community Theatre Workshop with The Royal Mexican Players, Alvaro Rios and Michelle Lopez-Rios.

2011 Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre Internship with Stephanie Riso – Diversity.

2010 Solo Autobiographical Performance Workshop with Tim Miller.

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Research Interests

Feminist/Queer Performance Theory and Practice, Participatory Fan Culture, Autobiographical Performance, Devised Performance, Utopia, Drama Therapy, Barrier Free Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, Applied Improvisation, Trauma-Centered Therapy, Domestic Violence

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Publications

“Queer(ing) Healing: Reimagining Wellness Through Drama Therapy During the Dual Pandemics.” QED Special Issue: Queer Healing & Transformative Justice. Pending 2022.

Care Work and Social Justice in Creative Arts Therapy: Putting Queer Performance Theory and Disability Justice in Conversation with Drama Therapy.” Arts in Psychotherapy. Vol 80. June 2022.

“Embracing the Erotic After Sexual Trauma.” Awakened Voices, Issue 13: The Body Speaks. December 2021.

“The Wall: A Play in 5 Acts.” Wizards in Space, Issue 7. December 2021.

“Individualism will not save us: Personal liberty vs. community care in the time of COVID-19.” Drama Therapy Review, 6.2, pages 111-114. October 2020. DOI: 10.1386/dtr_00053_1

What is Love? Applying the Five Love Languages(TM) to Healthy Relationships.” loveisrespect.org: March 2019

Stalking Safety Planning.” thehotline.org: Jan. 2019

Healing Through the Arts.” thehotline.org: Jan. 2019

“Free Cece! Explores Prison Abolition and Anti-Trans Anti-Black Violence.” Occupy.com: Sept. 2016.

Food is Love.” Fat Ass Zine: Issue #1: Food and Fat Bodies. Aug 2016.

“Making it Work.” The i’Mpossible Project Vol 1: Reengaging With Life, Creating a New You by Josh Rivedal. Jan. 2016.

Jack Sanders’ Outdoor Art for Drawing Lines Now Open to the Public.” Austinot: Oct 2015.

The Tea Spot Offers Rare Exposure to Authentic Chinese Tea.” Austinot: Sept 2015.

East Side’s Ground Floor Theatre Celebrates Austin’s Diversity.” Austinot: Sept 2015.

Scandal and Empire Bring Shakespearean Drama to Network Television.” HowlRound: August 2015.

Exclusive: Two Years After Snowden Revelations, Glenn Greenwald Talks About Impacts on Surveillance State.” Occupy.com: June 2015.

“Fetlife: Social Networking vs. On-line Dating.” Velma Magazine: Issue 05: Sex. Feb 2015.

“Analysis of Blasted.Tracts: A Journal of Student Scholarship 7.1 (2010): 20-31.

“SPEAK.” Whetstone: Art and Literary Journal of Fairmont State 28 (2009): 88-97.

“The Role of Literature in Perpetuating and Fighting Gender Roles and Stereotypes.” Tracts: A Journal of Student Scholarship 4.2 (2006): 20-25.

Book Reviews

Book Review: “Creative Arts Therapies and the LGBTQ Community: Theory and Practice, Brianna MacWilliam, Brian Harris, Dana Trottier and Kristin Long (eds) (2019).” Drama Therapy Review, 6.2, pages 247-250. October 2020. DOI: 10.1386/dtr_00031_5

Harris and Giuffre. “Taking the Heat: Gender Inequality in the Professional Kitchen.” Bitch magazine: Blood & Guts Issue (Fall 2015).

Weiss, Margot. “Techniques of Pleasure: BDSM and the Circuits of Sexuality.” Liminalities 9.1 (2013).

Shepard, Benjamin. “Queer Political Performance and Protest: Play, Pleasure and Social Movement.” Liminalities 7.1 (2011).

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Presentations/Performances

Fan/Belinda. A Virtual Christmas Carol.

Established and Emerging Intersections in Queer Drama Therapy. NADTA Annual Conference. 5-8 November 2020.

PRIDE Diversity Call, NADTA. 5 August 2020

Parts of Self, Virtual Drama Therapy Exercise Session with Mark Beauregard and Nisha Sajnani. 7 July 2020

“Dress Rehearsal for the Pandemic.” Everything is not going to be okay (but it’s better with you). 22 April 2020

Untold Stories from the Pandemic. 15 April 2020

Chronically Queer Virtual Open Mic Night. 10 April 2020

Mermaid. Musicals from Home. Pete(her) Pan.

Flower Girl. Musicals from Home. Sherlock Holmes and the West End Horror.

“No Sit/No Lie.” Gathering Ground Theatre, First Baptist Church of Austin, 10-11 November 2017.

“Making Connections: Yoga Therapy and Drama Therapy.” NADTA Central Region Conference, 29-30 April 2017.

“It’s My Story” Digital Storytelling Workshop, VSA Texas, 13-16 March 2017.

Drama Therapy programming, OutYouth, 14 December 2016.

Thera-‘play’ Workshop, Human Potential Center, 5 Oct 2016.

Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 24 Sept 2016.

Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop, MonkeyWrench Books, 13 Aug 2016.

Austin TENT monthly meeting, 9 July 2016.

Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 11 June 2016.

Greetings, from Queer Mountain. Ep 37: Woman, Austin, TX 25 May 2016.

Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 23 April 2016.

Role play workshop with PFLAG, Transform Fitness, 29 March 2016.

Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 5 March 2016.

Consent and Theatre of the Oppressed, Austin Community College, March 2016.

Greetings, from Queer Mountain. Ep. 34: What I Know, Austin, TX, 24 Feb 2016.

Come Out and Play: Drama and Yoga Therapy, Transform Fitness, 6 Feb 2016.

Greetings, from Queer Mountain: Ep 29: Let Go, Austin, TX, 30 Sept 2015.

Greetings, from Queer Mountain: Ep 28: Almost, Austin, TX, 26 Aug 2015.

Greetings, from Queer Mountain: Ep 26: In Between, Austin, TX, 24 June 2015.

V-day Erotica Reading, BookWoman, Austin, TX, 13 February 2015.

BedPost Confessions, Austin, TX, 18 December 2014.

Fantasy’s Show & Tell, Austin, TX, 10 September 2014.

Fantasy’s Show & Tell, Austin, TX, 19 June 2014.

“Kimberly Dark and Femme Solo Autobiographical Performance.” Femme 2012: Pulling the Pieces Together, Baltimore, MD, 17-19 August 2012.

“Queer Utopian Performance at Texas A&M University.” Communicating Diversity Student Mini-Conference, Texas A&M University, 20 April 2012.

“Acting ‘Too Loud and Crazy’: Noise as Resistance in Cepheid Variable.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations Conference, Boston, MA, 11-14 April 2012.

“Queer Utopian Performance at Texas A&M University.” Shades of Color meeting, Texas A&M University, 10 April 2012.

“Cepheid Variable.” Music, Movement, and Cultural Performance Working Group, Texas A&M University, 27 February 2012.

“What Does it Mean to be an Aggie?: The Role of the University in Supporting Sexual Diversity at Texas A&M.” Queer Studies Working Group, Texas A&M University, 31 January 2012.

“Mommy, Why are the Stepsisters Boys?: Gender Identity and Non-Traditional Casting in Theatre for Young Audiences.” American Alliance of Theatre in Education National Conference, Chicago, IL, 27-31 July 2011.

“Doing the Impossible: The Performance of Browncoat Identity.” National Popular Culture and American Culture Associations and Southwest/Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Associations joint conference, San Antonio, TX, 20-23 April 2011.

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Grants, Honors, and Awards

Grants

2018 NADTA Drama Therapy Fund Scholarship, $350.

2018 ASGPP Scholarship, $300.

2017 NADTA Drama Therapy Fund Scholarship, $350.

2017 NADTA Central Region Conference Scholarship, $50.

2016 NADTA Drama Therapy Fund Scholarship, $350.

2016 NADTA Central Region Conference Scholarship, $50.

2012 Travel Enhancement Grant, Texas A&M University, $500

2012 The Michael Schoenecke Travel Grant for Graduate Students to the National PCA/ACA Conference, $300

2011 Texas Public Education Grant, $1,500

2011 The Michael Schoenecke Travel Grant for Graduate Students to the National PCA/ACA Conference, $300

2011 Travel Enhancement Grant, Texas A&M University, $500

2010 Travel Enhancement Grant, Fairmont State University, $500

2009 Travel Enhancement Grant, Fairmont State University, $500

Honors and Awards

2012 Outstanding Diversity Graduate, 2nd place, Texas A&M University Student Research Week

2011 Graduate Oral Session Winner, Literature and Fine Arts, Texas A&M University Student Research Week

2010 Outstanding Student in Foreign Language (French), Fairmont State University

2010 Remembering #9: Stories of the Farmington Mine Disaster Performance for West Virginia Arts Day at the Legislature

2010 “Renard’s Ramblings: Renard the Fox Bibliography Project,” Fairmont State University Celebration of Student Scholarship

2009 Marian Satterfield Award: Outstanding Student in Arts and Humanities, City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission

2009 “Multi-Cultural Theatre in United States,” Fairmont State University Celebration of Student Scholarship

2009 Outstanding Student in Communication and Theatre Arts, Fairmont State University

2008 Top Girls Dramaturgy, Fairmont State University Celebration of Student Scholarship