Work with me :)

1:1 Support

In addition to my own performance practice, I have spent the last decade working as a director, consultant, facilitator, dramaturg, and producer to all kinds of performance projects. Alongside my art practice, I have worked as a birth support person (or “doula”), attending to families and individuals in the process of literally giving birth to their children. This special combination of training I have, working sensitively among artists and in high stakes events, places me in the unique and exciting position to act as a support person to help with you in the trenches of your artistic process.

I am an outside eye with an intimate knowledge of performance process and I can see things from many angles. I am able to quickly shift from micro to macro and easily understand how details function within a larger composition. I can help you anticipate potential logistical, narrative, scenic, choreographic, or spiritual problem areas — and help you resolve these. The process is intuitive and personal. Using my training from the birth work world, I bring a unique set of tools to help artists navigate the exciting, laborious, and sometimes painful experience of birthing a new project. I take you and your art — no matter how scattered, silly, or chaotic — very seriously. :)

If you’re in an early stage of your process, I listen and reflect back to you what is exciting and energetic. I ask questions and serve as a sounding board and guide. I help you hone and organize your thoughts so that you can commit to your process. I give you next steps to follow. If you’re coming to me with work that is in a later stage, I am available to witness and refine. I offer thorough notes, punch-ups, suggestions, fix-its, and more. None of this is prescriptive or planned. I don’t use the same set of prompts or exercises for my clients. Every artist and artwork needs something different, and I take the time to figure out what that is, balancing the needs of both YOU and YOUR WORK. Most importantly, I am encouraging. Making art, especially if you are inside of it as the performer, can be extremely scary, confusing, and lonely. I’m here for all of it.

I have no desire to imprint my taste or opinions onto your work. I provide a container for you to define your work for yourself.

My consultancy services are $35-50/hr. I am happy to offer sliding scale support depending on the situation. I am also down to trade services. I really want to work with you!

Workshops

REHEARSAL is a WIP performance series where 2 artists each present up to 30 minutes of material followed by an hour of feedback with the other artists/or audience facilitated by me, using the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process. I lead these workshops in 6-week cycles, where two artists present each week and present twice over the six weeks. Another variation of this workshop is a weekend intensive, where, over the course of 2-3 days, up to 6 artists present work on a monthly basis. Workshops range from $300-$360 with flexible payment plans offered.

REHEARSAL is for Artists who...
-Want to try something out in a safe space
-Are in a developmental stage of their work and are looking for feedback
-Are in need of a boost to push their work to the next level/stage
-Crave structured feedback from a range of voices
-Like the idea of an open mic but are horrified by the 3-5 minute limitation
-Are traumatized from art school crits (lol)
-write/think about performance
-crave working with a built-in cohort

This workshop is open to all performance makers …. visual artists, clowns, comedians, singers, dancers, mimes, musicians and MORE! 🤡even (ESPECIALLY) if it’s your first time 😏🥰

Testimonials:

"I came into Sophia's workshop with a desire to create an hour-long solo show--but I had no idea what it was going to be about. I was terrified, and she created a beautifully supportive, yet compassionately rigorous space where I felt seen, inspired, and propelled forward. She has a deep gift for providing impactful, honest feedback that pushes you as an artist. You feel, every step of the way, that you are realizing your full potential. Sometimes that means facing your shadows and getting honest with what's not working. She's like a doula for your inner artist. Through working with her, I developed deeper self-trust and confidence, and emerged with an hour-long solo show. I took the show I developed in her class to my first Fringe festival and won the Audience Choice Award for Creative Storytelling! I am now working on a new show, and am back in her workshops because her workshops work. I know I'll come out of them a deeper artist with an even deeper show!"

-Emily Maverick, ongoing REHEARSAL artist

“When I enrolled in Sophia's course, I needed major assistance with my one-woman show. Sophia's coaching and her encouraging voice proved instrumental in bringing my show to the next level. Through her expert guidance, I not only discovered the clear and compelling arc of my performance but also received feedback of unparalleled quality, surpassing any I had received before.

Sophia has an innate ability to ask insightful questions and offer suggestions that crystallize the unique essence of a show. Thanks to her workshop, I gained the confidence to take my production to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. There, I performed 24 shows at the Gilded Balloon, which I accomplished without a director or producer. Remarkably, my show sold out four times, a testament to the impact Sophia and her class had on my journey. I can't recommend Sophia's services enough. She is a stand-out in the vast world of teachers and coaches.” 

—Isabel Klein, former REHEARSAL artist