LEADERSHIP
With a knack for efficient logistics, strategic sustainability, and ethical practice, I’ve been honored to serve as both a board and staff member of several arts organizations over the last few years. Foremost among these roles, I’ve held the positions of Treasurer as well as marketing head for both Advice To The Players and the Association of Mental Health Coordinators, as well as Education Co-Chair for the Shakespeare Theatre Association.
I’ve also launched two (and a half, but we don’t talk about that one) theatre companies. My first venture, born in 2016 in the window of a neighborhood bar, was called The Woolgatherers Theater Group. We told old stories in new ways, bringing together artists from a broad range of artistic backgrounds and social communities. In 2024, I founded Cadent Shakespeare Co., an ongoing project exploring sustainable creative practice in the arts, centered around the symbiotic relationship between logistical structure and creative liberation.
Whether as a steward of an existing company or the founder of a new one, my work in leadership is driven by passion for audience engagement, community care, and truthful storytelling. It brings me deep pleasure to help unite artists, audiences, patrons, donors, and volunteers together in a shared creative community.
Photos from 'Eyes of a Blue Dog,' 'Romeo and Juliet,' and 'Genesis 22.' The Woolgatherers Theater Group, NY. Photos by Ariella Axelbank and others.
Theater ManagemenT and Policy Consulting
The frequency of mental illness among theater makers is staggering. With psychological awareness and emotional intelligence at the core of our work as artists, we are also in a strong position to shift the industry towards one that consistently values and actively tends to the mental health of its participants, whether students, performers, crew, or leadership.
As a certified Mental Health Coordinator, I bring training in conflict resolution, one-on-one support, dramaturgy of mental illness and best practices in portrayal, accessibility coordination, navigation of power dynamics, policy development, and more, all rooted in an evidence-based, biochemical understanding of our emotional and psychological experience.
I am available for both short- and long-term support, including...
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Content Transparency and Audience Support
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Access Needs Coordination
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Policy Audit
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Script Risk Analysis and Portrayal Dramaturgy
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Collaboration and Conflict Navigation
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Company or Ensemble Trainings and Workshops
TEACHING
As an educator and coach, I join physical awareness with detailed text work in pursuit of clear, expressive, and vibrant storytelling. Those who work with me walk away with a clear sense of their text, strong personal connection, physical availability, and the fulfillment of honing their artistic practice.
I offer my curriculum, "Embodied Shakespeare," in a range of settings, from individual coaching to high school workshops. It follows six pillars -- text analysis, structure of the verse, wit and rhetoric, embodied play, historical context, and audience relationship -- and is malleable to fit the needs of any class or organization. It integrates a variety of theater modalities, including Linklater Voice, Laban Movement Analysis, and LeCoq, serving both as a building block of Shakespeare training as well as an introduction to other techniques that may inspire participants towards future areas of study.
"Sarah has an intuitive sense of what things to try and how to play with the text. Working with her on Shakespeare is a dream because her experience with text is excellent and she really knows what she’s doing. Her guidance was invaluable, and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an acting coach! "
-Rachel, NYC
I learn as much from the individuals I teach as they do from me, if not more. This is my guiding principle as I work to recognize my privilege and amplify the voices and experiences of those who have been marginalized by our systemically prejudiced industry. As a beneficiary of the current system, I am committed to confronting injustices within and beyond my theatrical lineage as I consider my role in the future of education in this art form and how I might be of support to BIPOC, queer, body diverse, neurodivergent and otherwise marginalized artists and students.
Academy for Classical Acting
Photo by Alec Wild