Hi, I’m Mandy!
For over 20 years, I’ve worked in professional theater—appearing at diverse venues from Montreal to Bogota, from New York Clown-Theatre Festival to the White House. In 2022, I was honored to be named the Maine Arts Commission’s Performing Arts Fellow, recognized for artistic excellence and a “joyful spirit for ferocious play.”
My most recent solo show Pretty Face: An American Dream grapples with political controversy and personal responsibility, ultimately asking the audience, “How free are you?” Directed by Aitor Basauri (co-founding director of Spymonkey, the UK’s premiere physical theater ensemble) Pretty Face received Artist Choice accolades and was awarded “Best Comedy-Physical Theater” at the IndyFringe Theatre Festival.
For 15 years, I served as Executive Artistic Director of Celebration Barn Theater, Maine’s residential center for physical theater training and performance. There, I had the pleasure of hosting thousands of artists from around the globe and facilitating immersive workshops dedicated to deepening creative exploration and amplifying the uniqueness of each person’s artistic voice.
As a teaching artist and creativity coach, I work with professionals in various fields, from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to the American College of Nurse Midwives, helping team members strengthen collaborative relationships and unleash creative potential. I’ve lead improvisation and ensemble creation masterclasses at numerous colleges including Dartmouth, Bates and Bowdoin.
A certified yoga teacher, I’m passionate about sharing techniques to manage anxiety, align mind/body/spirit, and totally embody creative expression.
My quest—on and off stage—is for total freedom. Now, I want to know: what makes YOU feel wildly alive?
Here are some of the artists and institutions whose training is most influential in my work:
Intensive training with master teachers, including:
- Improvisation- Tony Montanaro (1992, 1996, 1998), Keith Johnstone (2006, 2009)
- Clown and Comedy- Avner Eisenberg (1993-2016), Aitor Basauri (2010, 2016, 2018) Giovanni Fusetti (2016-2017) and Shannan Calcutt (2021)
- Interactive Performance- Jeff Wirth (2015-2018)
- Ensemble Creation- Laurie Carlos (2007-2009), Davis Robinson and Karen Montanaro (2009)
- Commedia dell’Arte- Antonio Fava (2000)
Emerson College, BFA in Acting under the direction of Kristin Linklater (1995-1999)
L’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in France (2005-2006)
Sacred Seeds Yoga School, under direction of Jacqui Bonwell, 200-hour teacher training (2019-2020)
Yoga Liberation Front, under the direction of David Vendetti, 500-hour teaching training (2021-2022)
Leadership that Works India, Coaching for Transformation Certification (2022-2023)
My two children, Lila and Wilder (2013, 2016)