Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tessa Gaffney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Tessa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I am the Administrative Lead for QuTheatr, an LGBTQIA+ ensemble in Akron, OH. QuTheatr was initially created as a queer youth theatre company, but when I took over along with the other new leaders, we decided to expand into a multigenerational initiative to create original art and increase the amount of LGBTQIA+-centered events in Akron.

In 2021, we received a Knight Arts grant to host free monthly “happenings,” from ice cream socials to gender-affirming clothing exchanges to self-defense workshops, with the goal of building an ensemble to devise and perform a new work called “A Joyful Blend,” a collection of scenes and stories about queer joy. We learned a lot on this project, particularly, how the theatre practices we were trained in are not conducive for making an inclusive space for the varieties of intersecting marginalized identities within the LGBTQIA+ community. We failed over and over in this regard. So, we decided to take some time off. We received a microgrant from the Center for Applied Drama and Autism to launch a podcast called, “A Hug in a Mug,” in order to speak with cast members and reflect on the process.

Then, in 2023, we went to the International Dramatherapy Conference where we met Dr. Laura Wood and Dave Mowers who were presenting on the Co-Active Therapeutic Theatre (CoATT) model, a methodology for making a play with a group who considers themselves in active recovery. I was inspired by the idea of using this model to work with a group of queer artists in creative recovery, and after speaking with them, Laura and Dave were on board!

So, now in 2024, QuTheatr has now re-branded (again) as “Qu in Recovery,” and we have received an ArtsForward grant to train in the CoATT model, produce a CoATT production, and write an academic paper on the first iteration with a non-clinical group. This project is meaningful to me because it is the result of years of building blocks falling into place, of responding to my own discomfort and the feedback of my community to properly utilize the therapeutic power of theatre.

Tessa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Growing up, I fancied myself a social justice warrior. When I was asked to make a self-portrait in a high school art class, I drew a woman wearing a rainbow cape, standing on a soapbox (and I didn’t even know I was gay)!

So, when Occupy Wall Street started during my freshman year at NYU, of course I marched on down to Zuccotti Park to take part in this leaderless revolution. And, now as an advocate for nonhierarchical leadership, I still find myself using the tools I learned there: taking vibe checks, utilizing the specific expertises of everyone.

I am the Marketing Mage for the Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture in Akron, OH. I got this position because a colleague mentioned my name during succession talks with one of the founders, a former professor of mine. I have a B.A. in Political Science and an M.A. in Arts Administration from the University of Akron. During my undergrad, I started EraAir Theatre Company in order to highlight the two impeccable WPA amphitheatres in our city, which led to the creation of “Hope Will Never Be Silent,” a Living Newspaper show that evolved to speak on the current issues of the day, from gay rights to the heroin epidemic.

I briefly lived in an eco-village in the jungles of Panama studying Design Thinking. I am a writer and an actor and a creative placemaker.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the built-in creative outlet and community. It’s possible to take for granted how rare it is to be in constant conversation about creation for those who don’t consider themselves artists. And how sad it is that the act of creativity has been stolen from anyone who isn’t commodifying it.

Art is a human need: to make and consume. It is a universal right.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Everything I do is an attempt to do less harm next time.

I fell in love with theatre as an avenue to tell the stories of the marginalized. Then, through community theatre, I experienced its ability to inspire newfound confidence, to teach teamwork towards a common goal. And, in academia, I learned about the therapeutic roots of theatre.

But my professor would be the first to say, “this is theatre, not therapy” as he was asking you to give up your autonomy for the sake of his creative vision. And community theatre directors have been known to turn casts against each other, playing favorites and instigating insecurities, all while being the only ones in the room getting paid. And uplifting tales of overcoming oppression are often told by performers who have been “beaten down in order to be built back up.”

And, of course, toxic theatre practices are only a byproduct of the larger capitalist, white supremacist system we live in. I am constantly recognizing the ways I have been shaped by these dynamics, and seeking better sources, mentors, and examples for the work I do want to do.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qu_theatr/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmgaffney/

Image Credits

Elise Gaffney