We recently connected with Kristy Pace and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kristy, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I had a long journey to find my purpose. When I was younger I always loved theatre, but I thought I’d be a lawyer and then a Senator, because I kept being told that theatre could not be a real job. When I went to college I studied pre-law and theatre and then went on to Law School. After one year in law school I realized I couldn’t imagine myself as a lawyer, the only thing I could see myself doing was pro-bono work for theaters and that seemed like a reason to leave law school. I immediately transferred to Emerson College to earn my MA in Theatre and there I was given a chance to study Theatre of the Oppressed with Augusto Boal and Playback Theatre with Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas. My life was changed, I knew that Social Justice Theatre, Theatre in Community and Theatre Education was my calling. I wanted to be a lawyer and a Senator to make an impact in the world and through theatre I had an even bigger opportunity to do that. No one ever told theatre wasn’t a “real” job again and it has NEVER felt like a job at all. It fills my heart and connects me to all beings.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I work as a Theatre Artist and that means many things, no two days are ever the same. Some days I teach theatre in schools and community centers or coach teachers to integrate the arts into Math, Science, Social Studies and ELA. Other days, I do Voice Overs for movies and books; Perform with People’s Playback Theater; share TO; or facilitate community circles or retreats for Social Emotional Well Being. Sometimes, I lead theatre workshops in recovery groups, group homes and Assisted Living/Senior Centers. In the summertime, I run Musical Theatre Workshops for children and we produce a new show every week for 8 weeks in a row, we just celebrated our 26th summer. When I’m not doing one of these things, I work as a beekeeper and volunteer with the Soil Sponge Collective. This last bit may seem odd or disconnected, but like Social Justice, Environmental Justice is a huge part of my life. I love theatre because there is room in it for everyone’s story and that includes more than human beings and Mother Earth. In the past few years, I have been exploring Joanna Macy’s “Work That Reconnects” and it ties this all together through story and deep ecology; giving voice to the “voiceless” through imagination and awakening our sense of oneness. This inspires so much of my work. The theater I share comes from a “Me to We” philosophy rooted in being as one and not separate, creating space and time for all stories to be shared.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Flexibility, my path was not direct, it curved and flexed and I followed my heart to this life that I love so much.
Empathy, your pain is my pain, your joy is my joy. I live to share in the human and non human experiences around me.
Curiousity, in my heart I will always be 6 years old. I am eager to learn, try, fail, try again and surrender to awe and wonder.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
They let me be free. There was a forest, a lake and a river behind our home (92 acres of woods that the town owned and about 12 children in the neighborhood). They let us play in the forest all day, we made up games and stories, met all the forest plants, trees, birds, bugs and other animals and connected with each other deeply. My Grandmother also lived with us and taught us the names of every plant and showed us how important each one was to our ecosystem. And as I grew older they all supported me when my curiosity led me down many paths, they showed up for every show, game and event. When I left law school they weren’t sure it was the right decision but they supported my decision.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.peoplesplayback.com www.impactgatherings.com www.pocketfulloftales.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kvpsummer/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
