“UNTITLED, I, HELEN KELLER” was an experimental dance/poetry piece created with my husband, Charley Parden, that explores our relationship through the fictional romance between Helen Keller (played by me) and her first teacher, Anne Sullivan (played by Charley). There was no set, aside from a set of candles. Charley wore all black and I wore all white. The story was told through a series of vignettes weaving together scenes of pop music, poetic monologue, and experimental dance which peak at an emotional improvisational dialogue about my struggle with infertility and his struggle with mental health. As we straddled the line between playing characters and ourselves, the piece challenged the viewer to question what was fact or fiction. Twice within the show we asked the audience for feedback, making sure they were fully present throughout the entire hour.

My interest in this story stems from a place of feeling unseen, unheard, and often misunderstood in both my marriage and the art world at large.