Heather is a performance curator, dramaturg, and producer with extensive experience in research, creative consultation and feedback, grant writing, marketing, and working with/overseeing multidisciplinary teams in academic and cultural institutions.
PRODUCTION DRAMATURG
2023 ReOrient Festival of Short Plays, two short plays: Closure by Arti Ishak and Picture Bride by Judith Strang-Waldau, Golden Thread Productions, San Francisco, CA
2022 The Language of Wild Berries, playwright Naghmeh Samini and director Torange Yeghiazarian, Golden Thread Productions, San Francisco, CA
DANCE DRAMATURG
What does a dance dramaturg do/what can a dance dramaturg offer? See the article in Dance Magazine with Clare Croft (professor and dramaturg) here.
2016 – 2017 The Pleasant Pain with choreographer Aisan Hoss – San Francisco, CA
A full evening work performed in August 2017 exploring the experiences and memories of Iranians born in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution (the “new generation”) and who have immigrated to the SF Bay Area after 2010. My dramaturgical involvement included: practice as research; oral history interviews; textual, visual, and musical research; and choreographic feedback.
2017 Identity Theft with composer and multimedia artist Linda Bouchard - San Francisco, CA
Created and directed by Linda Bouchard in collaboration with dancer-choreographer Aisan Hoss and instrumentalist Kyle Bruckmann. “With dance, live music, electronics, live video and everyday objects, this new work explores the virtual and literal meaning of identity theft” (Bouchard). My dramaturgical involvement included performance / choreographic feedback.
PERFORMANCE CURATION
2016 - 2017 - Performances as part of the Stanford Colloquium on Dance Studies, “Dance on the Move: Migration, Border Zones, and Citizenship” - Stanford University
Curator and organizer of six lectures and performances throughout the 2016–2017 academic year. Performances included Cynthia Ling Lee’s Blood Run and a collaborative performance by Priya Srinivasan, Hannah Schwadron, and Natalie Zervou entitled What’s Left - Stories of Movement & Migration.
2012 Two-day event featuring performance artist Amir Baradaran – UC Berkeley
Marry Me to the End of Love – Participatory performance installation by Baradaran “FutARism: The Possibilities of AR in Art-making” – Lecture by Baradaran
2007 – 2010 Seattle Iranian Festival (annual) – Seattle, WA
Curator, performer coordinator, and lead backstage manager. Recruitment and coordination of local/national dance performers; Liaison between Seattle Center (festival site) and performers in terms of tech needs; Onsite coordinator and backstage manager day of festival; managed 50+ performers (dancers, musicians, poets - adults and children) during festival day