Jessica Cerullo is a theater-based, social practice artist and educator. She grounds her work in a variety of somatic and contemplative practices. Her collaborative projects create intimate experiences that court the unexpected and invite the revelation of poetry into our every day. Together with artist Tia Kramer, she launched "The Ships in the Night,” a living archive that reclaims and reframes pandemic experiences. She is the author of the book, "Some Stranger Somewhere" which documents the archive, weaving oral history, theater, and poetry, asking “what do you want (your community) to remember?” The project is a call for, and an example of, the creative power of listening carefully to the voices of strangers. From 2009 to 2019 Jessica taught at Whitman College in Washington where she was Associate Professor of Theater. While there she initiated many socially and civically engaged projects working with Sojourn Theater and the Center for Performance and Civic Practice. She launched the listening line "Hear Here Walla Walla" to map community through stories from immigrant and first generation Walla Walla residents and co-founded the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition's Colectivo de Arte Social. Jessica serves as the Artistic Director of MICHA, the Michael Chekhov Association, an educational organization for professional artists and educators rooted in a psychophysical approach to acting and performance. She earned her MFA in Contemporary Performance from Naropa University, her BA in Communications from Hofstra University. Her recent work has been supported by the CT office of the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Center for Performance and Civic Practice. She lives in Stonington Connecticut. The Ships in the Night website can be found HERE ***********Your hosts of Are You Waiting for Permission? are Meridith Grundei and Joseph Bennett. They're friends, co-hosts, actors, improvisers, and coaches. She lives in NYC and coaches actors, business professionals, and presenters to fully engage with their audience, and themselves. She also mentors young actors and directors. He lives in San Miguel de Allende, México, and coaches artists and other creative beings about the beautiful business of art — and life. You can find Meridith: Meridith Grundei the performer artist gal. Or if you are looking to be a more confident and credible speaker, please reach out to Meridith here at Meridith Grundei CoachingYou can find Joseph at Joseph Bennett the artist/coach extraordinaire*Special thanks to Amy Shelley and Gary Grundei of high fiction for letting us use their music for the Are You Waiting for Permission? podcast.And... while the podcast is free, it's not cheap. We'd be thrilled to have your support on PATREONThank you.