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Meet Lauren Powell, Actor & Playwright in Ukrainian Village

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Powell.

Lauren, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After graduating from the theatre school at Northern Illinois University, I moved to Chicago and began working as an actor. While pursuing commercial, print, & TV work, it became crucial for me to create art that I felt was not only for entertainment, but to elevate voices around important social issues. In 2015, I began interviewing women on their experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and rape culture in general. Their stories were the groundwork for a play that is now known as “The Condition of Femme.” The play tells the story of a sexual assault support line worker who becomes a gentle guide for women-identified persons dealing with sexual violence. When a line crosses between intimacy & advocacy, she risks loosing herself to the injustice of it all. The development of this play hosted fundraisers for local women’s health centers, as well as open discussions around the topic, access to support, etc. Shortly after the eruption of the #metoo movement (among many others) “Femme” saw it’s world premier with Circle Theatre in March of 2018. I was fortunate to perform the role of my lead character, Reagan, in a cast of 12 incredible women. Since the close of the show, adaptations are being made with the hopes of a tour format. I have continued to focus heavily on women’s health both artistically and in my personal endeavors as an instructor & doula. It has been an enlightening journey to see how my art can not only continue to inform my life, but also connect with the community around me.

Has it been a smooth road?
Looking back, it feels like I got everything I could have hoped for… but the truth is the journey provided plenty of setbacks. Now, I see that those potholes were exactly what I needed to get to where I am. The inspiration for the play came at a moment when I was feeling particularly futile about my career & ability to have a real impact. For the first 2 years of writing, it didn’t feel like something “successful,” it was just something I had to keep working on. I applied & got turned down for multiple grants, but continued to seek ways of giving “Femme” a platform. In the spring of 2017, after a 3-month workshop series, we were underfunded & trying to find a larger audience for these stories. The director of the show, Amanda Long, and I were close to deconstructing the show to a much-condensed version when Circle Theatre reached out about the script.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lauren Powell; Actor & Playwright – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
My main career is as an actor & playwright. I have been doing commercial & film work here in Chicago for the past 6 years. I feel that my passion for social issues, and specifically advocacy for women’s health, can inform the work that I create. We, as a society, need to see more strong, dynamic, female characters. We need to hear more true & untold stories on important issues. We need to hold space for people’s struggle as much as their successes. This is true in art as it is in our interpersonal life. A large focus of my art is based on movement, breath, and body training. I have been able to use these skills outside of my artistic life, where I practice as a Barre Instructor and Birth Doula. Both of these endeavors allow for me to be an advocate for women, their body, and their voice. I feel so fortunate that I have been able to blend my desire for social change, with my artistic career.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The thing I like best about Chicago is the people. I have learned so much just talking to strangers. Your new best friend might be at the next bus stop. I love hearing people’s stories, where they came from, why they are here. It gives me such a great perspective on how many different ways there are to think & live.
My least favorite thing about Chicago is how quickly a neighborhood can change & gentrify. I know that I have been a beneficiary of this, but it makes me sad to see neighborhoods where small businesses were able to thrive getting taken over by large companies or restaurants that don’t look to make themselves accessible to a community around them… and then the community changes to match the businesses. I wish there could be more effort to help build up existing neighborhoods, instead of erasing & replacing them.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:

Ian McLaren, Cody Jolly, Christina Hahn

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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