UAB Arts in Medicine Presents Theatre, A Caretaker of Grief

Dane Peterson, an interdisciplinary theatre artist with over 35 years of professional experience, is a beacon of transformation in the arts community. His roles as an actor, director, playwright, stage manager, producer, and educator, combined with his position as Director for ArtPlay at the UAB Center for the Arts, have enabled him to champion new works and transformative storytelling. His practice, which delves into grief, resilience, and the divine, is a testament to the power of courageous, heart-centered theatre. In this VMHM, we will discuss Peterson’s original work, Primogeniture, a transformative journey that draws from his personal experience with illness and healing, creating spaces for reflection and connection.

Dane Peterson, an interdisciplinary theatre artist with over 35 years of professional experience, is a beacon of transformation in the arts community. His roles as an actor, director, playwright, stage manager, producer, and educator, combined with his position as Director for ArtPlay at the UAB Center for the Arts, have enabled him to champion new works and transformative storytelling. His practice, which delves into grief, resilience, and the divine, is a testament to the power of courageous, heart-centered theatre. Peterson’s original work, Primogeniture, is a transformative journey that draws from his personal experience with illness and healing, creating spaces for reflection and connection. In his MFA thesis, Peterson shares a deeply personal insight, noting that, “with a seismic shift in society following the COVID-19 pandemic, we are more attuned to our mental health and need for community. But what if that community doesn’t know how to be a community and support its members, particularly in times of grief and loss? Theatre, a Caretaker of Grief, is my journey to understand personal and collective grief in modern times, as well as the cathartic role that theatre can play in this process. The concepts of metabolizing, ritualizing, and praising grief; reconnecting with our villages; and creativity as a conduit to the Divine serve as the foundation of my work.” This personal journey is what makes Peterson’s work so engaging and relatable.

In this Mental Health Monday program, Peterson will offer insights into his journey from interpreting others’ creative work to creating work for others to interpret. As he states in his MFA thesis: “At one time, I was determined that writing for the stage was not what I needed to be doing. I found it to be too challenging, too vulnerable, and too revealing. But, that was then, in my previous life – now was the time to write my script – with the newfound knowledge, inspiration, and beauty that my heartache gifts.” Peterson’s work is not just about his personal journey, but also about the communities he has been a part of. He has collaborated with notable organizations such as Intelochen Center for the Arts, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Samford University, Indian Springs School, Red Mountain Theatre, the Southern AIDS Coalition, Birmingham-Southern College, and John Carroll Catholic High School, among others. These collaborations have allowed him to develop programming that amplifies the voices of marginalized individuals in the American South. A native of Birmingham, Mr. Peterson has also lived and worked in New York City. He is committed to making theatre a sacred space for empathy, dialogue, and change, and his collaborative approach ensures that everyone is included in this journey.