Trauma and Resilience Panel:

Conversations on Going to the Tough Places and Coming Out Whole for Writers, Performers, and Directors

The Marsh San Francisco Studio Theater

with Panelists:
David Ford
Jody Yeary PhD
Kristen Cosby
Rebecca Fisher
Brian Copeland

Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 4:00 pm

Ticket Information

Tickets: $25 – $35 General Seating | $50 & $100 Reserved Seating

2 hours | No intermission | Ages 14+

(Please do not bring infants to the show)

Online ticket sales close 2 hours before each performance.
Additional tickets may be available for purchase at the door.

About the Conversation

“A year and a half ago Kristen Cosby, an accomplished writer, was in a class on solo performance – a class of the kind I’ve been teaching for thirty five years. Also in the class was Psychologist and expert on the treatment of trauma, Jody Yeary. Kristen was telling a fascinating but disturbing story of being essentially imprisoned with her brother in a boat by their parents. One day she recounted a particularly hair-raising section. As usual the writing was excellent but I asked her (I hope with compassion) to do what directors are always asking performers to do – to go deeper in the performance. Kristen did and it was very powerful, but later, after Kristen had left the class Jody turned to me and said, “She’s not coming back.” That possibility had not occurred to me despite my thirty-five years of experience.

But Jody was right.” -David Ford

Writers and performers are constantly asked to delve into their deepest and most painful experiences in order to bring audiences the most honest story possible. What happens in the body when someone relives trauma? What risks do performers take with their mental health?

What can artists do to try to protect their mental health? Are there any risks that are unavoidable? Are there aspects of being an artist that are positive for mental health? What can collaborators do to help writers and performers stay reasonably safe?

These are the kind of questions Trauma and Resilience will try to answer. Jody and David will conduct three conversations. The first will be with Kristen Cosby speaking from her own experience but also hearing that of David, her collaborator and Jody, a mental health care professional who was present at the time. The second will be with Rebecca Fisher, who wrote her own solo show about the brutal murder of her mother but has also worked as a director, lately with people from the Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project. And the last conversation will be with Brian Copeland, one of the most successful solo performers in America, someone who has had severe mental health problems but also someone who has written and performed extensively about those experiences.

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