Maridee Slater

I was born in the desert, and my name means “of the sea.” I’m a slippery fish. I move easily between worlds. I’m a builder-artist, and sometimes I make with my hands (I’ve been a painter and a fabricator), sometimes I make with my head (as a director and producer), sometimes with my body (as a choreographer and performer), and often I make by encouraging, prodding, and cheerleading others to realize their creative potential. Always I make with my heart and an unstoppable enthusiasm—I have mountains of it.

When I believe in something, I invest my whole being to inspiring the fullest realization of its promise. I am endlessly scheming up new ways of working, approaching each room with the knowledge that the best ideas will come from those around me.

My job as a director and a leader is to cultivate an environment where big, bold ideas can manifest and flourish. I do that by building trust (in me, in each other, and in our own guts), encouraging rigor, and advocating for adventure. I live by the idea that theatre is, in fact, always all around us. We just have to roll up our sleeves and pant legs and get a little dirty. I’m happiest making new work with ensembles of rabble-rousing young people, in unexpected places, and in service of activism and awareness.

If I ever come to fully understand something, my heart will surely break.

Art-A-Whirl

Art-A-Whirl Main Page

Maridee Slater is open on Friday, Saturday & Sunday of Art-A-Whirl weekend.

You can schedule a meeting and meet on-site.