Bridget McCarthy (she/her/they/them)

Bridget McCarthy is an artist, advocate, and Executive Director of the Atlanta Artist Relief Fund. She is a Trauma and Resilience Trainer (CTRT), a Certified Trauma Support Specialist (CTSS) with Trauma Institute International, a Certified Mental Health First Aid instructor with the National Council for Behavioral Health, and is currently training with the North American Drama Therapy Association as a Drama Therapist candidate, as well as pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at New England College. Her solo work has centered around programming that amplifies under-heard voices, including time spent as a staff member and facilitator with Shakespeare Behind Bars. In 2020, they were recognized by Young Nonprofit Professionals of Atlanta as a member of their “30 Under 30” Cohort.

As an actor, Bridget is a resident ensemble member of Stage Door Theatre, and is seen frequently on stages around her beloved chosen home of Atlanta, GA. Nationally, Bridget has appeared with Cincinnati Shakespeare, Elm Shakespeare, Pigeon Creek Shakespeare, and many others. Their original solo show, “Fat Juliet” has toured nationally and features Bridget’s love of stand-up comedy, Shakespeare, AC/DC, and the Lion King.

Mx. Chelsey Morgan (they/them/xe/xem)

Mx. Chelsey Morgan is an Afro-Latinx, Neurodivergent, and Queer sexuality educator, cultural sensitivity specialist, and intimacy director & coordinator. In service of their greater goal to curate trauma-responsive performance and theatrical spaces, they have gained a wealth of training in psychological & physical responses to trauma as well as in the processing of emotional information. Their training includes certifications from Johns Hopkins University in Psychological First Aid (PFA), the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), and the American Red Cross in Adult First Aid/CPR/AED. Chels is a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator (CHSE) via the Institute for Sexuality Education and Enlightenment (ISEE) and has additional training in Sexual Harassment Prevention with the State of Illinois; Bystander Intervention, Conflict De-escalation, Workplace Harassment Intervention, and Implicit Bias awareness with Right to Be (formerly Hollaback!). Xe is guided by intersectional disability justice and transformative justice frameworks developed by black women and black trans scholars who have come before xem. Chelsey is certified by ANTE UP! Professional Development in the history, implementation, and troubleshooting of various justice frameworks related to the sexuality field and has also completed a Transformative Justice & Community Safety self-study led by Spring Up. Chels focuses on building justice-centered and emboldening spaces on screen and stage. Their work as an intimacy director & coordinator specializes in topics of BDSM & Kink, LGBTQ+, Non-monogamy, and scenes of non-consent.

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Tanuja Devi Jagernauth (she/her/hers)

Tanuja Devi Jagernauth is an Indo-Caribbean playwright and dramaturg who believes in the necessity of creation during times of destruction. In 2016, she shifted career paths from Traditional East Asian Medicine to theatre in hopes of practicing four frameworks for collective liberation and wellness: self/community care, harm reduction, trauma-informed practice, and body positivity. You can find some of Tanuja's plays in process on the New Play Exchange.

When she's not writing, Tanuja can often be found walking her dog, Wellington, co-organizing mutual aid projects, and working for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) as their Operations and Just Culture Director.

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Dr. Nisha Sajnani (she/her/hers)

Dr. Nisha Sajnani, RDT-BCT, is the Director of the Program in Drama Therapy and Theatre & Health Lab at NYU. She is also on faculty with the Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma and NYU Abu Dhabi where she developed a trans-disciplinary course entitled ‘Can Art Save Lives?’ Dr. Sajnani is the principal editor of Drama Therapy Review, founder of Arts & Health @ NYU, and a founding member of the World Alliance of Drama Therapy. In her capacity as Chair of the NYU Creative Arts Therapies Consortium and International Research Alliance, she leads a commission to map the evidence for the physical, mental, and social health benefits of the arts and arts therapies for the World Health Organization. Dr. Sajnani has consulted on sustainable creative practice and approaches to wellness in the context of theatre training for the New York Theatre Workshop, Center Theatre Group, TheatreWorks USA, CalArts School of Theatre, and Tisch School of the Arts. An award-winning author, educator, and advocate, her body of work explores the unique ways in which aesthetic experience can inspire care and collective human flourishing across the lifespan.

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