This is a free, all-ages workshop. Advanced registration is required. Participants are encouraged to join us for a half hour before and after the event for optional conversation and social time. 

Click here to register. 

Fear is central to our human experience, a powerful force that extends beyond our individual lives into political and cultural realms. In an uncertain world, the opportunities for fear to take root and spread are infinite. In this workshop, we take a non-judgmental approach to fear, viewing it not as our enemy—but as a catalyst for self-discovery and transformation.

Join theater artist and director Bobby Bermea and author and justice worker Rene Denfeld for an interactive workshop that brings our fear into focus. As artists and activists, Bobby and Rene are familiar with fear. In this session, they'll share stories and insights to prompt an examination of this most basic feeling: What role does fear play in our private and public lives? What barriers does it create? What dangers are posed when fear becomes codified into laws and other policies? And perhaps most importantly, how do we move beyond fear to co-create new possibilities in our lives and communities?

Drawing from liberatory frameworks including restorative justice, Michael Rohd and Sojourn Theatre, and Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, Bobby and Rene will help us experiment with movement-based techniques to navigate the fears that hinder us. Participants will leave feeling more empowered to use fear as a stepping stone for making greater changes in their own lives and beyond. 

Venue and workshop details

• Historic Alberta House is a wheelchair-accessible venue, with an entrance ramp
• There is no parking lot, but street parking is available near the venue. 
• This venue has three unisex ADA-accessible restrooms on the first floor. 
• Public transportation: This venue can be accessed by the 17 and 72 bus routes.
• About half of this workship's duration will involve various movement-based activities and exercises. Participants are encouraged to engage however they are most comfortable. Seating will be available throughout the workshop.
• There will be 1-2 breaks throughout the workshop. Participants are encouraged to break as needed for their own comfort.
• Complimentary beverages and light snacks will be provided. 
• Please contact r.medina@oregonhumanities if you have specific requests for accommodations or concerns about any aspect of participating in this workshop.

About the presenters
 

Rene Denfeld is the internationally bestselling author of four novels, including The Enchanted, The Child Finder, and Sleeping Giants. Her novels have won many prestigious literary awards, including a French Prix du Premier Roman Etranger, an ALA Medal for Excellence listing, a Carnegie listing, and more. In addition, her essays have appeared widely, including in the New York Times. The former Chief Investigator at a public defense office, Rene has worked as a licensed investigator for over fifteen years, exonerating innocents as well as helping hundreds of others, including rape trafficking victims. In 2017 the New York Times named Rene a hero of the year, and she was awarded the Break The Silence award in Washington, DC. She lives in Portland, where she is the happy parent to several kids from foster care. Rene loves helping others, including those who are eager to become more artistically and politically engaged.

Bobby Bermea is an award-winning actor, director, writer and producer. He is co-artistic director of The Beirut Wedding World Theatre Project, part of the leadership body of Sojourn Theatre and long-time member of Actors Equity Association. Bermea has appeared in theaters from New York, NY, to Honolulu, HI. As a resident of Portland, he’s performed at Portland Center Stage, Artists Repertory Theatre, Portland Playhouse, Profile Theatre, Milagro, Sojourn Theatre, Cygnet Productions, Tygre’s Heart, Shaking-the-Tree and Life in Arts Productions, and has won four Drammy awards. As a director he’s worked at Beirut Wedding, BaseRoots Theatre, Profile Theatre, Theatre Vertigo and Northwest Classical, and was a Drammy finalist. He’s the author of the plays Heart of the City, Saint Heroin, Mercy and Rocket Man. Bermea has also done extensive work with youth especially of underserved populations through Actors-to-Go at Artists Repertory Theatre, Higher Stages with Tears of Joy, the Haven Project, Playwrite, Inc., Young Audiences, Portland Youth Builders, the Cordero House.