Dyan Rizzo-Busack

From folktales to original plays, I love stories. 

 

Sharing stories connects people and makes change, whether intentional or not. I aim to make a positive, deliberate impact with each story I work with and create. As a playwright and director, I help audiences connect with performances centered on underprioritized experiences and stories. As an educator, I then provide the tools for them to feel empowered to help others and support their communities. From start to finish, I work with ideas and stories to help make an impact on audiences. Two examples where I have worked towards this model of inspiration and education are Asterglow Theatre and Not Alone.

 

After receiving my MScR from the University of Edinburgh, I formed Asterglow Theatre as an international women and non-binary individual focused theatre company centered on sharing underprioritized perspectives through new writing, storytelling, and education. In 2019, we brought Never None (but She), a 4-star play shortlisted for a Scottish Theatre Award, to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We aim to educate through performances and workshops together while prioritizing a safe environment for artists and audiences. 

 

Not Alone was a weekend of performances and workshops around the issue of sexual assault. We created a supportive environment empowering survivors to express themselves. In this space, audiences took in new perspectives and were given tools to actively support survivors. As I headed workshops and talked with participants, I saw the lasting change the combination of performances and workshops could create.

 

I am currently focused on new projects in storytelling, education, and theatre. I also have experience in the medical field gaining financial and business experience, in academia as a course developer and researcher, and in theatre as a designer and technician. A few of my diverse experiences include:

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• Organized and coordinated throughout a successful business acquisition

• Managing accounts payable for a medical practice for 10+ years

• Integrated storytelling into online courses to make the content memorable and impactful

• Costume designed for 10+ shows bringing a big picture inspired and detail focused lens

• Researched traditional folktales and received a bachelor's degree in Linguistics and Theatre from Swarthmore College

 

I bring the skills I honed in these unique situations into my current work, excelling at problem solving and innovation. Whether I am writing a play, collaborating on a theatre production, or developing a new workshop, I take ideas from formation to final product with an engaged voice. 

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If you have a project you’d like to collaborate on or feel I may be a good fit in your organization or team, please message me!