bedside pediatric theatre
As faculty at Northwestern University (2025 - present) and at the University of Central Florida (2022 - 2025) I developed programs to engage university students with applied theatre for youth at children's hospitals.
tiny trails story company, northwestern university
2025 - present
Tiny Trails Story Company is a Theatre for Young Audiences arts and wellness initiative featuring Northwestern University Theatre students. Tiny Trails Story Company brings portable, participatory theatrical experiences to youth in hospitals, schools, and the broader community. It's mission reads: "We’re on a mission to make magic more accessible through adaptive adventures that bend the definition of theatre to reach every kid. We use theatre as a framework for personalized, child-centered play. We’re committed to building a more joyful, whimsical, and imaginative world — one kid at a time."
genesis
Tiny Trails Story Company launched in Spring 2026 with the course "Bedside Pediatric Theatre," recipient of the 2025 Alumnae Award for Curriculum Innovation. Its its inaugural year, the class produced Let's Go Camping!, previously developed at the University of Central Florida (see below). Students also collaborated with guest artists on a bedside play in development, Color Quest. Students performed at Evanston Hospital, Lurie Children's Hospital, Advocate Children's Hospital, as well as a preschool, outpatient center, community festival, and Kohl Children's Museum. In May 2026, four students from the class attended the national TYA/USA Conference in Atlanta to co-present about their work.
JMG Traveling Theater, University of central florida
2022 - 2025
Through the Jeanette M Gould Traveling Theater, University of Central Florida students bring creative drama and theatre performances to pediatric hospital patients. Its purpose is to promote joy through the power of theatre to young people facing longterm sicknesses or injuries. The JMG Traveling Theater is a partnership between Theatre UCF and the UCF College of Nursing, made possible through the generosity of the Gould Family. I served as its program director from its genesis in 2022 to 2025 during my tenure at UCF.
Press
"Philanthropy Helps Innovative Program Bring Joy to Hospitalized Children." UCF Foundation. 2022.
"UCF theatre program takes children's hospital patients on a trip through the looking glass." Click Orlando. 2023.
"The Best Medicine: UCF Traveling Troupe Brings Joy (and Healing) to Kids in Care." Artistry. 2024.
"Serious Play: Promoting joy and healing through bedside pediatric theatre." TYA Today. 2025.
"UCF theatre program takes children's hospital patients on a trip through the looking glass." Click Orlando. 2023.
"The Best Medicine: UCF Traveling Troupe Brings Joy (and Healing) to Kids in Care." Artistry. 2024.
"Serious Play: Promoting joy and healing through bedside pediatric theatre." TYA Today. 2025.
impact
History
In its inaugural 2022-2023 year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented WONDERLAND, a series of drama-based programming inspired by the Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland series. Youth engaged through our creative drama workshops, scavenger hunt, takeaway tea party activity kit, and interactive performances. Activities were offered in a multiple modes, including virtually and one-on-one, to meet the varying needs of the youth we serve. The year culminated with a touring production of a new play, Alice and the Wonderland Parties, written by UCF alum Sage Tokach and inspired by youth responses gathered during our creative drama activities.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented creative drama workshops about discovering a person's Super Hero Strength; "Unlocking Atlantis," a game-based interactive experience for teens. The program also commissioned the play Let's Go Camping! an interactive bedside performance for 2-5 year olds, written by Nicole B. Adkins and Elizabeth Brendel Horn, lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, music and design by Scottie Rowell, with puppetry and set fabrication by Teller Productions.
During the 2023-2024 academic year, the JMG Traveling Theater presented creative drama workshops about discovering a person's Super Hero Strength; "Unlocking Atlantis," a game-based interactive experience for teens. The program also commissioned the play Let's Go Camping! an interactive bedside performance for 2-5 year olds, written by Nicole B. Adkins and Elizabeth Brendel Horn, lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, music and design by Scottie Rowell, with puppetry and set fabrication by Teller Productions.
This audio version of Let's Go Camping! allows children to relive the adventure, and provides a theatre-based performance to patients in isolation. Based on the play 'Let's Go Camping!' Written by Nicole B. Adkins & Elizabeth Brendel Horn, Lyrics by Nicole B. Adkins, Music by Scottie Rowell. Adapted, Engineered, and Performed by Scottie Rowell. Sound Effects by Pixabay. Learn more about Let's Go Camping!