Valerie Hager - Performer, story coach, former exotic dancer - Finding your fire and bringing your beast forward

My friend Valerie Hager reminds me that we go to the theater to be woken up and brought back to life. She would know. She’s an award-winning solo show performer and director who’s now a sought after solo show coach. She works through a unifying principle: bring your beast forward. Anything less won’t move an audience. Anything less isn’t real. She talks today about this need for story tellers to crack their hearts open, and the value of radical empathy. She’s learned a lot about human nature. 

 

She used to be a stripper. In Alaska. She mined all of her experiences there for her show “Naked In Alaska” She says there is gold dust under the pain. That underneath it all, we all just want to be seen, forgiven, and held. 

 

[EXPLICIT] A note to listeners: This episode deals with sexuality, drug use, and adult situations. It contains some adult language.

 

Learn more about Valerie's art

Her show Naked in Alaska

Her Insta gives daily inspiration and fierceness

One of her greatest inspirations: Women Who Run With The Wolves

and Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird

We discussed the power of vulnerability like Brene Brown's talk