Join us on Thursday, April 23rd 2026, at 7 PM Eastern Time for a workshop with author Jeanann Verlee! Ticket sales for this workshop support Mission Belonging’s year-round free programming.
In theatre, the “fourth wall” refers to the imaginary wall between the actors on stage and the audience. In this workshop, we will examine how performing poetry demands we break that wall to foster intimacy and engage more directly with our audience. We will analyze videos of live performances from various poets, discussing their techniques and impact; we’ll touch on useful vocal warm-ups and relaxation exercises; and we will explore performance strategies using the work of other poets.
Introductory workshop; all skill levels welcome.
Tickets for this special workshop are $25 per participant, and all sales support Mission Belonging’s year‑round free programming. We’re offering unlimited 50% discount codes for Veterans, Service Members, Military Families, Caregivers, and Healthcare Workers. Members of these groups should check their Direct Messages for the coupon code*.
This workshop will be recorded, and a link will be emailed to all ticket holders once the recording is available. The recording will include workshop lessons only; all other participant video will be edited for privacy. Only registered participants will have access to the recorded workshop.
About the Facilitator
Jeanann Verlee is the author of three books: prey, Said the Manic to the Muse; and award-winning Racing Hummingbirds. She has received a National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowship, the Third Coast Poetry Prize, and the Sandy Crimmins National Prize. Her poems and essays are featured in numerous journals, including Academy of American Poets, Adroit, BuzzFeed, and Muzzle, and she has served as editor for several publications, including Winter Tangerine Review and Union Station Magazine, among others. Verlee has performed for hundreds of programs, universities, and conferences, including PBS’s Brief But Spectacular, PEN America, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, NYC Poetry Festival, Word X Word, Split This Rock, The Juilliard School, Princeton, Yale, and more. Verlee is also a copy editor and writing coach working across genres. She has edited several award-winning books and facilitates workshops remotely and at schools, theatres, libraries, bookstores, and dive bars across North America. She collects tattoos and kisses Rottweilers. She believes in you.
