An Arkansas native, John Brunner (he/him/his) earned a B.A. in Political Science and Theatre from Bucknell University and an M.F.A. in Theatre from Columbia University. Currently, John is the Student Life Coordinator in the Office of Student Life of Columbia University School of Professional Studies. In addition to his full-time work, he is pursuing freelance producing and dramaturgy projects in theatre and film. In his free time, John is an avid cook and theatre-goer who also loves to frequent art museums and travel.
John’s thesis, entitled “Dramaturgical Applications of Shamanic Healing for Social Change”, explored how religious and spiritual traditions, including shamanism, have long been understood as the origins of theatre and the performing arts. While these practices are fundamental to understanding the instinctual, human act of communal storytelling, this history is too often brushed aside in modern artistic practice and arts education. As the theatre industry aims to reform and reorient itself in the post-COVID-19 era, however, shamanism can provide a social, ethical, and artistic blueprint for approaching artistic creation. By better understanding the social healing functions of shamanic ritual, modern theatre-makers can work towards establishing a more socially efficacious institution.