UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 05 FEBRUARY 2016
A graduate from Birmingham School of Acting is encouraging theatregoers to challenge perceptions about body image in her new play, which has its world premiere in Chicago this week.
Actor and playwright Danielle Pinnock from New Jersey studied for her MA in Acting at the Birmingham School of Acting, part of Birmingham City University, before returning to the USA four years ago to carve out a successful career on the stage in Chicago.
Danielle’s play, ‘Body/Courage’, aims to encourage a positive conversation about body image with audience members, removing the shame and silence that is often associated with those who struggle with self-acceptance. By encouraging audiences to see beauty inside themselves, as well as others, ‘Body/Courage’ is also designed to promote discussions around many different topics that encompass body acceptance.
The play originates in Birmingham as part of Danielle’s MA dissertation. For her University research project, she wanted to focus on doing a one-woman play based on the topic of body acceptance, with dialogue that highlighted stories from real women who grew up in an ‘unpopular’ body – something only a few actors have attempted before with such specificity.
The production has since grown to share 20 stories from some 300 interviews that Danielle has personally conducted around the world. Her creative journey has seen her visit pubs in Exeter to the colleges of San Francisco, and the hallways of New Jersey hotels to the most beautiful homes of Ireland.
The stories themselves come from a diverse group of women including a burn survivor, an Afghanistan war veteran and a transgender surgeon, with Danielle using their words to tackle issues such as eating disorders, addiction and sexual abuse.
Danielle’s play also highlights the transformative journey she went on to discover her own beauty.
“Even though I’ve always been the ‘chubby’ girl in school, it has never affected my love and passion to perform. However, this is the first time that I am sharing my own body acceptance journey too, rather than just performing the stories of others. Knowing that my experience could potentially help someone on their own journey to loving their body gave me the courage to tell my story.
“I have been working on the show for five years and it started at Birmingham School of Acting, under the advisory of Lise Olson. Without Birmingham School of Acting this play would still be just an idea. The school challenged me to expand myself as an artist and for that I will always be grateful.”
Since graduating less than four years ago, Danielle has scooped the Chicago Fringe Festival’s 2014 ‘Fringe Pick’ award, as well as the 2013 Best Actress award at the NYC Strawberry Theatre Festival, where her performance of ‘The Body Image Project’ also gained Best Director and Best Play Nominations. Most recently, she appeared in ‘Twist Your Dickens’, the Goodman Theatre’s 2015 Christmas production in Chicago.
Lise Olson, MA in Acting Course Director, Birmingham School of Acting taught Danielle. She said:
“Danielle was a formidable student of acting, whether as an ensemble member in her close cohort or as the titular character in ‘The Marriage of Bette and Boo’ at the Old Rep Theatre in her production module.
“Supervising her research project with its roots in documentary theatre was a special joy, as we were able to work together as she used her acting skills to transform into a variety of characters, each confronting body image issues. She continues to be an inspiration as she gives ‘Body/Courage’ to those struggling with acceptance of body image in all walks of life. Birmingham School of Acting could not be prouder of Danielle and all she has achieved.”
Lise is currently working in the United States with Birmingham School of Acting Principal, Stephen Simms, and they will both get the opportunity to see Danielle’s play this weekend at the Rivendell Theatre Ensemble.
Rivendell fills an important role in the Chicago region as the only Equity theatre dedicated to producing artistically challenging and original plays created by and about women. ‘Body/Courage’ is the first production in the Theatre’s 2016 season – ‘The Body Politic’ – which features bold stories about women choosing to take matters in to their own hands.