Amy Oestreicher

Amy Oestreicher

Amy Oestreicher is a PTSD Specialist, Audie award-nominated playwright, performer, and multidisciplinary creator. Amy overcame a decade of trauma to become a sought-after trauma-informed teaching artist, author, writer for The Huffington Post, international keynote speaker, RAINN representative, and health advocate. She has given three TEDx Talks on transforming trauma through creativity, and her story has appeared on NBC’s Today, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen Magazine, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, and MSNBC, among others. A singer, librettist, and visual mixed media artist, she dedicates her work to celebrating everyday miracles, untold stories, and the detours in life that can spark connection and transform communities. Amy has toured her autobiographical musical, Gutless & Grateful, to over 200 venues from 54 Below to Barrington Stage Company since its 2012 NYC debut, as well as a mental health program for colleges, conferences and organizations. She is currently developing her full-length play, Flicker and a Firestarter, which just had its first AEA Staged Reading, and More Than Ever Now, a play based on her grandmother's story of survival. She most recently premiered her one-woman multimedia musical, Passageways, at HERE Arts Center, for which she created music, book, lyrics, and artwork.

As the 2014 Eastern Regional Recipient of Convatec’s Great Comebacks Award and WEGO Health  “Health Activist Hero”, and WeGO Health Expert, medical community, speaking for National WOCN conferences and the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, and writing for the official print publication of the UOAA.  She has devised programming for the Transformative Language Arts Network National Conference, the Eating Recovery Foundation, the 40th Anniversary New England Educational Opportunity Association Milestones Conference, three Annual National Mental Health America Conferenceand others. She has been the featured keynote speaker for national conferences including the Pacific Rim Conference of Diversity and Disability, the International School of Social Work Conference, and Women of Resilience.

As a playwright, Amy has received awards and accolades for engaging her audiences in dynamic conversation on trauma’s effects on society, including Women Around Town’s “Women to Celebrate” 2014, BroadwayWorld “Best Theatre Debut,”  Bistro Awards “New York Top Pick, and the “Singular Award” at the Sarasolo Theatre Festival, presented annually for a “performance that is exceptionally uncommon, groundbreaking, original and inventive.” Amy has performed excerpts of her solo oral history Play, Divers, as part of Brooklyn's immigrants and Exile, Beechwood Art's Giving Voice, Dixon Place, Seekonk Storytelling Television Special, and Museum of Jewish Heritage Festival of Untold Women. She is a cabaret and theatre reviewer for BroadwayWorld, Her theatre education essays and monologues have been published in Creative Pedagogy journals, as part of a theatre curriculum for high school students in the Philippines. Her play, "We Re-Member" honoring the immigration stories of her grandparents, has been performed in twelve states, amd her full-length Play, Factory Treasure, has been performed at the Philadelphia Arts Center, Identity Theatre, LIU, The Depot, and Actors Theatre of Newburyport. Her short plays have been published by the Eddy Theatre Company and finalists in Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Short Play Festival, as well as NYC Playwright’s Women in the Age of Trump.

Amy’s collaboration with Beechwood Arts on the immersion salon, “Resilience and the Power of the Human Spirit”, has traveled around the world to health and arts facilities as a public installation, incorporating her monologues, art, writing and recipes to express the life-altering detours and ultimately the invaluable gifts of her resilient journey.  Amy is also an active artist and teacher in the Jewish community, being honored by United Way in 2005 for her music programs at Hollander House, completing artist residencies at Art Kibbutz, and delivering “Hope, Resilience & Biblical Women” keynotes for synagogues and religious schools.  She is a teaching artist with Brooklyn's Community World Project, and trained ACTSmart, a Playback Theatre troupe in Amherst, MA.  She is also a passionate arts education advocate, a successful mixed media visual artist, a continuing education studio arts teacher, and her artwork has been shown in esteemed galleries in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Chicago, San Diego and New York, as well as published in national publications including Conquer, Topology and Cargo Literary. She has recently published her memoir, My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful. See more at www.amyoes.com.

 

 

 






MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

BWW Feature: GIVING VOICE TO UNTOLD STORIES: Why World Puppetry Day Matters
BWW Feature: GIVING VOICE TO UNTOLD STORIES: Why World Puppetry Day Matters
March 12, 2021

It’s hard to believe that COVID has darkened our theatres for nearly a year. So, why is puppetry more important than ever right now to bring us together through story, entertainment, and a fusion of performance art forms?

BWW Interview: Ryan Shaw on Imagining Marvin, Artistry in a Pandemic, and Going Forward with Live Music
BWW Interview: Ryan Shaw on Imagining Marvin, Artistry in a Pandemic, and Going Forward with Live Music
December 15, 2020

Ryan Shaw discusses his new album, Imagining Marvin, and the role he feels artists can play right now in a time of social justice and a global pandemic. How can true artistry engage us and drive a society towards inclusion and positive change? Can Gaye's music help us get there?

BWW Feature: DEFYING GRAVITY: BROADWAY'S FLIGHT INTO THE UNKNOWN
BWW Feature: DEFYING GRAVITY: BROADWAY'S FLIGHT INTO THE UNKNOWN
July 2, 2020

As Broadway extends its shutdown, how do we move forward? Can we take risks of adventure that defy gravity, beat the odds and still bring us together? While listening to a recording of a?oeAn Evening with Sutton Foster - Live at the Café Carlylea?? recorded in 2011, I couldn't help but smile at the element of a?oedangera?? Foster used in her show. It's the exact element of danger and risk we need right now to keep musical theatre alive and vital.

BWW Interview: Avery Sommers in FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS at Laurie Beechman Theatre
BWW Interview: Avery Sommers in FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS at Laurie Beechman Theatre
October 16, 2019

Avery Sommers has had a fantastic career so far, appearing on Broadway in Ain't Misbehavin', Show Boat, Chicago, and Platinum. Now, the versatile performer makes her New York solo debut in an extraordinary collection from the Great American Songbook. In this BWW Exclusive Interview, Sommers talks about the inspiration behind For Sentimental Reasons.

BWW Interview: Edward Einhorn on PERFORMANCE FOR ONE at Chashama
BWW Interview: Edward Einhorn on PERFORMANCE FOR ONE at Chashama
September 4, 2019

Performance for One is a one-on-one performance event written and directed by Edward Einhorn, presented in 10 minute slots at venues across Manhattan. The performance is about memory, but even more so, it is about relationship between performer, audience member, and author. BWW sits down with Einhorn to learn about his 'Theater of Ideas.'

BWW Interview: Daniel C. Levine of WORKING at A Contemporary Theatre Of Connecticut
BWW Interview: Daniel C. Levine of WORKING at A Contemporary Theatre Of Connecticut
February 27, 2019

For a new theatre, A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut is certainly ahead of its time, with its reimagined rendition of Working, a musical from Stephen Schwartz ('Wicked,' 'Pippin,' 'Godspell').  'Working' celebrates our search for meaning and satisfaction in everyday life. Daniel C. Levine, ACT's artistic director has worked with Schwartz to adapt Working to the town Ridgefield, incorporating local stories of the working lives of its community members. Levine discussed his bold new take on this extraordinary work.

BWW Review: THE NEUROLOGY OF THE SOUL at A.R.T./New York's Jeffrey And Paula Gural Theatre 502 W. 53rd Street (at 10th Ave)
BWW Review: THE NEUROLOGY OF THE SOUL at A.R.T./New York's Jeffrey And Paula Gural Theatre 502 W. 53rd Street (at 10th Ave)
February 16, 2019

The Neurology of the Soul is the latest work by playwright-director Edward Einhorn. The play is a stimulating blend of science, love and art all in one night of unforgettable theatre.

BWW Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Star Hailey Kilgore Shines In Her Solo Debut at Feinstein's/54 Below
BWW Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND Star Hailey Kilgore Shines In Her Solo Debut at Feinstein's/54 Below
February 6, 2019

Having made her Broadway debut in 2017 as Ti Moune in ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, the audience cheered Hailey Kilgore as she ran onstage at Feinstein's/54 Below in a green, flowing dress for her opening number, 'The Wizard and I,' announcing in song this is what she's 'waited for since birth!' Making her solo debut on Jan. 30, her enthusiasm was infectious, her voice shimmered through each sustained note, and even those who knew her seemed surprised at the volume and strength that carried each song.

BWW Interview: Jessica Molaskey Talks Recent Album PORTRAITS OF JONI And Her Latest Return To Cafe Carlyle With Husband John Pizzarelli
BWW Interview: Jessica Molaskey Talks Recent Album PORTRAITS OF JONI And Her Latest Return To Cafe Carlyle With Husband John Pizzarelli
November 7, 2017

When husband-and-wife duo John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey make their annual fall pilgrimage to Caf Carlyle with an all-new show, THE LITTLE THINGS YOU DO TOGETHER (running November 7-18), they'll be including songs from Ant nio Carlos Jobim, Stephen Sondheim, and, of course, Joni Mitchell.

BWW Review: A.J. Lambert Honors Sinatra's Legacy with Humility, Grace, and All-Star Vocals at Feinstein's/54 Below
BWW Review: A.J. Lambert Honors Sinatra's Legacy with Humility, Grace, and All-Star Vocals at Feinstein's/54 Below
September 30, 2017

A.J. Lambert, as the granddaughter of Frank Sinatra, is not intimidated at all in singing through the entirety of IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS, a pioneering concept album released by Sinatra in 1955 exploring heartbreak (including a torturous breakup with his second wife, Ava Gardner) with all songs handpicked by the artist himself, during a time when a label would tell a singer what to record. Last month at Feinstein's/54 Below, Lambert told tales of growing up with her grandfather and paid tribute to a highly-esteemed album with an incredible story behind it, with reverence, soul, and jazzy musicality.

BWW Interview: Rick Dildine, Christopher Ashley, Blake Robison, Jim Petosa, And Anne Hamburger - Can Theatre Turn Humanity Into Heroes? Five Artistic Directors Tell All
BWW Interview: Rick Dildine, Christopher Ashley, Blake Robison, Jim Petosa, And Anne Hamburger - Can Theatre Turn Humanity Into Heroes? Five Artistic Directors Tell All
August 5, 2017

An exclusive interview with Artistic Directors Rick Dildine, Christopher Ashley, Blake Robison, Jim Petosa, and Anne Hamburger for their insights on theatre's role in society today.

BWW Review: AMERIKE - THE GOLDEN LAND at Folksbiene
BWW Review: AMERIKE - THE GOLDEN LAND at Folksbiene
July 10, 2017

103 seasons and going strong - and not just because of nostalgia. The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene has reimagined 'Amerike - The Golden Land', the 1984 musical by Zalmen Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld, appropriately running near Ellis Island. Weaving incredible stories with fantastic songs, multimedia and choreography, the show creates a dynamic portrayal of the Jewish people who immigrated to the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, much like my own grandparents.

BWW Review: Brian Stokes Mitchell Plays With Music in a Captivating Night of Hope and Joy
BWW Review: Brian Stokes Mitchell Plays With Music in a Captivating Night of Hope and Joy
June 27, 2017

Brian Stokes Mitchell is a man of many talents. He's a stage and film veteran with the most glorious baritone voice. The gifted actor took the stage at Feinstein's/54 Below on his own for the first time this month with a concert of songs, mainly from his forthcoming album PLAYING WITH MUSIC.

BWW Interview: Kim Weild of SOOT AND SPIT at New Ohio Theatre
BWW Interview: Kim Weild of SOOT AND SPIT at New Ohio Theatre
June 15, 2017

'soot and spit' has already received rave reviews from the New York Times, and Kim Weild, the director behind this ambitious new work, shared her "insider" perspective of the outsider art piece.

Exclusive BWW Interview: David Winitsky & Creative Team of JEWISH PLAYS PROJECT at 14th Street Y
Exclusive BWW Interview: David Winitsky & Creative Team of JEWISH PLAYS PROJECT at 14th Street Y
June 14, 2017

'Why is this night different from all other nights?'  The Jewish Plays Project is known for putting bold, progressive Jewish conversations on world stages.  It made this Jewish playwright's dreams come true to do some 'kibbitzing' with the creative team of JPP's newest work.

BWW Review: Melissa Errico Sings Sondheim Like Never Before at Feinstein's/54 Below
BWW Review: Melissa Errico Sings Sondheim Like Never Before at Feinstein's/54 Below
June 13, 2017

In Melissa Errico's latest show, MELISSA ERRICO SINGS SONDHEIM, at the famed Feinstein's/54 Below, she may have performed some of the composer's must oversung showstoppers, but it felt as though the audience was hearing them for the first time.

BWW Interview: Thom Fogarty of THE PULSE PROJECT at Judson Church
BWW Interview: Thom Fogarty of THE PULSE PROJECT at Judson Church
June 6, 2017

Completing the Circle:  360Rep Co, Raises Awareness for Gays Against Guns with The Pulse Project Premiere By Amy Oestreicher

BWW Interview: Alex Vlahov Shares Secrets from A SIMPLE ART at  777 Theater
BWW Interview: Alex Vlahov Shares Secrets from A SIMPLE ART at 777 Theater
June 2, 2017

The Neo-Futurists talk Art, Suspense, Mystery, and their exciting new true-crime documentary, A Simple Art.

BWW Review: 'Daring to Be Happy' THE MARRIAGE OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein is a Thrilling Exploration of Identity
BWW Review: 'Daring to Be Happy' THE MARRIAGE OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein is a Thrilling Exploration of Identity
May 20, 2017

'There ain't no answer. There ain't gonna be any answer. There never has been an answer. That's the answer.' -Gertrude Stein

BWW Review: CABARET IN CAPTIVITY Pays Tribute to Victims of the Holocaust Through a Profound Night of Musical Escapism and Reflection
BWW Review: CABARET IN CAPTIVITY Pays Tribute to Victims of the Holocaust Through a Profound Night of Musical Escapism and Reflection
May 2, 2017

Alice Sommer Herz, the world's oldest living Holocaust survivor and a prolific concert pianist, once said, 'Music saved my life, and Music saves me still.' On Yom Hashoah, a day devoted to honoring the lives lost in the Holocaust, a group of artists visited Pangea to pay tribute to souls saved through music, the strong men and women of the concentration camps, and the resilience of the human spirit.



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