About

Theater Between

Our theater is not an art organization or a permanent ensemble of artists; rather, it is a fluid site of exploration, experimentation and research into the nature of the performance that chooses happenings, ritual, committed solo work and the rhythms of the natural world as its main field of activity, exploring performance as the fundamental energy of human and non-human expressivity.

Our Mission

We live in a time of heightened anxiety about the state of our world marooned in old stories of separation, aberrant individualism, conquest and dominion. As theater artists, we address this crisis through the medium of performance whose essence is relationship: the in-between. This relationship comes into being within our living biosphere whose role is central to any performative act. We believe that we need to release the old stories that keep us shackled to malfunctioning ideologies, and create new myths rooted in the interconnectedness of all life. We call upon the ancient paradigm of the microcosm, in which the human body enfolds and reflects the universe, applying that paradigm to the performer's body and to the theater itself, regarding both as cosmic. We see that paradigm as an antidote to the prevailing ethos of separation. We believe that through performance we can re-enact our world anew by harnessing the power of imagination and summoning the potency of wild nature.

Aleksandra Wolska - Founder / Artistic Director
Aleksandra is a theater artist, writer, educator, filmmaker and performance scholar. She holds an MFA in Directing (Boston University) and a Ph.D. in Dramatic Criticism (Stanford University). Her directorial credits range from originally devised productions to plays by Shakespeare, Strindberg and Beckett; most notably, she directed all wear bowlers (Drama Desk Nomination) and machines machines machines machines machines machines machines machines (Obie Award) with Rainpan 43, which showed at HereArts in NYC and in other national and international venues. As a filmmaker, she wrote and co-directed the documentary The Heart of a Bell which premiered at Pacific Rim Film Festival. Formerly an Assistant Professor of Theater Arts at the University of Minnesota, Aleksandra is an independent scholar working on a book I Am Theater: the Cosmic Art of Acting as well as on The Performer (film and play), The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts (multimedia performance) and on Theater Between, a site of para-theatrical and theatrical activities. She works and lives in Santa Cruz.

Michelle Stransky - Producer / Creator
Michelle Stransky is the founder of Kinvene Collaborative and GrowingVillage, platforms dedicated to fostering community, connection, and transformational growth. As a multimedia producer and manager, Michelle has led a variety of projects, including podcasts, courses, book launches, and events. Prior to founding Kinvene, Michelle served as Conference Director at Wisdom 2.0, where she spearheaded global gatherings of over 2,000 thought leaders, innovators, and changemakers. She also founded WisdomWomen, a community-driven initiative focused on transformational collaboration. Michelle’s strategic foundation stems from a decade-long career as a Booz Allen Hamilton consultant, where she worked with high-profile clients such as NASA and Wells Fargo. Her experience as an Executive Coach further enhances her ability to guide and empower projects with a balance of precision and insight. A skilled bridge-builder and intuitive organizer, Michelle takes a holistic approach to creating spaces where individuals and groups can thrive, cultivating meaningful connection and fostering collective transformation.