About
Olivia specializes in designing and delivering community-engaged projects, programs, and theatrical experiences that promote and support collaboration and improvisation.
Olivia Hartle, PhD (she/her) is a learning leader and theatre artist whose professional and artistic work is grounded in community engagement and the power of collaborative creativity. Olivia earned her PhD in Community Engagement from Point Park University. In her dissertation, titled A Phenomenological Exploration of Theatrical Improvisation and Its Potential to Operate as a Cultural Therapeutics, Olivia conducted a qualitative phenomenological research study of the lived phenomenal experience of theatrical improvisation and the therapeutic potential of improvisational praxis within communities. Olivia earned her Master of Arts from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where in her thesis research, she designed and implemented a custom evaluation instrument to capture the impact of a training program that used improvisation and theatre to promote the personal and professional development of technology leaders at a global financial services institution.
In 2012, Olivia co-founded BIG Theatre Company, where she serves as artistic director and runs a creative collaboration lab for the ongoing development of original work and the artists who make it. For the past 15+ years, Olivia has been directing plays and musicals in schools, universities, community settings, and on off- and off-off-Broadway stages, including three world-premiere productions in the New York International Fringe Festival. Olivia’s artistic interests are in devised work, clowning, physical and comedic theatre, improvisational processes and performances, anti-oppression work, radical collaboration, and inclusive creativity. Olivia has many years of training in Clown, as well as a certificate in Teaching Clown from The Clown School. She is also trained as an intimacy choreographer through Theatrical Intimacy Education and a forum play Joker through Theatre of the Oppressed NYC. In addition, Olivia has trained with the New York Neo-Futurists in their signature non-illusory approach and the Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance in anti-oppressive facilitation. Currently, in addition to directing, teaching, and performing in the Pittsburgh area, Olivia co-leads the annual Veterans Story Night program at Pittsburgh Public Theater.
Olivia studied improvisation at the Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center in New York, NY, and she also studied and performed improv at the People’s Improv Theater and Magnet Theater in New York as well. For four years, Olivia was a member of The Proverbial Loons, the musical improv house team at the off-Broadway Castillo Theatre, where she performed every month in a made-up musical based on the lives of two audience members. Olivia has coached improv teams in New York, NY, and Pittsburgh, PA, and regularly teaches classes and leads workshops across the country to help people become better improvisers and collaborators.
In addition to her PhD and MA, Olivia holds a BA in Psychology from St. John’s University with a minor in Theatre, and a certificate in Design Leadership for Business from Parsons School of Design at The New School. Olivia is certified in Human-Centered Design by the LUMA Institute, and she has training and experience delivering professional coaching with BetterUp as part of the “Pathways Coaching” program. Olivia is based in Pittsburgh, PA, and she currently works on the Learning team at Mural, a technology company that helps people collaborate better. Olivia provides design and facilitation services as an independent consultant as well.
Professional affiliations: Applied Improvisation Network; Global Improvisation Initiative; Association for Theatre in Higher Education; American Alliance for Theatre and Education; Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed; Engagement Scholarship Consortium