ABSTRACT

This chapter will explore the dynamics of Mike Wiley’s unique process of genre bending and blending performance-making with his perpetual mission of opening hearts and minds to conversations about some of America’s most challenging social issues. A theatrical shape-shifter of sorts, Mike Wiley has distinguished himself as a director, actor, playwright, historian, scholar, and teacher. Wiley’s works range from one-person documentary theatre to original productions performed by ensemble casts on main stages and school campuses across the nation. For Mike Wiley, every stage is a classroom and every classroom is a community that can be changed through dialogic performance.