Denver, Colorado
I first met Ben Raanan in 2014 when he came to Ohio State University to take part in one of my training sessions. From that day he has been a tireless advocate for this work in which ever city he has lived in. He has always created a space for the Hunter Heartbeat games to be played by the most marginalised of people. I’m beyond privileged to know him and always learn from him when I see him in action.
In 2025 we collaborated with Ben to create an extraordinary production of Pericles with Phamaly Theatre in Denver Colorado where he is Artistic Director. For this production, the actors themselves have disabilities, and empower the autistic participants to share their feelings in the space. The experience has been transformative for Flute Theatre.
When I was 2, my brother was diagnosed with severe autism, and my journey trying to understand him began. Throughtout my directing career, I have searched for a process of connect the intimacy of theatre to the rigidity of his autism. Kelly Hunter has found that process. There is no more effective way to teach social skills, promote inclusion, and awaken the soul than the Hunter Heartbeat method. The program changed my life, and ever since I started teaching it, it has changed the lives of the hundreds of individuals who have experienced the awakening it provides.
