Resilient AF: Rising to the Occasion

Solo Show · soaring solo · Ages 16+ · United States of America

one person show world premiere

Kamakshi Hart returns to the Fringe after a critically-acclaimed tour of her first show, Wild At Hart: A Tale of Trauma & Triumph. Inspired by the effects of the pandemic, Hart has birthed her newest vision in Resilient AF: Rising To The Occasion!, a bold, hope-filled and wise addition to the current theatre scene. She models how to build resilience and navigate the land mines of a traumatized world through sharing her stories of sexual assault, intimate partner violence and abortion. Evoking shadow and light, humor sits alongside tragedy and a SuperHeroine, a wise old oak tree, a cohort of colorful characters and multiple songs save the day.

“As a result of the pandemic, I was suddenly seeing the terms ‘building resilience’ and ‘trauma-informed’ everywhere and often misunderstood. Clearly 2020 brought trauma into our world view in a way that we could never have imagined”, says Hart. "I felt compelled to share more of my experiences as a sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivor in a way that would demonstrate what resilience really is and support understanding of living with a trauma history. I was drawn to write about my experiences with violence that led to abortions and wow, has that turned out to be timely! I came to see that my solo art as activism is a superpower. And with that, Resilience as my Super Heroine was born.”

Hart is a stage veteran of thirty-plus years in New York, L.A. and other places throughout the country. She is a trauma-informed coach and rites of passage guide, helping others gain clarity about their relationships, life path and purpose. Resilient AF differs from other solo shows as Hart provides patrons with a how-to guide on healing, positive change and true wellbeing.

Audience response from a preview of Resilient AF at a recent solo festival in Joshua Tree:

“Resilient AF, embraces the darker moments in life as stepping stones for healing and transmutation of our origin stories. Intense and moving!” – Kristelle Monterrosa

“I have never heard the idea that an attack on abortion rights is a continuance of the sexual violence against women but those words were in my mind and later on my lips after your performance. Thank you for your story, and for allowing me to see things closer from your perspective so I can have that expansion in my compassion for others.” – William Kendig

Production Team


jessica lynn johnson  *

director & developer

kamakshi hart *

performer & playwright

* Fringe Veteran