Naropa University’s commencement

Kirsten Wilson is the Artistic Director, founder, and visionary of Motus Theater. She is a narrative artist, master teacher in the field of autobiographical monologue work, and editor of the Motus Monologues and Shoebox Stories podcasts. Kirsten has created several award-winning multimedia performances exploring history through the lens of race and class. Wilson excels at co-developing autobiographical monologue projects with leaders on the frontlines of violence and oppression in the U.S., putting them center stage as the protagonists in the American drama. These autobiographical monologues expand perceptions, disrupt dehumanizing narratives, inspire more humane policies, and shed light on the root causes of injustice. Since 2013, she has worked with undocumented leaders to codevelop their stories of living on the frontlines of U.S. immigration policy. In 2019, she began co-developing stories with formerly incarcerated leaders to highlight the criminality and injustice of the legal system, and in 2021, she began collaborating with transgender and nonbinary leaders. Wilson is known for creating spaces of courageous empathy and civic hospitality; she pairs Motus Theater monologists with local and national leaders who stand together and co-read their stories aloud on stage. Her work has been featured in media outlets as diverse as Theater Magazine, NPR, Fast Company, Ms. Magazine, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Wilson’s dynamic range of training includes an MFA in Contemporary Theater from Naropa University; an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary; studies in visual arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts; and a BA in English Literature from Barnard College. Wilson refers to herself as a human primate of beauty, brokenness, and abundance.