Living History Events

with Laura Deal

Marion Woodman portrayal

Marion Woodman (1928-2018) became a guiding light of Jungian studies through her struggles to heal anorexia nervosa in herself and eating disorders in others. After teaching high school for 20 years, Woodman reached a crisis at the age of 40 when she could no longer endure the anorexia from which she’d suffered her entire adult life. Her attempt at healing led her to study her dreams, undertake Jungian analysis, and become a Jungian analyst herself. Woodman taught that humanity was in the process of developing a new conscious awareness, one that would require the healing of the relationship between inner feminine energies and inner masculine ones. Through her individual work with clients, as well as through workshops intended to educate a broader public, she expressed her concern for the ways in which humans consume resources and furthered her goal to make humanity more conscious of our collective impact on our environment. From her childhood as a minister’s daughter and her love of Emily Dickenson’s poetry, to her embrace of the female aspects of God, her spiritual journey confirmed to her the importance of conscious feminine awareness and paying attention to the symbols that appear in dreams in waking life.

Laura Deal brings expertise to her Chautauqua presentation of Marion Woodman from her background as a scholar, dream worker, and storyteller. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Colorado at Boulder and is certified through the Marin Institute for Projective Dream Work as a Dream Work Facilitator. She tells traditional, original, and personal tales to school children and adults.

What's Included:

40-minute monologue based on Woodman’s writings, speeches, and interviews
Full costume to provide an authentic portrayal
Time for Questions and Answers

Insights

Laura’s deep research of Woodman’s literary estate enables her to use Woodman’s own words to convey the moments of transformation and enlightenment in Woodman’s life. This program addresses the themes that Woodman explored in her work with her clients as well as in her own life. Laura draws on her own experiences as a dream worker to fully embody Woodman’s stories.

What People Are Saying

“Laura Deal is always incredible to watch, but her portrayal of Marion Woodman took the art of storytelling to a whole new level. I had honestly never heard of Marion before Laura's show and left the performance not only having learned about Marion, but having felt like I had just spent an hour with her. I completely forgot Laura was there. Additionally, even though I learned about Marion Woodman, it never felt like an education, it felt like a show. The story was so well-crafted, that I was transported. Laura Deal as Marion Woodman is a masterpiece.”

“Congratulations on a superb Chautauqua show. Your command of the Zoom screen was matched by your command of the Woodman material. I was especially struck by how your eyes projected Woodman’s feelings and accompanied her words. Superb!”