Leah Carey

Leah is the creator and director of Sacred Cliffs Productions and Sacred Cliffs Workshops. She studied theatre at Brandeis University, graduating with a degree in Acting and Directing. She spent several years as a professional freelance stage manager working in cities around the country, including work both on- and off- Broadway. She was privileged to work with some of her personal heroes, including Cy Coleman, Terrence Mann, and Tom Jones & Harvey Schmidt. Click here for a full theatrical resume. She is currently a candidate for certification as a Spiritual Life Coach.

The first Sacred Cliffs workshop occurred in the fall of 2004 when a group of breast cancer survivors in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire gathered with Leah and novelist Jodi Picoult to write and perform their stories of survival. Leah's goal, whether in writing, theatre, or other endeavors, is always to work with clients to rediscover their unique voice and share it with the world. She is "The Voice Midwife," supporting clients in birthing and re-birthing the voice they were born with.

The Beginning of Sacred Cliffs

It was in the days following September 11, 2001, that my life and focus began to change. In the weeks leading up to the crisis of 9/11, I was working in Raleigh, NC on a production of Guys and Dolls. The cast and crew had been hired out of New York for a short four-week contract. The show was scheduled to open on September 14, and September 11th to the 14th were the very intense days of "tech" rehearsal. On the morning of the 11th, news of the attacks started to filter into our rehearsals, but there was no time to sit down and watch a television. Members of our cast and crew were frantic, trying to get in touch with family and friends in the city. Our producers decided to continue with opening night as planned. Many of us questioned the wisdom of this idea; a musical comedy felt meaningless - even sacrilegious - in the face of such devastation.

To our surprise, on opening night the audience was packed with people who desperately needed to get away from their television sets for a few hours and laugh. For two hours, they were able to immerse themselves in the antics of Nathan Detroit and forget about the world. Within minutes of the beginning of the show, it was clear that the audience was as invested in making this evening a success as we were. At the end of that performance, the audience rose to join the cast in song. 800 people had entered as strangers, but in that moment they formed something beautiful - a support group, a family, a community.

I have always believed that, at its best, theatre can be a powerful force for good in our world. That evening I had a glimpse into the truly transformative power of theatre and how healing it is to raise one's voice in song. Having seen that place, there is no turning back.