Chloe Sharples

FOUNDER, lead director
 

Hello! My name is Chloe and I’m the creator of Anonymo/us Project. I was born and raised in Austin, Texas where I began acting and participating in the theater at a young age. I went on to attend Colorado College, graduating with a BA in Religious Studies in 2016.

While at Colorado College, I participated in an annual student-led project called Relations, a theater performance whose script was composed entirely of solicited students stories exploring sex and sexuality. Participation in Relations ignited a new passion for the theater within me, as I witnessed the power of story as well as the power of sharing and

listening safely while in community. During my involvement, the most common piece of feedback that I received from audience members is that they wished a project like Relations had existed in their high school.

Taking this request to heart, I set about adapting the project to a high school environment, first approaching my own high school, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin. There I piloted Anonymo/us Project as SHIPS alongside theater and film instructor Mike Dolan and three brilliant senior students. The first run was a wild success and was received by the student body with such enthusiasm and emotion that I became positive that I must expand the project to make it accessible to adolescent communities everywhere.

I believe immensely in the power of sharing one’s story. I love Anonymo/us Project for its palpable impact on students, as it provides them with an opportunity to explore and express their voices while sharing them with one another in a safe setting. The anonymity of the stories shared on stage creates an opportunity for authentic listening in a culture that can rarely hear one another through prepossession and expectation. The anonymity also affords people with the opportunity to share truths about themselves that they would not normally feel comfortable putting into writing. And for students to hear about the private affairs of their peers inspires them to walk away feeling less alone in their thoughts and struggles.

My hope is that the project can provide a respectful venue for student voices and to create a meaningful experience for many more adolescent communities to come. I am currently based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico and piloting programs at various high schools in the U.S. to create a structured curriculum. If you are interested in piloting the project at your school or have any questions or thoughts or stories to share, please contact me here.

Thank you for listening,
Chloe