Laurel Buxton
Born in Nashua, New Hampshire, I have been slowly working my way across the U.S. ever since. I was raised in Siloam Springs, Arkansas where my three siblings and I homeschooled in the morning and spent the afternoons in the foothills of the Ozarks. From there, I watched tornados fly overhead and learned how to make the best fried chicken you've ever had. In Fall 2018 I moved to Cedar City, Utah to attend Southern Utah University, where I graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor's of Interdisciplinary Studies and a certificate in Human Values.
Over the course of my undergraduate experience I designed and conducted a research project titled "From Starving to Sustained" which collected data regarding the nutrition habits of students in Southern Utah University's Department of Theatre, Dance, and Arts Administration. This project is the start of an ongoing project titled "Artistic Wellness.” Through this project I am investigating the nutritional needs and nutrition education in the performing arts. You can read more about it here.
Nestled on the edge of the Wasatch front, I have spent the past six years in Southern Utah writing, researching, and coming into my own. In Fall 2024 I began pursuing my Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies, studying Arts Administration, Leadership Studies, and General Studies. Through this program, I will continue conducting my research, finetuning my leadership skills, and paving a path for artists and audiences to experience healing through the arts.
I categorize my work into three parts: artistic, research, and creative. Continue reading to learn about each of these categories and further explore my leadership experience.
Jack of All Trades
Artist
My artistic career began with Missoula Children's Theatre in 2007. From there, I went on to perform each and every chance I got. This led me to TheatreSquared's Shakespeare Academy, where I performed in leading roles for three consecutive summers. In college, I shifted towards directing. I assistant directed Radium Girls (dir. Ada Lauren Taylor) in Spring 2021 and assistant directed Into the Woods alongside Dr. Lisa Quoresimo in Fall 2021. As Artistic Director of Second Studio, Southern Utah University's student theatre company, I led a team of twelve undergraduate students, producing three plays, one musical, and nine variety shows over two semesters. I am beginning to dabble in play writing, beginning with her stage adaptation of Levi the Poet's The Correspondence: A Fiction in late 2022. For a full overview of my theatrical work, click here.
Researcher
Although I never anticipated being a researcher, there is no place that I feels more at home than analyzing data. I am actively researching the impact that nutrition has one the performing arts, particularly in stage actors. Through this research, I hope to locate the gaps in nutrition education amongst performers and fill those gaps through impactful and applicable education. Learn more about my journey to this field and where I aims to go on Artistic Wellness.
Creative
The term "creative" here is used as a noun to encapsulate my personal artistic endeavors. I have been a writer for the majority of my life, with my first book being "The Amazing, The One and Only, The Famous Guide to Wells Beach Maine," which I wrote at the age of eight. My most recent project is a series of poems titled In and Of Light, which began in April 2020 and concluded in Spring 2022.
I also wrote, directed, and edited a biographical short film, The Moments Before, in Spring 2021. For a full sampling of my creative and primarily written works, see Writing OR my newsletter, Observations in Light.