a girl of a thousand
endeavors
You Made It!
MEET HANNAH
Hello, I’m Hannah V. Boyens an Iowa-born, Oklahoma City University taught, and New York City-based jack-of-all-trades artist. I strive to make as much art as I can in as many different forms as I can to better understand the hope and heartbreak of the human condition… Mostly by writing dungeons and dragons-inspired musical films, and writing plays about the horsemen of the apocalypse having a family feud.
Beyond my artistic work, I have had a position in every customer service job from bussing to management. I am a certified fireguard by the Fire Department of New York, and certified CPR/AED trained by The National Health and Safety Association. I am an ambitious, hardworking, go-getter who is willing to step in wherever needed.
Read Her Director Journey
I trained as a director of both stage and screen while attending Oklahoma City University. Among my film writing, directing and producing credits include the short films Secondary (2019) and Forces and Philosophies: A DND Musical (2020), the latter of which won 3rd place at the Oklahoma Broadcast Association Narrative Category of Film in 2020. I recently collaborated on a filmed segment of Lee Winter’s one man show Two Envelopes that performed at the Caveat NYC (2021).
In the theatrical world, I was assistant director for the Oklahoma City University productions of an all female version of The Lord of the Flies (2017) under the direction of Kate Brennan, the opera Susannah (2018) under the direction of Dr. Dave Herendeen, and the director of photography for the streamed version of Spamalot (2020) directed by Karen Miller. I was also the director of photography and documentarian for the Equity Workshop of Alien8 for Ignition Arts in 2018.
In 2019, I became Artistic Director of the Shadow Collective wherein we helped artists find space and resources to perform new works. Our events included the Tokach 24-hour play festival, a weekend film festival collaboration with the Film Guild, sponsoring a modern dance movement troupe, and we produced 3 fully staged original productions in the Spring. I also worked as Music Director for the Spencer Community Theatre teen production of Grease, so I am also familiar with directing young performers in musical theater acting.
Read Her Performer Journey
I have studied vocal performance for 12 years and am familiar with classical, jazz, folk, rock, pop, and musical theater styles of singing. I have trained under industry professionals such as Jessica Schable, Sheri Sanders, Karen Miller, and Susan Dillard, including several masterclasses with fellow Oklahoma City University alumnus Kristen Chenoweth.
I have been performing my entire life, with highlighted credits as Rona Lisa Peretti in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Darlene Purvis in Honky Tonk Angels, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, and a young Hillary Rodham Clinton in the short film A 21st Century Period Piece (2017). I have also been a featured solo and ensemble performer in cabarets such as OCU stripped: Reclaimed and Reimagining, and the Halloween Spectacular of Let’s Broadway NYC.
While working for Character Connection Company I aided in organizing events, and portraying characters for children ages 1-100 as iconic characters Cinderella, Winnifred Sanderson, The Queen of Hearts, Elsa, and Aurora. From a scare actor in a Times Square haunted house to a soloist in the opera L’Amico Fritz, I am a performance chameleon.
DANCE
I’ve studied Ballet, Jazz and Tap dance styles starting at the age of 8 at the YMCA dance academy. At the age of 12 I continued training in these dance styles at the IMPULSE Dance Academy, culminating in my solo jazz performance to Brazil’s The Office by Michael Kamen and my solo tap performance to Brighter than the Sun by Colbie Caillat. I also studied beyond basic jazz at the Ann Lacy School of Dance at Oklahoma City University.
BACKSTAGE
I worked backstage studying theatrical lighting under Aaron Mooney and stage design with Larry Heyman. I worked as a spotlight operator for The Bartered Bride, a Projectionist for House of Atreus Part 2 , Twilight Los Angeles, and Elf: The Musical. I helped build and paint sets for Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play at CityRep in Oklahoma City.
Read Her Writing Journey
Besides my short films Forces and Philosophies and Secondary, my writing credits include The Four: Death’s Intervention (2018), a one-act play about the four horsemen of the apocalypse selected to be produced and staged by The Shadow Collective. I was also one of the writers on several devised theater pieces including the cabaret/musical All That Fosse (2016), wherein we wrote and performed songs about the life and career of Bob Fosse through the lens of the women in his life. Silver Spoon (2017) was a diner drama about love languages wherein I and various writers collaborated to tell several intertwining stories. I AM (2018) was a devised showcase of fear and vulnerability. I was also selected to write, direct, and perform The Wanderlust Trilogy for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art short play festival.
I also composed theme songs for the podcast Netflix and Kill as well as the theme for its later incarnation Chainsaw Matinee. I also happen to be a co-host on the podcast Chainsaw Matinee wherein I and artists/filmmakers Kyla Bruegel and Marty Gibson analyze horror films through a queer lens.
I was also a featured writer with several published articles on history, analysis and news regarding television, movies, and media on ScreenRant.com in 2021. In addition, my letters about literature to Carson Mccullers regarding her book The Heart is a Lonely Hunter won first place in the Iowa Letters About Literature competition in 2015 and is featured in the Library of Congress.
Read Her Film Journey
As a film student at the Petree college of Arts and Sciences, I also familiarized myself with every aspect of film production from casting to editing, with an emphasis on casting and assistant directing. I received my BFA in film production in 2020. I have worked as a production assistant on television shows such as Chopped, and assisted productions such as SNL, Ghost,m…And Just Like That while working as a props assistant at Prop N Spoon. I was also a production assistant intern to Professor Tim Fall on the OKCU study abroad summer semester in Paris France wherein I recorded sound, organized equipment, and helped scout locations for filming.
“…being bold enough to go out and try something…”
Interview with Hannah
“Being bold enough to go out and try something, and making sure to learn something new from it, no matter what is something that drives me to create.”
How would you describe yourself as an artist?
“I’m an enigma between director, performer, and writer. I’m passionately committed to experiencing every aspect of creation.”
What types of projects excite you the most?
“The projects that excite me the most are the kinds that are hard to explain in one sentence. The film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once comes to mind.
I love putting together pieces of a creative project that you wouldn’t automatically think of, ultimately resulting in something genuinely experimental and full of joy.”
“this is the story of my life & if you want a chapter in it, don’t be an asshole”
What motivates or inspires you to create?
“To quote the show, Ted Lasso, ‘Be curious, not judgemental.’ That idea really resonates with me.
I just love learning, understanding, and being surprised at the world around me. Acts of unconditional kindness, in particular, never cease to make me weep with joy.
Another thing is the idea of vulnerability. People being vulnerable and trying to communicate, understand, and be understood is something that really inspires me.
Along those same lines, I am learning to embrace the idea of failure. Being bold enough to go out and try something, and making sure to learn something new from it, no matter what is something that drives me to create.”
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
“I would say my biggest artistic influences are Lady Gaga, Jim Henson, Jordan Peele, Taika Waititi, and Ke$ha, to name a few. But, honestly, any artist out there being weird and vulnerable has a piece of my heart.”
If you could collaborate with any three artists, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?
“First, I’ve always wanted to work with Willem Defoe. He’s the kind of actor who is just so un-egotistically engaged with his artistry. It’s always about the true meaning of the piece and what he can bring to the table rather than ego or stardom. He’s just got this exuberant energy and a brilliant creative mind, and he uses both to inspire everyone around him to go further, try harder, and fulfill their potential as artists. I would really love to engage with that kind of wonderfully infectious energy.
Second, I would love to work with Mia Goth. Hearing how she turned Pearl into its own unique project by collaborating with director Ty West and taking a step forward to recreate an entirely new character and a new kind of movie really inspired me. Her incredible collaborative energy and ability to commit to that kind of character’s ridiculousness and vulnerability, and horror would be amazing to be around and create alongside.
Finally (and I guess this is kind of cheating), I would be honored to work with anyone who worked on Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Everyone on that project seemed to collaborate so incredibly well, and they were all unafraid to try new ideas, be weird, and stay open and vulnerable throughout the creative process. And on top of that, they never failed to remain humble, kind, and genuine every step of the way. That’s what I aspire to be in my artistry.”