Since he was a kid, Will was always been drawn to the sciences. When teaching and directing, he often uses Physics as a frame of reference for making specific points in regards to stage production, community building or human dynamics. He specifically draws a lot of inspiration from the theories and observations of some of the smallest building blocks of our universe...the Atom. He is drawn to the
ir ability to combine with other atoms to form larger forms and also how they can also be broken up even further to unleash some of the most powerful energies known to man. It is the pure potential if the Atom that drew Will and Maria to the name Atomica. The reason why they chose Atomica instead of Atomic is because they wanted to reflect the multilingual nature of the organization. A major aspect of collaboration within Atomica will be exploring cross-cultural work on a local, national and global scale. A Creative Arts Organization whose mission is to empower our members to untap their full potential through Creative, Collaborative and Cross-Cultural projects. Much of the work that you've seen Maria and Will work on over the years will continue under this new venture plus some new projects that we are excited to announce in the near future. These will include but not be limited to work in Art, Improvisation, Theater, Music and Language. Maria Schaedler-Luera (Co-Founder & Managing Director) - Maria is a Brazilian-born performing artist, educator, and administrator with extensive work experience and knowledge in theater, music, arts and literacy, cross-cultural engagement, ESOL, interpreting, and immigrant communities. She holds a Masters in Intercultural Relations with a concentration in Arts for Social Change from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. She also graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and has studied with top teachers and maestros in Brazil, France, Austria, and the United States. Maria studied with theater director Augusto Boal and taught classes and workshops that focus on Theatre of the Oppressed techniques for the American Repertory Theater, Harvard Extension School, Lesley University, and several other non-profits in the Boston area. Will Luera (Co-Founder & Producing Artistic Director) - Will Luera is the Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston (winner of multiple "Best of Boston" Awards), current Artistic Director of the Pilsen Improv Festival, Artistic Advisor of the Women in Comedy Festival, Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival and part-time faculty for the theater department at Boston College. In 1998, he formed Blue Screen Productions, a short-lived ventured that helped to shape the future of improv theater in Boston. In 2000, he was hired as the Artistic Director of ImprovBoston and served for 12 years. In October 2012, Will received the life-time title of Artistic Director Emeritus of ImprovBoston. Will is a globally renowned improv and theater actor, director and instructor that performs and teaches regularly all across North America, South America, Europe and Asia. You can find more information at www.will-luera.com
