• Skip to main content
  • Skip to site footer
Wendt Center for Loss & Healing - Washington DC

Wendt Center for Loss & Healing

Rekindling hope. Rebuilding lives.

DONATE
Client Payments
  • About Us
    • ABOUT THE WENDT CENTER

      • About Us
      • Our History
      • Board of Directors
      • Staff
      • 990’s
      • Hands holding message of Hope
      • We help children, youth and adults rebuilt their emotional lives after loss, illness, violence and trauma.
  • How We Help
    • How We Help

      • Adult Services
      • Child & Teen Services
      • Crisis Response
      • Training Institute
      • Group Therapy
      • Camp Forget-Me-Not / Camp Erin DC
      • Grieving Families Healing Together
      • The Wendt Center Training Institue is a groundbreaking achievement in trauma - informed, community focused mental heathcare.
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved

      • Donate Today
      • Ways to Give
      • Corporate Giving
      • Major Funders
      • In-Kind Donors
      • Volunteer
      • Employment & Internships
      • This important work would not be possible without the genersity and dedication of our donor and volunteers
  • Understanding Grief & Trauma
    • Understanding Grief and Trauma

      • About Grief
      • About Trauma
      • Grief & Trauma Blog
      • Grief & Trauma Resources
      • Online Resources
      • Grieving is not a sign of weakness or failure.  It is not something to ignore or get over.
  • News & Events
    • News and Events

      • Newsroom
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Minute Monologues
      • Calendar
      • New Therapy Group: Navigating Loss and Uncertainty
      • New Therapy Group: Navigating Uncertainty
      • Building a more compassionate and skillful response to grief and trauma.
  • Donate Today
  • Client Payments

Voices of Now 2023: Wendt Center Ensemble

Updated: May 2023

program overview

This collaborative program between Arena Stage and the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing is a phenomenal opportunity for grieving teens in grades 9-12 to share their voices, perform on stage, learn about their grief, educate others about grief, and build relationships with their peers. Teaching artists and a grief therapist will support ensemble members onsite during all rehearsals.

Over four months, teens will participate in weekly sessions to develop a script about their feelings, thoughts, memories, and experiences of death-related losses. The program will culminate in a performance of their script at the May 2023 Voices of Now festival and the Wendt Center community forum.

2023 Performance Dates

  • Arena Stage Voices of Now Festival – May 17-19, 2023
  • Wendt Center Grief Forum – Sunday, May 21, 2023

2023 Creators & Performers

Name & Grade

What do you want people to know about your grief?

Who are you dedicating your Voices of Now work/performance to?

Timothy, 8th Grade
KIPP DC – Valor Academy

“It takes some time to be able to fully process your grief, so give yourself time.”

Uncle Dontae

Samhari (Mhari), 9th Grade
Home Schooled

“It was rough, but I eventually got through and am still getting through it. It takes time and isn’t always easy, but you will get through it.”

Uncle Boo

Lia (Lily), 9th Grade
Jackson-Reed High School

“Grief can still impact you even if the loss happened a long time ago. It may look different but it’s still real.”

Birth Parents & Grandmother

Sophia, 12th Grade
Holton-Arms School

“My grief process has not been linear. Sometimes there are days when I feel totally fine, and others when I am completely shut down and numb. One of the lessons I have learned from  grieving is the importance and value of empathy, even from total strangers.”

Mom & Little Brother (her “biggest supports in life”)

Drew, 12th Grade
Home Schooled

“People should know that they don’t have to feel alone. You can process it and not let it stop your life too much.”

Mom Aprille & Cousin Tyrone

Jae’Layah, 12th Grade
KIPP – College Prep

“Grief hurts and that’s normal. It can be very lonely and it affects the way you see and feel about the world.”

Grandmother Patricia Ann

A special thank you to to Arena Stage directors/devisers Fareed Mostoufi and Rebecca Campana and Wendt Center grief therapist Pam Leiber and clinical intern Aaryn Kopp.

Applications

Applications are now closed.

  • Format: In-Person
  • Date & Time: February 21, 2023 – May 21, 2023; Tuesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm
  • Location: Arena Stage (1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC)
  • Cost: Free
  • Vaccine/Mask Policy: All participants must be vaccinated. Exceptions are made for medical or religious reasons. Masks are mandatory.

Community service hours are provided to participants who complete the program.

Email questions to shandel@wendtcenter.org.

Potomac river background

Wendt Center

4201 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 624-0010
Fax: (202) 624-0062

Client Payments »
25 Years - Wendt Center for Loss and Healing Grief Camp
Platinum Transparency 2024
Spur Local Critical Nonprofit seal
Make a Donation Today
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Wendt Center for Loss & Healing - Washington DC

© 2025 · Wendt Center for Loss and Healing · Washington DC · All Rights Reserved · Website Policies · HIPAA Privacy Practice
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.