Happy Stages has been proud to engage in the great work of
2025 Project ECHO at University of New Mexico Psychiatric Center in Albuquerque.
We applaud the continued work that continues to pave the way for progressive care for ‘all’. We are honored to have been included in the 2025 program of training topics!
Past Events, Projects, and Performances
Albuquerque Disability Arts Collaborative (ADAC) Open Mic Night Every Month at 6921 Montgomery Blvd. NE- Contact Rachel@adacnm.org for more information.
Cast of DBT In The Neighborhood - 2024
Ashley, Sabrina, Devin, Nikael, Gabe, Katherine, Abe, Toni F., Rosie (above), Kat (Below), Brandon, Tony S., and Dagmar!
The World Needs (and recognizes) Therapeutic Theatrical Endeavors… These festivals agree…
Happy Stages is a Therapeutic Theater Arts and Film Production collaborative, centered on Mental Health and Social Justice as the core of our collective works.
Happy Stages provides therapeutic artistic opportunities for collaborating artists who live with mental health, neurological, and psycho-social challenges - as well as collaborating artists who are also therapists, advocates, and family members of people with various mental health ‘differences’. In this work to provide therapeutic opportunities for collaborating artists, Happy Stages creates original plays, musicals, spoken-word/monologue, dance, performance art, improvisational performance, and filmed works, that are therapeutic for participating artists, their crew of actors/artists/technicians, and the community at large.
Happy Stages works with international theaters, schools, mental health organizations, and nonprofit groups to provide communities with mental health advocacy and healing through live and filmed performances. We have been honored to be welcomed into the artistic advocacy and partnership of New Mexico resources such as Harwood Arts Center for previous rehearsal space and we enjoy utilizing multiple artistic venue performance and rehearsal spaces, with particular affinity and respect for the International District Library of Albuquerque so we may offer Therapeutic Theatrical Arts to the public at large at no cost. We have further enjoyed our collaborative work with Albuquerque Academy, UNM, CNM, and New Mexico Academy for The Media Arts (for which we have provided internship positions for their seniors). We are further enjoying our collaborative championship of youth and individuals with mental health challenges via New Day Family Services, Casa Q, and UNM Start and COPE Clinics as well as affiliated doctors and therapists associated with PSR, Peer Living Room, and the DBT program facilitators and trainees at UNM Psychiatric Center. We are gearing up to collaborate with one or more university mental health centers in Europe (details to come)! Our experiences of developing lasting communications with multi-media-arts professionals in Italy, Malta, Germany, the U.K. and Albania have proven rather fruitful and we are excited to see what may come of these artful collaborations in 2026.
Happy Stages is further proud of its artistic accolades thus far in both domestic and international film festivals - some of which are shown above this text. We are excited about current short film, webisode, and feature length film work we are currerntly preparing for release in 2026-27 . Our writers, performers, and filmmakers have been working hard to see these projects move forward to public release. Live performances are a staple of our work and we look forward to seeing you all at one or more of our performances in coming months. Keep an eye on our ‘Performances’ page for upcoming and past shows as we expand our work toward a global scale in Europe and via digital collaboration around the world.
Our new YouTube channel features clips from rehearsals, meetings, performances, and some of our favored resources. Below are but a few of our Happy Stages family of artists (from the U.S.A.) of the past and present (some photos out of order of listing of names): Briana Van Schuyver, Dagmar Garza, Nikaela Sainz, Ryan Smith, Sasha Menendez, Wendy Schumann, Abe Assaad, Ashley Polaco, Brandon Via, Devin Brower, Gabe Velasquez, Kat Madden, Rosie Leaks, and Ryan Ruiz, Jenelle Baptiste, Andrew Torn, Archer McIntyre, Nino Stark, Persephone Reid, Tony Travis, Somer Martinez, Benjamin S., Tony Stark, Suzy Sanchez-Beg, Noah The Philosopher!, Jordan Kropka, Julie Mason (CDI - ASL), and the great Ian Thomas Parks . Many other artists lend their seasonal talents - too many to mention - keep an eye out for our performance announcements on our website!
