valerie@valeriehager.com

Naked in Alaska is based on actress Valerie Hager's experience working as an exotic dancer in Tijuana, Mexico, Fairbanks, Alaska, and Los Angeles, California.

Valerie dreamt of being an actress on stage ever since performing with her father, mime artist Jerry Hager, at the age of five. But dreams don't always work out exactly as we first imagine them.

After leaving her job as an exotic dancer in 2005, Valerie knew she would someday tell her story-she just wasn't sure how or when. Then, in 2008, the seed was planted. She wrote and performed her first solo "short" Autumn Leaves based on an exotic dancer she met while working in a Los Angeles strip club. Autumn Leaves debuted at The Knightsbridge Theatre in Los Angeles.

In 2009, Valerie moved to New York City and enrolled in Level 1 of Matt Hoverman's Create Your Own Solo Show Workshop. Afterwards-even while she still wasn't clear which story to tell from her dancing years-she was inspired to delve deeper into her past and find out. In 2011, she completed Cullen Thomas' Advanced Memoir Writing class at Gotham Writer's Workshop. The memoir writing process helped her tap into the raw, unresolved, and deep memories and impressions that would eventually form the foundation of Naked In Alaska.

In early 2012, Valerie met Cheryl King, owner of Stage Left Studio. With Cheryl's encouragement, and the ability to perform Naked In Alaska in its early stages at Stage Left Studio, Valerie gained even greater courage and determination to push forward with Naked In Alaska.

She returned to Matt Hoverman and enrolled in two rounds of his Level 2 Create Your Own Solo Show Workshop. It was in these advanced workshops with Matt that Naked in Alaska was truly developed, nurtured, and given its first steps and audiences. For this Valerie is eternally grateful.

In mid-2012, Scott Wesley Slavin came on board as Naked In Alaska's director and dramaturge, and he continues to work with her on both Naked in Alaska and other original pieces for The Room's Salon Series (which Valerie and Scott co-founded), as well as other celebrated venues. Alex Chmaj is Naked In Alaska's lighting and technical director and has helped make every performance come to life with vivid color and sound.

In September 2012, Naked In Alaska debuted in Stage Left Studio's Women at Work Festival and in November 2012 it opened the EstroGenius Festival at TBG Theatre. On April 27th, 2013, Dixon Place is presenting it as part of their Performance Series.

Festival Acceptances:

Emerging Artists Festival 2012

Planet Connections Festivity 2012

Women at Work Festival 2012

EstroGenius Festival 2012

Dixon Place Performance Series 2013

Acknowledgements:
My deepest thanks and appreciation to Matt Hoverman, Cheryl King, Scott Wesley Slavin, and every one of my loving family and friends.

And to the phoenix in us all-May we find the resilience of a child, the courage of a warrior, and blaze forward in a daring and true path of our own-one that soars above all fear, breaks hearts open, and sings the most beautiful sounds we know.