writing

Don't Ask is a queer fantasia set against a backdrop of one of the most masculine of cultures: the military. Set between 1983 and 1993, the play follows the story of Lieutenant Keenan, a pioneer lesbian figure who came out to the nation to openly fight the ban on gays in the military. 

Through a cappella military cadences and an ensemble of interchanging characters that move the play through time and space, Don't Ask weaves together historical events, memory, and psychological space as the visceral journey of one young woman’s story unfolds in the wake of a relentless political movement. Based on a true story.

Don’t Ask is currently seeking a producing company for its professional world premiere.

read act one sample

read act two sample

DON’T ASK

a full-length play by hayley procacci

neo futurism, sketch, devising

neofuturism
hi queer sex, i’m hyper vigilance–The Neofuturists, 2026 world premiere

we are chicago–The Neofuturists, 2026 world premiere

processing childhood trauma like a child–The Neofuturists, 2026 world premiere

poetry
dirtbag

soft ice

directing

A woman standing and speaking to a group of people sitting on the floor in a conference room with a projector screen behind her.

teaching & coaching

ACTING

discovering the Right to Speak
eight-week course that deep dives into Patsy Rodenberg’s The Right to Speak, stemming from the Linklater and Alexander techniques. Students will be supplied with the book and class journal as the ensemble meets weekly toward performed text and embodied voice-body connection.

the embodied actor
a twelve-week course using preselected text covering a combination of Viewpoints, Laban, and Archetypes. Artists can expect to come out of this course with a new process of creating physical characters, cultivating a sharper window into authentic work.

PHYSICAL THEATRE

intro to physical storytelling
in this eight-week course, students will learn the foundations of ensemble-based devising through study of contact improvisation, weight sharing, and creating specific visual stories as a group.

from devising, to the page
have a story you want space to develop? finding it tough to connect the devising experience to a tangible piece? in this eight-week course, students will step into a devising framework of play—> design—> edit as they are facilitated toward individual and group devising development of new work.
*this class culminates in a public showcase

YOGA OFFERINGS

  • prenatal, bikram, hatha, vinyasa, yin, community sliding-scale

  • beginner–>advanced levels

  • private and group classes

Group of people lifting a young girl in the air during a rehearsal in a classroom or dance studio with a blackboard in the background.
A group of four people practicing acro yoga on a wooden table in a bright room with large windows, with one person balancing on their back and the others supporting and balancing on top.
A woman practicing yoga in a dimly lit room with candles and a brick wall background.

1:1 Coaching

Chicago-based—$65 for forty-five minutes
Zoom—$50 for forty-five minutes

(Inquire about sliding scale pricing)

August bookings are FULL; September bookings now open!

For bookings/inquiries
email hay.procacci@gmail.com