In the Wake of Life is an immersive theatrical experience combining short plays, poetry, music, interactive sculpture, and guided audience reflection to explore dying, death, and grief. Tender, awkward, and often unexpectedly humorous, each piece offers a distinct perspective on loss. Through innovative storytelling and optional participation, the experience creates a supportive space for honest dialogue—inviting audiences to challenge stigma, examine cultural assumptions, and reconnect through shared stories. Thought-provoking and deeply human, the project uses art to open conversations too often left unspoken.
The War Memorial: Grosse Pointe Michigan
The project—conceptualized and produced by Elizabeth Coplan—began in 2016 with an open call for short plays and was developed from nearly 200 submissions. The original performance was composed of 6 short plays from playwrights across the country. It was first performed on Bainbridge Island, WA in August 2016 and has since been performed in venues across the country. Over the past decade, the production team has returned again and again to new work—reviewing hundreds more plays—crafting each local performance as a living response to the grief unfolding within that community.
Under the direction of Dani Davis, In the Wake of Life has evolved into a living, immersive theatrical experience—one that invites audiences to move freely through a world of short plays, poetry, music, sculpture, and shared reflection. Blending warmth, intimacy, and occasional humor, the production explores death, loss, and remembrance through the lens of love and human connection. Each performance is carefully choreographed behind the scenes while allowing every guest to discover the experience in their own way, creating a personal journey through story, atmosphere, and community.
Michael Bud serves as Creative Producer and Director of Design for In the Wake of Life, shaping how audiences experience the work from arrival to reflection. Working across promotions, production, staging, and visual storytelling, he helps translate the project’s artistic and emotional vision into a cohesive, immersive environment. His role supports both the creative flow of each performance and the deeper intention to foster empathy, presence, and human connection.
2015: Los Ángeles, CA
2016: Bainbridge Island, WA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR
2017: Portland, OR; Memphis, TN; Pittsburgh, PA;
2018: Las Vegas, NV
2020-2021: Zoom
2024 New York, NY ( Program Book)
2025 New York, NY; Los Ángeles, CA
Actors
Kiki Abba, Greg Brisendine, Gretchen Douma, Shane Reagan, Art Devine, Macklin Devine, Jeffrey Doorbos, Sara Sneed, Izaak Van Der Wende, Alison Weller, Frank Williams, and many more.
Playwrights
Paul Atriedes (“Fusion”), Barbara Blumenthal, Elizabeth Coplan, Donna Hoke, Nambi E. Kelley, Amy Judith Reuben, Leilani Squires, Louisa Vilardi, and Tim Woods.
Poets
Jenny Coates
Musicians
Tom Valdez
Facilitators & Grief Counselors
Claudia Coenen, Pastor Corey Kennard.
Director
Dani Davis is an Emmy award-winning writer, Tony-nominated Broadway producer, Helen Hayes award recipient, award winning theater and film director/choreographer, and entertainment entrepreneur. She is the proud mother of Noah Pelty and Nina Howland, both musical artists. www.thedanidavis.com