A Practice Beyond Permission | Brynley Halverson on Writing, Identity, and Creating Without Being Chosen

Mischief and Mastery

In this episode, Mishu sits down with actor and writer Brynley Halverson to talk about the strange, liberating year where acting work slowed down and the writing door swung wide open. They get into what it means to build a creative life that isn’t dependent on being chosen, why co-writing has become an unexpected artistic home, and how having a permissionless outlet can quiet the old scarcity mindset.

Brynley is a Chicago-based nonbinary transfemme performer, writer and theatre maker whose work spans Shakespeare, immersive theatre, and new-play development. They’re a founding member of Astral Stage Collective, where they co-wrote and performed in the world premieres Stardog and The Space Between. A decade into their acting career, they’re now exploring the pull of writing with a collaborative approach that feels equal parts craft and lightning-in-a-bottle.

This conversation is about creativity as companionship — not competition — and how claiming one artistic lane can free up another.

We talk about:
→ When acting slows down — and why it doesn’t have to break you
→ The peace that comes from having a creative outlet no one has to “grant” you
→ Co-writing immersive plays where four stories run at once
→ Navigating identity, agency, and artistic longevity in a city like Chicago

Learn more about Brynley on Instagram: @bralverson

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Produced by @ohhmaybemedia