Meet Luke

Hello, Everyone,

I thought I’d tell you a bit about me.

I was born in New York and lived there for all of my youth and early adulthood. I then spent a dozen years in Chicago and wore many different professional/artistic hats during those years: improviser, youth development specialist, adult and family literacy educator, academic professional, and graduate student. After I got my doctorate in 2013 from the University of Illinois at Chicago, I was a faculty member at the University of Memphis for a year, teaching courses in human development and life-span imaginative play. I then went to the Pacific Northwest and I have been a faculty member at the University of Washington Tacoma since 2014 in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. I teach courses in human development and life-span imaginative play.

My research, teaching, and activism include the power of imaginative play, improvisational theater, performance activism, social therapeutics, humanitarian clowning, and socially-engaged arts to create revolutionary opportunities for learning, development, and community building.

In addition to my academic background, I am also an associate of The East Side Institute and a long-standing builder of its international performance movement. I have been studying and practicing social therapeutics for more than 10 years and in 2024 became a social therapeutic coach.

Looking forward to getting to know you,
Luke

  • Black and white photo of a cheerful Luke Perone wearing a bucket hat and earphones, smiling widely at the camera. The outdoor setting with trees and a building structure adds to the scene’s charm, evoking a sense of joy, possibly from an improv session.

    "Let's Play!"

"Yet over my years of co-creating imaginative play, meditating, and wondering about the activity of naming, I came into a new way of living, tapping into the “name(s) I am called to be called” and that this calling emerges from who I am and who I am becoming."

Luke Perone
Being and Becoming Luke

Some fun facts about me!

I am a(n):

  • Aquarius

  • Vegan

  • Left-handed

A young child with curly hair is sitting in a kitchen sink, playing with the water from the faucet like an improv actor. The kitchen has wooden cabinets and floral wallpaper. Various kitchen items are on the counter, and an old-fashioned radio provides a social therapeutic ambiance in the background.

I enjoy:

  • Meditating

  • Swimming

  • Listening to music and curating playlists

    (formerly known as, “mixtapes”)

  • Singing and chanting

  • Word and number puzzles

    (KenKen, Spelling Bee, and Wordle, to name a few!)

  • Reading the Sunday New York Times

  • Drag performances

  • Collaging and painting

  • Writing

  • Reading and listening to audiobooks

Luke Perone standing in front of black and gold balloons, holding a purple and white striped hat above his head. He is wearing a purple shirt, black vest, and patterned tie, and has a playful expression on his face. His pose suggests an improv performance.
A vibrant mosaic of small, 3D rectangular blocks in a gradient of colors ranging from deep blues and purples to bright reds, oranges, and yellows creates a visually dynamic, textured pattern. The overall effect is a colorful, abstract digital artwork that feels almost like an improv dance of hues.
Luke Perone with a red clown nose, reminiscent of an improv performer, is holding and partially hiding behind a book against a brick wall backdrop. The book is titled "Measurement and Evaluation in Psychology and Education." Only his eyes and nose are visible, adding a touch of social therapeutic humor.
A person dressed as Princess Leia is standing defiantly, leaning forward, while another person dressed as Darth Vader points at them. This social therapeutic improv interaction is taking place in a well-lit, indoor environment with other individuals and decorations visible in the background.
Luke Perone wearing a patterned black shirt and red pants sits on a large, ornate chair with his hands raised in an exaggerated surprised expression, reminiscent of an improv performance. An orange drink bottle is on a small side table to his right.
A colorful, abstract artwork featuring a variety of overlapping circles and organic shapes. The circles are filled with vibrant hues of pink, purple, blue, green, and yellow, intricately patterned with dots and lines. This dynamic composition fosters a social therapeutic ambiance akin to an artistic improv session.
Luke Perone smiles at the camera. He is wearing a red hoodie over a patterned shirt. The background shows a building with arched windows painted blue, and a lighted neon sign is visible, hinting at an improv club known for its social therapeutic impact.

Connection Call

Let's Create a Conversation!

Unsure where to start but curious to work/play with Luke Perone? Well, as we say in improv, “Initiate a Scene.” Schedule a 30-minute free Connection Call to get to know each other and discuss possibilities for us.

Reimagine Higher Education!

Our new book, Improvising With and In Higher Education: All Together Now is here!

 

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