Joan Schirle was the artistic director of Dell’Arte International, founded by Jane Hill and Carlo Mazzone-Clementi. She was an actor, playwright, director, deviser, teacher, and arts activist, whose acting work was recognized with a 2006 Fox Foundation/TCG Resident Actor Fellowship for professional development. In 2004 she was honored at the 16th Cairo International Experimental Theatre Festival as a leader in the field of experimental theatre. She served as director of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre from 2003 – 2011.

Joan Schirle passed away on February 1, 2022 at her home in Blue Lake, Humboldt County, California.