Ariel Fristoe

Ariel Fristoe is an Instructor in Theater Studies at Emory University and the founder/Artistic Director of Out of Hand Theater, an organization bridging art, social justice, and civic engagement. She teaches arts administration and manages the arts management concentration at Emory. Her work includes creating programs like Equitable Dinners (racial equity dialogues with art/experts) and Creative Kids (free arts education for underserved students). She serves on Leadership Atlanta's 2021 class and the Advancement Committee of Families First.

Her practice emphasizes theater as a tool for community empowerment, addressing issues such as gun violence, mass incarceration, and educational inequality through immersive events like Shows in Homes. She partners with high-poverty schools to close opportunity gaps for minority and low-income students through Creative Kids initiatives.