I tell stories.

I shape moments and string those moments together to create a story like popcorn on a garland. I work with actor impulses and the gifts of language I find in the text. I sculpt a world for the play, fusing ideas from designers with the brilliance of artisans. I want to forge a story from every breath, from every snapshot of action, and with an exceptional team hone the entire audience experience in the tradition of live storytelling. I guide actors with questions and opportunities for exploration. I invite them to bring themselves to the character and make it their own based on their own identity and experiences. 

I am inspired by music and movement. I try to bring elements of dance and lyricism to the reality of the worlds I create.  I am drawn to moments of heightened experience onstage such as intimacy and violence, and how they can be used to create impact and spark various ranges of reactions from the audience. I am driven by challenges and the constraints around making a moment happen. Creativity flourishes within containers. I believe in guiding from joy and fun because I don’t want us to forget why we got into this art form in the first place. I believe in play and silliness and unearthing such high moments of wonder for characters that the devastation later is all the more heartbreaking.
I hold safety both before and above anything else. Not just covering a screw sticking out or having knee pads for a fall, but also caring for the emotional and mental well being of everyone involved in a production. I engineer spaces where people can feel comfortable asking for help with what they need whether that is a mental health break, a few minutes of rest, or a restructuring of a moment. No art is worth damaging each other. I create brave and compassionate spaces where people can feel empowered to tell dangerous stories without feeling in danger themselves. Artistically, I am drawn to darker and more sinister narratives, but these can only be achieved if everyone feels safe to do so.

My career so far has taken me in various directions including performance, stage management, and occasionally producing. I find fun skills and challenges in all of these areas, however, directing has always been what brings me the most joy and where I find my strongest sense of purpose. In the past few years, I have found a similar sense within intimacy directing and coordinating. Learning how to focus and shape these specific moments of heightened storytelling have made me a better overall director. The sharp communication and observation skills necessary to being an intimacy director have made me better at working with actors on other moments and communicating effectively with all of my collaborators.