I am a director, educator, and performer from Orlando, FL. I am currently pursuing my MFA in Directing at Western Illinois University, where I direct and teach in the Department of Theatre and Dance. I also hold a Certificate in "A Practical Approach to Directing" from Yale. In addition to creating theatre, I am a scholar who researches best practices for theatre artists.
My directing work includes both scripted and improvised theatre, as well as new works and contemporary classics. I believe theatre to be an almost spiritual, community experience. I am most excited by projects that allow me to interrogate that sense of community, whether that is to enhance or to challenge it.
Collaboration is at the center to my directing approach. Every artist I work with has unique ideas and illuminating lived experiences that bring new life to a production. Where possible, I seize on my collaborators' ideas, even if it was not a path I initially anticipated.
As a scholar-practitioner, I believe it is vital to study theatre in a way that is actionable and applicable to the real world. Over the last several years, my focus has been on the intersection of directing and ethics: what does it mean to direct in a morally responsible way? My research has explored ethical caring, improvisation, and many other topics as I aim to improve my own practice and offer better tools to other artists.
Teaching is my passion. Because of educators who supported me at all ages, I felt like theatre was somewhere I could take risks and grow. Now I hope to pass that on to new generations of students and young artists. As a teacher, I welcome non-judgmental exploration, leaning into ideas from theatre educators like Viola Spolin, Keith Johnstone, and Anne Bogart.