I got into theater because it was my father’s first love, and he was mine. Everything he loved, I was determined to love just as much or more - Genet and Beckett, for all intents and purposes, became regular members of my family. Mom and Dad are no longer here but I’m thankful for my extended family. As a playwright, I’m inspired to write about love, memory and self-discovery. I try to find the humor in these with sincerity, poetry, symbolism and sometimes, simply inarticulate sentences. I strive to create smart material that’s provocative and reflective in hopes of asking difficult questions. Recently, I’ve been focused on examining the choices we have, the choice we make, and the choices that are ultimately made for us. I find much power in moments that force me to discover, grow, connect. As an actor, I’m more interested in contemporary works that explore modern day. I fall in love with my characters - with their circumstances, their conflicts, their layers. For me, digging into characters who struggle mightily to express the inexpressible reflects the human condition. I consider my curiosity and preparation as master skills. Finding the ugly and messy in one moment and the beauty and poetry in the next bring me absolute joy. I push myself to make strong choices and aim to deliver honest, compelling work. I act because I love stories and want to be with and pushed by others. As a director, I’m fascinated by how characters develop identity and make complex decisions. I’m unafraid to lean into the unfamiliar and can find comfort in the uncomfortable. When collaborating with a team all hands on deck, true magic can flourish. Recently I’ve been intrigued to learn more about devising work with elderly, handicapped and incarcerated populations. We are part of a whole much bigger than ourselves and I want to do my part by connecting our world, and enriching it, with marginalized voices and unprejudiced stories. Full of discourse, discomfort, accountability, empathy, inclusion and empowerment for all, my theater remains urgently founded upon hope. As I challenge myself to grow, I’ll stay curious - there is much to learn. I’m listening and ready to celebrate each other’s differences. Masters in Educational Theatre (NYU, ‘22), B.A. Theater (GWU, ‘08).
WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT RECENTLY
New Zealand, Miles, 49ers
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SCRIPTS
The Dresser, Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Buried Child, Appropriate, Attempts on her Life, Closer, Marisol, Jitney, The Father, Krapp’s Last Tape, Hughie, John, Almost Maine, Look Back in Anger, Melancholy Play
IN THE RUNNING FOR FAVORITE ALBUMS
Les Miserables Aquemini Blood On The Tracks Traveling Wilburys Midnight Marauders The Last Waltz Fleet Foxes The Way We Move
SONGS ON REPEAT THIS MONTH
“Once There Was a Hushpuppy” Beasts of the Southern Wild, “Ocean of Darkness” The War on Drugs, “Kansas City” The New Basement Tapes, “(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano” Sampha
COUNTRIES VISITED
Canada Costa Rica England Greece Iceland Israel Kyrgyzstan Laos Netherlands New Zealand Saint Maarten Turkey
SOME OF MY FAVES
Bob Dylan, Sarah Kane, Larry David, Basquiat, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sam Shepard, Eugene O'Neill, James Baldwin, Samuel Beckett, Marlon Brando, Jack Kerouac, Lenny Bruce, Maya Angelou, Freddie Mercury, Banksy, Coen Brothers, P.T. Anderson, August Wilson, Albert Finney, Cormac McCarthy, Nathan Fielder
