We come to the theatre to surrender to a story, hoping it will transform our hearts and minds. I believe theatre can define culture, it can be sexy, cool, and profoundly resonant. Storytelling is a universal human act, and the magic of theatre exists in the space between the production and its audience. The director’s role is to serve the story, guiding a team of collaborators to become the vessel through which that story lives. Above all, what draws me to this work is the spirit of collaboration, and the magic that we can create.

When I was a child, I spent hours in my parents’ home studio with a handheld video camera, creating miniature plays and movies. I would write, direct, and act in my own stories, then share them with my family. In many ways, it feels only natural that I became a director—one who now takes responsibility for shaping how an audience sees the world and themselves. As a director, I create a vision and assemble a team grounded in shared values to chart the course of the creative journey.

Directing is akin to the work of a doula, bringing new life into the world. I embody this in the way I collaborate with my actors. As a conduit, I strive to create a space that fulfills Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. I believe that when safety is established, when everyone is truly seen and heard, and when the room reflects today’s America, the child self is liberated, free to play, just as I once did with my parents’ handheld camera.

As a theatre practitioner, I love the process of shepherding creativity in the development of new work, while holding space for writers to realize their own magic. I love calling audiences into conversation by reexamining classic tales through a new lens. I love blending art forms, integrating technology, cinema, or music as bridges to new communities.

My process begins with three guiding questions: Why this play, why now? What is my personal connection to this material? From what perspective should we enter this world? With every choice, I prioritize story and challenge my collaborators to prize specificity in designs.

I am most interested in exploring style as a tool to evoke thought, emotion, or a visceral response. Rather than realism, I turn to expressionism, symbolism, and surrealism to awaken the imagination and invite audiences to become active participants in the experience. At its best, my theatre is as immersive and transcendent as a Beyoncé concert, a Baptist church service on Easter Sunday, or an intimate viewing of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

It is my mission to remind audiences of storytelling’s power as a force for social and emotional change. I hope that when patrons experience my work, they are reminded of our deep interconnectedness and are emboldened to live more fully.