Hometown: Amarillo, Texas
Education: B.A. in International Relations and Drama from Tufts University
Favorite Credits: No Baby by Blake Bishton (The Habitat), But I Digress by Sarah DeLappe (The Habitat), The Whole Damn Thing by Jessica Penzias (Midtown International Theatre Festival), Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rain by Will Eno (Williamstown Theatre Festival)
Why theater?: Magical things can happen when you are sitting with a bunch of strangers in a dark theatre with immediate and live performances happening in front of you. A lot of art forms seem to lack this communal and ephemeral experience. It's very clear to me why theatre used to be a religious ritual.
Tell us about the lighthouse invites the storm: Lighthouse revolves around two young people who are being exposed to a real emotional connection for the first time. They each come from different backgrounds, different life experiences, and they view the world in a completely different way. We see them first in a pre-college program in rural Vermont where they struggle to make sense out of what this connection between them actually is and then we revisit them 16 years later. They quickly learn that their decisions and their experiences 16 years ago have had a ripple effect up until now. The choices we make always find ways to come back to us whether positive or negative.
What inspired you to direct the lighthouse invites the storm?: The universality of these characters' realizations and discoveries throughout the play was too juicy not to explore, and it's truly an actor's piece. The specificity of our process has been a wonderful challenge for both myself and the actors as we approach the play like an orchestral piece---making sure every moment is mined and relates back to the grander trajectory of the play. Everyone is doing beautifully understated work, and I've found this type of work to be highly rewarding.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Theatre that has something to say. I'm not interested in playwrights or actors or designers who are apathetic towards where theatre fits into our culture and society. Theatre can matter if we make it something that society needs not wants. I'm inspired when I walk out of a space and realize I needed that story; I grew from that story; I am different because of that story.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Tony Kushner
What show have you recommended to your friends?: The Visit
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I would want it to be Zachary Quinto but it would probably be Jim Parsons. I can't even begin to think about what it would be called.
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: Bertolt Brecht's production of Mother Courage
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I eat A LOT of hot dogs. And I often feel guilty about it.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Living in Cairo
What’s up next?: I'm off to Honolulu, Hawaii to direct a production of It's Only a Play by Terrence McNally, which is the first performance of this version outside of Broadway. And it being in Hawaii is definitely a plus! Up next is a fantastic series of short plays by Gabe Weissman and Brian Reno with each play done in the style of playwrights from ancient Greece to Mamet and all revolving around the ridiculous/hilarious problems we now have because of corporate America. We're putting that up at the Scranton Shakespeare Festival in July. Then on to a residency at HB Studios where I'm developing a piece with the playwright/actress Julia Izumi based on creation myths from an array of different cultures.
