As a director and theatre artist, I am always looking to work on projects that have something significant to say and want to make the audience think. I believe theatres can please their audiences and donors while still creating thought-provoking theatre that strengthens society. In a world of digital media and short-form content, theatre needs to lean into what makes it unique as a storytelling medium. People sitting in a room together, experiencing a story being told right in front of them, breathing the same air and matching up their heart beats. It creates an opportunity for us to put away the screens, look a stranger in the eyes, and say “tell me your story”. As a queer-identifying person in today’s climate, I work to harness that storytelling power to uplift the voices and simple humanity of queer people and other marginalized communities. While telling the stories of underserved groups, I believe it is important to respond to the convenience and accessibility of digital media by working to find new ways to make live theatre accessible.

 

I like to bring this humanity-focused approach into my rehearsal room. When I am working with actors, I invite them to share their stories and work to make my rehearsal room a safe space for them to do so. My rehearsal room is a space where pronouns are respected, discomfort is recognized, and mistakes are discussed. Actors are encouraged to explore, be vulnerable, and grow because that’s what the audience gets, and it’s what the actors deserve too. As a designer myself, I interface with designers in the same way but with the vocabulary to understand their perspective. I have a lot of strong opinions as a director, and I would view that as one of my greatest strengths. I have taken the time to educate myself on all aspects of design and that allows me to have a detailed conversation with my designers and discuss their ideas and needs. Still, the designers bring a whole new perspective to the show and a unique breadth of experience allows us to explore and find the right gestures to build a layered and complex moment together.

 

This human lens is also how I approach selecting plays. I choose plays that have something to say about the world we live in. Plays that are fertile ground for discussion with my production team and performers, express something that society needs to explore, and will spark dialogue in the community. I ask of the play, “Who are these characters, and why do they act the way that they do? Why did the playwright decide to tell this story at the moment in history that it was written? Who did they hope would see this play?”. Any show can be compelling if the answers to those questions are compelling.