Bio

My fascination with theatre began almost as early as I could understand what storytelling was — I was the kid who wrote plays for my cousins and siblings to perform at family get-togethers (I always directed and starred, of course), and my family likes to say that I started making theatre then, and I've never stopped.

At some point, a career in the arts became an inevitable path, and during my teen years, I sought opportunities to learn more about the craft of theatre and the leadership skills that it encourages.  I was in a leadership role by the time I was 15, taking active responsibility for a youth drama troupe, choosing scripts, recruiting actors, learning to direct, and learning about the process of working with a governing body of the organization that I was working with.  When I was a theatre major in college, in addition to leading a senior high theatre group, I also began Foothills Alliance Church's FACES program, developing theatre daycamps and after-school programs for elementary and junior high students, which I oversaw and taught for several years.

I began developing plans for a start-up theatre company when I was in college, and once I graduated, that dream became a driving force in my career plans, even though I wasn't actively pursuing my own business yet.  Instead, I continued to seek training and experience, and I made an effort to work on shows that challenged me as an actor and director, and placed myself in managerial situations that stretched me and pushed me beyond my comfort zone.

In 2005, I moved to New York, and during the year I was there, I earned my Certificate in Arts Administration at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies and interned in the office of Roy Gabay, a Broadway producer and general manager.  It was there that I realized that a crucial part of my artistic fulfillment comes in the form of producing; specifically, in the rewarding capacity of providing a space for other artists to work. The ability to be a source of support, income, training, physical space, and networking became continually more appealing, and the journey to become a knowledgeable, effective producer led me to California Institute of the Arts in 2007 to pursue my MFA in Producing.

These same factors are also a part of my growing interest in municipal public policy affecting the arts.  On a broader level than one producer providing a service in the theatre world, I'm becoming more interested in how the arts within a city interplay with each other and with the local government and businesses to influence the feel of the city and to create an environment where the arts can flourish.

My long-term career plans still center around starting a youth-oriented, mentorship-driven, faith-based theatre company that would be a place where students could pair one-on-one with trained professionals and learn in the context of a rehearsal process and final production, rather than in a drama class-style group setting.   When and how that company will come to life, I don't know yet. My career path has taken many unexpected turns, but I've realized that the most important core of what theatre is to me remains consistent, regardless of whether I'm starting a new company, revamping an existing program, or working with a long-established organization.

I'm still seeking to gain experiences and contacts that will serve me well, wherever my artistic path goes, and along the way, I'm eager to bring my skills and knowledge to my corner of the art world.  My long-term goals and vision are important and are an integral part of who I am as an artist, but there are many artists — people and organizations who are doing significant, innovative, high-quality work — that I would be honored to work with in the meantime.

I've been a teacher and a student; I've developed educational programs; I've acted and directed; I've been the producer and curator who has given other artists a space to work. Every project I work on is a chance to develop my skills and learn a little more about the craft that I've dedicated my life to studying.