At the core of what I do as a collaborative artist to pursue the playful, the poetic, and the provocative in gesture, word, and form.

The productions I shepherd often possess a heightened physicality with stunts, fights, movement sequences, and choreography.

The same principles that fuel me as a teacher and movement director also guide me as a director: compassion, curiosity, ensemble, and play.

I believe theatre functions on two planes of perception - the story unfolding on stage in front of the audience and the relationship the theatrical piece has with the audience itself.

I am interested in finding the narrative potential within all of the theatrical elements, discovering virtuosity on stage, and uncovering compelling stories.

I often fear that we, as a society, have lost our ability to use language to 140 characters. I embrace and love social media, but at the same time I believe in the transformative power of words and poetry.

My current directing practice is engaged in deep research into shared light
(from outdoors, to candle and lamplight, and more) as well as explorations of space and how to best use it to transfer the narrative of the story. How do we respond to physical space around us and not apologize for it? Embrace the space.

Right now I am deeply engaged in adaptation. Some projects I am currently in the research phases of are: a Punk-Pop Reimagining of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence, A solo version of 1984 involving live looping, an adaption the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Eastern European Folktales and Short Stories. Page-to-stage is a particular area of interest.

As I find myself working in found spaces, community spaces and more I have come to a few ideas: some artists have dubbed these philosophies, the “Human Landmarks” way of working. This work is essential to moving “beyond the proscenium.”

Human Landmarks

The  "Human Landmarks" philosophy represents a sophisticated bridge between classical ensemble training and contemporary site-specific practice. At its core, it rejects the idea of a "neutral" space, positing instead that every location—whether a public park, art gallery, or historic building—is already thick with invisible narratives.

Much of my work draws from my training with Complicite, Moises Kaufman and Tectonic Theatre Project, Punch Drunk, Aretha Sills in the work of Viola Spolin, Michael Chekhov Technique, and my studies at Shakespeare’s Globe/Globe Education. 

1. The Actor as the Primary "Architecture"

In the "Human Landmarks" model, the performer doesn't just occupy a space; they define it. By using tools from Viola Spolin and Michael Chekhov, the ensemble transforms a non-theatrical environment into a sacred or dramatic one. This work is especially effective as we move “beyond the proscenium” into new and exciting spaces.

• The Shift: While much of my work still involves a set, or set like elements - instead of relying primarily on a them to tell the audience where they are, the actor’s physical presence creates a landmark of human expression and transformation that anchors the viewer.

• The Result: The audience focuses on the "human monument" rather than the lack of a traditional proscenium.

2. Environmental Dramaturgy: The "Found" Narrative

The dramaturgy of space isn't about forcing a play onto a location, but rather finding the play within it.

• Site-Responsivity:  The history of that space you are creating art in (its "Landmarks"), adds to the story’s themes, images, and metaphors.

• The "Shared" Space: By performing in public and community spaces, the dramaturgy must account for the "living" elements—the wind, the ambient noise of the town, and the proximity of the audience. These aren't distractions; they are dramaturgical collaborators.

3. The Civic Dimension of Space

The dramaturgy of space is inherently political.

• Reclaiming Space: By choosing "Human Landmarks" over traditional theaters, we are effectively democratizing the art form. I believe that the "landmark" isn't a building with a marquee; it is the community gathering to witness a story.

• The "In-Situ" Experience: This approach turns the audience into active participants in a civic ritual. When the space is "shared" and "found," the barrier between the "Art" and the "Town" dissolves.

4. Spolin and the "Games" of the Environment

The work of Viola Spolin manifests in how ensembles navigate these spaces. In a non-traditional venue, the "rules of the game" change constantly.

• Organic Spontaneity: The ensemble is trained to respond to the physical reality of the site in real-time.

• Spatial Awareness: The dramaturgy is built on the physical relationship between the bodies in the space (performers and audience), creating a "Human Landmark" that is fluid and alive rather than static.

A theatre is a collection of artists and ensemble is a practice.

This  philosophy allows one to walk into any room—or any field—and immediately identify the "Nodes of Power" in the environment. You aren't looking for where to put the "set"; you are looking for where the "Human Landmark" needs to stand to best activate the history of that ground.

Every site has a dramaturgy. A field is not a "blank slate"; it is a record of labor, migration, and ecology. Our process is Site-Responsive, meaning the staging is a dialogue, not a monologue.

• The Shared Reality: We lean into the "Spolin-esque" reality of the moment. If an ambulance passes during a soliloquy, the landmark does not crumble; it incorporates the sound. The "Game" of the play is played with the environment as a teammate.

• Accessible Vitality: By removing the "fourth wall" and the literal walls of the playhouse, we collapse the distance between the citizen and the art. The dramaturgy of space is an act of Social Justice—it reclaims public land for public imagination.

A "Human Landmark" is where the personal meets the political. As an ensemble, we are not just "doing" a play; we are staging a civic intervention.

• The Director as Cartographer: My role is to map the "Nodes of Power" in a space. Where does the light hit at dusk? Where does the community naturally gather? We place the "Landmark" at these intersections to ensure the theatre feels inevitable, rather than imposed.

• Minimalist Rigor: By stripping away the technological crutches of the proscenium, we return the theatre to its most elemental form: Body, Breath, Imagination, and Ground.

VIDEO SAMPLES

Hamlet opening sequence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMcTiR-Wutg

Ophelia's Death Knell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lDO2QzDiWc

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR PHOTOS OF WORK

THE SERPENT by Jean-Claude van Itallie at Nebraska Repertory Theatre

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William Shakespeare at Saratoga Shakespeare Company

HAMLET by William Shakespeare at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film

SHE KILLS MONSTERS by Qui Nguyen at the Johnny Carson School of Theatre & Film