Directorial Philosophy

I believe theatre should reflect our true selves back at us and ask for more than white, cisgendered, heteronormative defaults. As a Fat, Queer, Latinx, theatre kid, I never once saw any version of me reflected in the theatre I was shown. Things are changing for the better, but there is still room for improvement. “Tradition” should never supersede opportunities to crash through concepts of typecasting as long as the text and heart of a play is able to shine through. As a director, I strive to cast and shape concepts with the character and the writing in mind, and stay open to the varied forms and interpretations they can take.

  

I believe in a sense of playful collaboration that marries hard work with the opportunity for discovery. No director is an island, and the team surrounding them should be inspired to reach for interesting and bold choices. I’d like designers to feel emboldened to experiment with the given concept, and for actors to trust that their intuition and decision making in the rehearsal process is as much a piece of collaboration as any design. And even when directing a drama, a sense of responsible play is crucial to keeping spirits light and camaraderie strong. We are creating worlds and characters that through our work appear from nothing. That should be fun.

 

I believe that my role as a director is to be a facilitator of story, making sure that a play’s message shines through to an audience. Ultimately, my goal is to advocate for theatre as an empathic and illuminating art form that is unrivaled in its ability to tap emotion. Every choice I make is made with the goal of pulling the audience into the moment to revel in the immediacy, joy, and relevance of live performance.