DIRECTOR
As a graduate of New York University’s program in Educational Theatre, specializing in Theatre for Young Audiences, directing and creating “TYA” has been one of the greatest gifts of my artistic life. Sitting in the back of an auditorium with 800 kids who shriek with delight as the infamous peach in James and the Giant Peach makes its appearance, receiving countless letters from teachers who somewhere caught a show I directed on tour, expressing their gratitude for showing their little Black and Brown boys that there is a place for them in the arts - it will forever be imprinted in my heart.
Crafting a show substantial enough to warrant family co-viewing, that hits age appropriate core curriculum, and entertains enough to capture the toughest critics in the game - children - is a tall order that I relish in.
Paramount to my approach is an emphasis on quality and diversity. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a library or a regional theatre stage - these stories must be told with integrity, love and care. Many people’s first theatrical memories are not of Elphaba defying gravity or jellicle cats: it was when Junie B. Jones came to their school to sing about “Top Secret Personal Beeswax”. It may not seem like high art - but it is critically important. It sparks a lifelong love of the arts, inspiring the theatergoers of tomorrow, by introducing them to it.
AREAS OF FOCUS
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Musical Theatre for Young Audiences
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IP Integration and Adaptation
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Touring Productions
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Blended-Age Casts
