DIRECTOR
As a graduate of New York University’s program in Educational Theatre, 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 first 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.
My goal to deliver on the expectations of the young people first, which inevitably include elements that represent the original characters and staging. There's no need to strip down Frozen so much that becomes an unrecognizable avant garde piece. This is not the place for gratuitous changes for personal artistic fulfillment. Yes, her dress should be blue, her hair should be in a braid.
But where I do encourage and necessitate imagination and re-envisioning is in its diversity. I like to say that the kids are typically unconcerned with the skin color of the performer playing the character they know and love, and more about their iconic dress or shirt looking right.
Quality is everything. I don't care if the audience is 5 year olds, or if the venue is a library or on a regional theatre stage. Fully produce, realize and every element of the show just as you would a piece for adults. These stories must be told with integrity, love and care. There is no "just [show here]".
Fina
Finally, I'm a defender and apologist of musicals and IP in TYA. Most people’s first theatrical memories are not of The Glass Menagerie. It was when Junie B. Jones came to their school to sing about her “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.
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
