Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has joined together to celebrate life through art. It is through the artist’s eye that our collective society has sought to open its heart and mind, its humanity, to the mysteries of life and to the differing views of our shared world. Through this artistic tradition mankind has come together in hopes of understanding our existence and lessening the isolation created by the complexities of our world and human nature.
Accepting the challenges of this artistic heritage, I have dedicated my creative talents to exploring our human world and to confronting and questioning the issues that influence our everyday lives. I believe in the power of the arts to change lives and influence society. Through the communal experience of the stage, artists and audience join as one to share common joys, sorrows, fears, and dreams. I know that it is through the presentation of the highest quality performing arts that we, as artists, can enlighten, challenge, stimulate and educate our audiences. Through the act of artistic creation, cultural barriers can be dissipated, the minds of our audiences can be opened to view our shared world in a new light, and the geographical isolation of our community can be lessened. At the same time, our creative work can and must entertain, bring joy and laughter, and celebrate the wonders of life and joy of human relationships.
As a theatre artist, I believe in the dynamics of action. My own artistic work has a physical vitality to it. As I am passionate about life, so too are my productions. I am eclectic in my dramatic tastes. In my career I have worked on productions from almost all major genres and historical periods. I confess that I do have a fondness for classics. I believe that all human experience transcends time. I find great comfort in sharing that society is attached to a history of humanity and that mankind has not advanced as much as we like to believe. In fact, our world is still a part of a tremendous history of inhumanity. While I enjoy working on classical texts, I am not a purist. I work from a dramaturgical point of view, highly invested in text analysis and open to working in non-traditional, theatrical styles.
I accept that technology is an intrinsic part of our lives in the 21st century and I believe that the performing arts must continue, as it has always done, to embrace the advances of technology as a tool for creative expression. I enjoy pushing technological boundaries as I explore the convergence of performance and intermediality.
My work is process oriented but with a “commercial” understanding that a show is a product that must open on schedule, stay within budget, and earn critical acceptance to be called a “success.” At the same time, I give myself permission to “fail” as I experiment with my artistry by exploring the world of the play and taking dramaturgical risks.
I am a collaborative director, leaning towards Peter Stein’s definition of the role of the director as a synthesist, focused on blending the work of all the artists into a cohesive whole. I come from a technical background and am well versed in the language of design. As in any leadership position, I see communication as a key to the collaborative process. I also believe in the discipline demanded by the rigors of the performing arts and understand that the growth process will be corrupted without it.
I look at the art of the stage holistically, working to ensure that all parts of the creative and support teams function together. I work to create an Artistic Home, a place where creativity is nourished, hard work and working smart is respected, and passion for the theatre is the natural result of the collaborative process.