Being a part of the theater community has been a pursuit from the time I was young. I was fascinated with how a live performance could transport an audience to a different time and place. The lights would fade, excitement would build, performers would enter, and I was there experiencing a specific moment that connected me to my environment. It was magical. I realized later that theatrical storytelling is capable of igniting and engaging the mind like no other art form.

I have now been a part of the theater community for over 15 years working in a multitude of areas. I began with California Youth Theatre at Paramount Studios learning the technical aspects of lighting, sound, and stage-managing. As a technician, I learned how to work as a team, and how each department within a production contributed to the overall performance. As a stage manager I learned how to be painfully organized, make decisions quickly, communicate with an eclectic group of personalities, assist in any area that needed it, and how to effectively keep the process on schedule.

I always knew I wanted to be on the creative end of a production which led to set design. Over the past few years I have enjoyed this collaborative process more than any other beginning with reading a script, to understanding the director’s vision, to model making, to working with each department to make sure the overall vision is realized.

I received a BA in Sociology and an MFA in creative writing/critical studies from CalArts. My education combined with my experience has created a unique and harmonious perspective to my work. My interest in Sociology has informed all the research I do to create a setting as accurately as possible. Understanding the socio economics of a time period, the culture of a region or people, the politics, and the resources available is vital to creating some semblance of truth in even the most fantastic tales. Without this, achieving human interest and the suspense of disbelief is almost impossible. My education in writing has taught me to analyze the script with the utmost respect for the author’s intent. My job is to visually assist in bringing their story to life.

My experience in theater has taught me to be involved in every facet, to do all that is necessary to get the show up and make it a success. I cannot imagine a life without it.