From absurdist comedies to classical tragedies, from the intimate to the epic, my approach is highly collaborative and extra-theatrical.

 

Leveraging nearly 20 years of improv experience, I use movement-based exercises, heightening each actor’s natural instincts for intuitive performances. With my diverse training (at Hofstra University, under Broadway fight choreographer Robert Westley and with Helen Hayes Award-winning Synetic Theater) –– as well as my professional experience as a writer, performer and interviewer –– I try to speak to everyday people in ways that spark their collective imagination. Sure, I put a lot of thought into my work, but each cerebral concept takes a backseat to the characters' stories and relationships, the beating heart of every production.
 

When I was a director/adjunct instructor for Hofstra University’s 70th annual Shakespeare Festival, for instance, I helped spearhead a production that could play on Hofstra’s recreated Globe stage and appeal to high school students in the surrounding area. Inspired by 1950s B-movies, it was my kind of show, a cross between Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery Science Theater 3000. Here, the look and feel of the show provided character archetypes and situations that audiences of all ages could understand. Each creative choice was made to support the timeless situations and universal themes of Shakespeare’s enduring comedy.

With this and every other project, I strive to create something that resonates long after the stage lights dim.