Original Works
My mission in all of my work is to promote a more loving & equitable world.
As a playwright I do that by writing in response to our times with the hope audiences will find common ground and radical empathy with the characters I've created and transfer that compassion to the people they encounter in their daily lives.
My pieces tend to have modern dance or abstract movement in conversation with more grounded scenes, stories, and characters. A magical realism if you will. I absolutely love devising with ensembles. Even when I've already written a scene or story before rehearsal begin I am always so inspired and excited to see what the actors will bring to the characters I've imagined.
to be healthy
Writer, Director, & Lighting Designer
Motherhood. PTSD. Relapse. Knowing something is wrong and no one believes you. Distrust. Bills you can’t pay. Loneliness. Resilience. Hope. A group of women find themselves intertwined as they face their own personal struggles within the American healthcare system. Performance ensemble: Courtney Nicole Auman, Dominique Coppella, Meiver De la Cruz, Khadiyah DeSilva, Molly McFadden.
Created in collaboration with the ensemble
Test Flight Workshop Production
Cleveland Public Theatre
Cleveland, OH
ENDependence Opioid Project
Co-Creator & Co-Director
Created with artist writing cohort Molly Andrews-Hinders, John Dayo-Aliya, and Christopher Johnston in partnership with Metrohealth
Co-Directed with Molly Andrews-Hinders
Cleveland Public Theatre
Cleveland, OH
How are we addressing the opioid epidemic now, and how do we move forward? ENDependence explores the story of pain management in this country, the kinds of treatment available for those struggling with opioid use disorder, and best methods for responding to the epidemic. Infused with both humor and gravity, and featuring songs and scenes, ENDependence highlights those in our community who are affected by opioid use disorder—from doctors to patients to family members. Interactive in form, ENDependence calls on our community to investigate how we respond on a personal and systemic level to our oldest companion: pain. Photos by Steve Wagner.
The Story of Sydney & Sam
Writer, Director, & Lighting Designer
Butler Theatre Senior Project
B.A. Butler Theatre Program
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN
One night I couldn’t get these two characters out of my head: a very snarky boy with a rough past, and a goody two-shoes girl who couldn’t stand him. They were in a room with two doors and two chairs, and they couldn’t get out. I wasn’t sure why. So that night I wrote for hours just letting their stories play out in my head. They shocked me, intrigued me, and made me think about things I’d been avoiding thinking about. I grew to love them. For two years I wrote, and rewrote. I went to Australia, where I met fantastic people filled with all sorts of cultures and beliefs. We talked about death. We talked about life. We talked about religion. We talked about how our countries viewed one another, and how wrong they were. I came home filled with ideas of topics I wanted to get people here talking about. I named the girl Sydney and the boy Sam. Sam wasn’t just a snarky boy with a rough past, he was loving, funny, sensitive, hopeful, and heartbroken. Sydney wasn’t just a goody two shoes. She was confused, lonely, playful, and caring. Together, through meeting each other, they become better versions of themselves. Through meeting them, I’ve become a better version of myself. Seeing the cast and crew bring their stories to life, is more rewarding than I ever expected it to be.