Community
As someone who did not immediately find a place for my voice in mainstream theater, my own practice champions hospitality, a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to theater-making and foregrounds marginalized voices. I do this by creating hybrid spaces that connect art-making, activism and community organizing.
Student Voices Campaign
I launched the Student Voices Campaign, a platform for students to communicate with elected officials through original short videos. The Student Voices Curriculum, offers structure students grades 6-12 to deepen their understanding of storytelling, forming arguments and advocacy. To date, student videos have led to increases in arts education funding, the establishment of gender-neutral bathrooms and a cohort of young artists who recognize the power of their voices. More.
What if would you
What if would you was written through a collaboration with choreographer Vic Marks and the Axis Dance Company, an ensemble of dancers with and without disabilities. I led writing assignments and attended early rehearsals to develop a shared language—physical and spoken—for this full-length dance-theater piece exploring themes of risk, connection and boundaries. The show was performed as part of the company’s national touring repertory.
Flip the Game
Through Center Theater Group’s Speak to Me Program, I had the opportunity to spend a semester in residence at Lynwood High School. Through ensemble building, improv exercises and a writing workshop, we reflected on the role of race in our lives. Based on our time together, I wrote the play Flip the Game, which Lynwood students, designed, performed and lead post-show community conversations with parents, students and school staff.
Plaza de la Raza
Collaborating with puppetry students at Plaza de la Raza, we created Full Tilt Float, a puppet show about musical zombies, space aliens and a grandmother with a protest sign, which was performed at Plaza de la Raza and REDCAT. Through interviews and exercises, I worked with students to develop characters and bring them to life as puppets and then script the story of their shared adventures.
Morodokmai
Working with director Mira Kingsley and students at the Morodokmai School outside Bangkok, we developed an original dance theater show based on the life and quiet miracles of Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne. The show was presented at the International Yamchoa Theater Festival in Thailand.
Create CA
Working for a collective impact campaign to restore arts education to California K-12 public schools, I collaborated with students, teachers, parents, school leaders and community-based organizations to design art-informed strategies for advocacy. I launched Office Hours, a virtual organizing space for activist all around the state to share strategies and build community. Learn more.