​Tell me a bit about yourself as a director.
I tend to be an actor's director and work very organically. Each moment in a scene has the potential to be riveting, even if it's a character doing her laundry. A play is simply a map to the performance as a whole, I feel the director’s job is to allow actors to fully embody the essence of that map, to feel the different elevations and to find a place within it that is unique. From this place, the story is told—a special place where each particular actor can fully explore all of the play's mysteries and sureties.
 
At its core, A Number is about:
Being unique. It's about how dearly we hold our identities with the conviction that we are, even with the knowledge that countless humans have come before us, somehow singular in all of time. The play challenges us investigate what truly makes us individuals, even if we are standing in the presence of a perfect genetic copy of ourselves. In a similar way, we are also allowed to see this action from the viewpoint of a parent, whose genes were the source of it all.
 
What is the most challenging aspect of directing A Number?
A Number is a stunning combination of subtle language, horrible and beautiful lies, murder, and human cloning. The challenge was to reveal to the audience how truly simple and beautiful the story is. Luckily, my team was able to take my vision and turn it into something even more audacious, fun, and moving than I could have conceived alone.
 
Are you approaching your section of A Number as mutually exclusive from the other two pieces?
No. Being the last section, it relies so heavily on everything that came before. I stressed to my artists how important it was to be familiar with the play as a whole.
 
The script for A Number does not have many stage directions, or even much punctuation; do you consider this a gift or a challenge when directing your “slice” of The Bake Off?
It has been a gift. Even more than the lack of punctuation, there is the lack of completion of voiced thoughts from each character. Many characters’ lines seem interrupted or incomplete. This marvelous conceit allows me and the artists to complete the characters' sentences in our heads— it keeps us on our toes as far as the meaning of each line. With minimal stage direction, it allows us to create all of the action based on what is occurring as opposed to being actions to make things occur. There can be more creativeness this way.
 
What makes directing this play fun?
The anticipation of seeing how three different visions will work as a whole.
 
What's your favorite line in the play?
“We've got ninety-nine per cent the same genes as any other person. We've got ninety per cent the same as a chimpanzee. We've got thirty percent the same as a lettuce. Does that cheer you up at all? I love about the lettuce. It makes me feel I belong.”

Tell me a bit about yourself as a director.
I knew I wanted to be a director when I was 13. I founded a high school video club to scratch that itch in the 80s (MTV-inspired!). I directed my first play at 19; Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians on an Air Force base in the Philippines—I was the youngest member of the entire production. I've never been to school for theater; I've learned from doing and observing. As such, I don't have a dialed-in industry vocabulary which can sometimes be challenging—my ideas of a "beat" or diagramming a script are probably not the formal definitions. I work intuitively and collaboratively. I don't know if that's the most efficient methodology, but it sure is fun and while actors may occasionally wrinkle their brows figuring me out, we seem to happily arrive at theater together.

At its core, A Number is about:
Nature. Shaped by nurture. But mostly identity, the fragile glaze that binds them. If nature is the basic clay of identity, and nurture the long slow shaping, why does simply learning where the clay came from suddenly cause a crack to appear? Does nurture get re-written: is the shaping redone? Is nature altered: does the clay fundamentally change? Science tells us that yes, trauma can actually change DNA. Epigenetics is a thing.  But we're looking more at how individual identities are bound to others, and how the reflection of one's identity in another, especially parent to child and vice versa, can be utterly foundational.

What is the most challenging aspect of directing A Number? 
I think the inspiring challenges are more in the “Bake Off” format than the script! So few rehearsals! In the script, mapping truths and lies has been an interesting puzzle.

Are you approaching your section of A Number as mutually exclusive from the other two pieces?
We read the whole script a time or two. I think we all believe that more information is better when trying to understand the story, character's histories and motivations, and what's a lie versus what's not. But we've made no efforts to map anything that might be useful beyond our section. For example, we haven't given any thought to a nature aspect of the Michael character since he doesn't appear in our section, like do all three clones echo a physical affectation we can see and how would it present specifically in Michael and how would it affect Salter? Don't care! Is the set layout going to work for later scenes, and how should later needs inform earlier scenes (normal things you discover in rehearsal). Don't care! If we had the whole show, we'd pay attention to those things, but “ain't nobody got time for that!”

The script for A Number does not have many stage directions, or even much punctuation; do you consider this a gift or a challenge when directing your “slice” of The Bake Off?
Both. The dialogue is powerfully real this way, and there's freedom to live and move in it. It's like how we really think-talk, but not how we normally perform. It is a challenge to memorize, however. Chris and Bruce have worked really hard on it! Stage directions might have made blocking slightly more efficient in our compressed process, but having none written means we can make bold choices and own them, which is perfect for The Bake Off!

What makes directing this play fun?
What powerfully moves me and makes it totally rewarding is getting to work with super talented actors like Bruce and Chris. I am lucky, humbled, and blessed to be their audience of one! One fun thing about this script for me is that it gets the science right (it bugs me when scripts get science wrong), yet the science is merely a layer under the story of relationships and identities. The science—and even the ethics of the science—do not try to own the story. It's merely what happened (what could happen? what will happen?), and while it informs the story it isn't the whole story. Some of the characters’ feelings could map onto near-parallel stories like, "I had a twin I never knew about that you drowned at childbirth" or "I just found out I was adopted from the prison orphanage, one of sextuplets" or "my dad had a secret second family." The cloning gives a wonderful new twist to explore, though, (what constitutes my uniqueness?) without just being a story about test tubes. One last fun thing was discovering all kinds of music about clones—I am now a Gary Numan fan.

What's your favorite line in the play? 
So many!!!!! I'll force myself to pick one … Bernard says, “you called them things. I think we'll find they're people.”

​Tell me a bit about yourself as a director.
Recently, I've been directing extensively with young performers … several middle schools, summer camps, and soon moving into becoming the drama director for Essex High School. As an educator, the directing goals center around skill sharing, team building, identity, and empowerment. As a director with adults, my ethos is similar, though deeply rooted in script analysis, movement generated content, play, and trust between all creative partners. As a director, I come with a vision, ask a lot of questions, remain open to discovery, and then carve out the meat with the editing knife.
 
At its core, A Number is about:
The risk inside relationship. What does it mean to be vulnerable? How do we mask who we are and what we want? What does it mean to be one's own? What does it mean to be recognized? To be a part, to be apart?
 
What is the most challenging aspect of directing A Number?
In the case of The Bake Off, it's time. We have a very short rehearsal schedule. Maintaining space for discovery while also driving decision making is the most awesome challenge! Efficient use of hours and talent while generating content with intention and clarity: what a fantastic opportunity for preparedness and urgency in the work. A lot of sparks fly, and we need to catch them quickly.
 
Are you approaching your section of A Number as mutually exclusive from the other two pieces?
In what world does mutually exclusive exist?
 
The script for A Number does not have many stage directions, or even much punctuation; do you consider this a gift or a challenge when directing your “slice” of The Bake Off?
A gift for vision and imagination. Churchill's words are coded, deliberate and rich with interpretations. Every problem is an opportunity.
 
What makes directing this play fun?
The actors who have given me their trust (and they have mine). Paul Ugalde and Andy Butterfield are some gorgeous and brutal clay to shape. We are having a good time in rehearsal, with a section of A Number that carries with it a landscape of aggression, abandonment, and discord. How does it feel to play with dialogue and action that never resolves? Full of potential, and the feeling of tilting on the edge.
 
What's your favorite line in the play?
"because if there was nobody there that would be terrifying and if you were there that might be worse but it's something I wonder"

How does the set of I and You reflect the lives of Caroline and Anthony?
First of all, the set is a bit of a chaotic mess. To the audience, Caroline is a typical teenager and therefore lives in a world of her own sense of "organization". In the design sense, this room is also a metaphor for Caroline's state of mind. The walls are a collection of her life as seen from her bedroom—all the places she wants to travel, people she wants to meet, and the every minutia of the world she wants to explore.

What is your favorite piece of the I and You set, and why?
Of course, my favorite is the walls. I have an idea where it's going to go, but at this moment it will evolve into its own being. I will let it lead me to find Caroline and the universe of her imagination. When you see it, you'll understand.

Did any aspect of the set change from your original plans?
No.

What questions did you ask yourself early on when designing a set?
This really can't be answered because I designed the show backwards from the end. Until you experience the final moments of this production, you really don't know the whats and whys. I can't reveal that to the audience. But again, you'll understand once you've had this impactful experience.

Why do you believe theatre is important?
Theatre is the study of human nature. Why do we do what we do and why it makes a difference. Theatre gives us all relatable scenarios and asks us to get involved and expose our humanness by admitting our character differences, our flaws, and our fears. Asking why theatre and the arts in general are important is better asked "why is air important". If I am to live, I must breathe. Ergo oxygen is important. If I am human, I must express my existence with others. Therefore, art is fundamentally 100% human expression. Theatre is art. Theatre is life. Theatre is like oxygen for us humanity.

What is I and You about?
I and You is about two teenagers brought together due to an English project concerning Walt Whitman’s, Leaves of Grass. Through this project however, they navigate their youth as teenagers in high school as they ponder topics such mortality, love, and New York City.
 
What role do you play, and how do they fit into the story?
I play Anthony. Anthony is a high school senior who is an “A” student. He loves life, poetry, jazz, the saxophone, and basketball. His role in the story is the person that comes into Caroline’s room with the news that they have an English project to complete that is due the next day.
 
What are some of your character’s strengths and weaknesses?
Anthony’s strengths are that he is charismatic and friendly. Weaknesses include procrastination and his undying love of pop tarts.
 
What do you find most challenging about your character?
I think what challenges me most about Anthony is the task of tapping into his life and genuinely playing a high school senior. My high school senior year was only 3 years ago so I still remember, to an extent, what that was like to me. I also keep in mind however, that as high school seniors, Anthony and I have had a very different experience. It’s important for me to recognize both the similarities and the differences.
 
What line in the play means the most to you?
Anthony says at one point, “I’d love to go to New York City.” Caroline seconds that. Being born and raised in New York City, it is very cool to hear these characters have this strong desire to go to the “Big Apple.” I think it hints at their youthful energy and their desire experience so much more in life than they have experienced already. I think that is such a big part of this play. These two teenagers—whether one wants to admit it or not—are hungry for life. They know that there is so much more out there than their high school experience.
 
What makes I and You challenging/exciting/interesting to you?
The challenge of this play is for me to convincingly play a high school student whose experience was in most ways not like my own. Not all people in high school had the same experience. I know my experience in high school was far different than Anthony’s experience, but you would think that the fact that I went through and graduated from high school only three years ago would be enough preparation to convincingly play a high school student. I believe the audience will be able to tell if I am acting out the clichés of a teenager in high school. The audience, I am sure, would not only see through that, but feel disconnected from my character.
 
Why do you believe theatre is important?
Theatre is important because in some ways it helps people process, digest, and live the human experience. Different stories in theatre can relate to somebody in the audience or inform another person in the audience about a story and/or experience that is not only not their own, but is also a story and/or experience that they were never aware existed. Of course, and this should not go unsaid, theatre is a great form of entertainment. I believe to be entertained is a powerful and important thing that one can give to another person or group of people.

What is I and You about? 
Caroline is a feisty teenage girl who has taken a leave of absence from high school due to a serious medical condition. At the beginning of the play, Anthony shows up in her bedroom to get her help on a school project which analyzes Walt Whitman’s poem Leaves of Grass. Caroline and Anthony’s encounter turns into a humorous and determined battle of wills. 
 
What do you like about I and You? 
The characters have a story that is spirited, combative, funny, mysterious and emotionally-charged.
 
What is most challenging/interesting about the play? 
The most interesting part of the play is how the characters surprise each other.  
 
What is your favorite part of the directing process? 
Once the staging outline is set in, I love discovering the unpredictable behavior that reveals the characters’ personalities. There is no small talk on stage because everything means something. In rehearsal we explore how the characters need each other and how they approach each moment in their roller-coaster relationship. 
 
How many aspects of the show have changed since your original plans? 
No matter how thoroughly I prepared to direct the play, everything changes once the play is cast. I have no way of knowing in advance how the actors will work together or how they will respond to the challenges that I offer. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Victoria Fearn and Jabari Matthew on this production! They are young artists who have had excellent training, and they bring to the rehearsal intelligent ideas, bold choices and imaginative verve. Even though we only started working a few days ago, they have great chemistry together!
 
What makes I and You relatable to audiences here and now? 
The story deals with The Big Questions concerning our greatest hopes and fears about life and death. Walt Whitman’s poetry is the catalyst for the characters discovering an extraordinary connection.
 
What types of conversations do you want the audience members to have on their way home from seeing this play? 
I hope they will be discussing the meaning of the relationship between Caroline and Anthony.   

What is your role in the production of Dancing Lessons?
I am the costume designer.
 
How do the costumes in Dancing Lessons reflect the lives of their respective characters?
Clothes communicate so much about us on so many levels, from connotations we chose to those that come across unintentionally. For instance, Senga was once successful even though she is now deeply depressed. Her apartment is a bright colorful reminder of who she was, and the clothes are also from her past life. She wears her most comfortable clothes but it is the fact that she stays in pajamas that tells the story. The actress Cael brought edginess to the character that added another dimension to her character’s anger. I supported this direction by choosing to allow her to wear her nose ring and other piercings, and bold haircut. However, I did not trim or maintain the hairstyle to reflect how the character has been neglecting her body.
 
What questions did you ask yourself early on when designing costumes for a show?
What story am I helping to tell? What can I communicate about each of the characters in the choices that I make?  Designing a contemporary show depends on collaboration with the actors, so the first step was getting to know each of the actors and seeing what elements of themselves, if any, they were going to incorporate into the character. I needed to know their way into the play—what they felt was the core of the character.
 
Above all I needed to understand Asperger’s and what that can mean for an individual’s relation to their clothes. Most importantly, I have learned there are no rules, as each person is different. The text offers me some rules: he hates skin to skin contact. One of his tics is adjusting his glasses. I had to ask myself: what about his clothes protects him from the world? Would he choose a sweater that was too large so he could pull the sleeves over the hand to avoid a painful touch on the subway? Was there someone who advised him in his clothes at some point and now he only purchases that one style and brand?
 
Did the designs end up changing much from what you had originally planned?
The designs evolved with the actor’s process. As Andy grew into his character, Ever, and discovered how Ever relates to his world and his tics I began to make choices that would support those decisions. I really appreciated this design collaboration in that Cristina built things into moments—every choice became a part of the story.
 
The biggest design question was the final moment, which is best not to give away! What kind of formalwear does Ever wear? Does he take it too far and rent a tails instead of a tux? We ended up going with the tails as a moment to allow him to make a wrong social choice. For a person who has to study social situations and people, sometimes he shouldn’t get it right.
 
What do you like about Dancing Lessons?
I was immediately charmed by the piece. It’s humorous but full of substance. I think it is a beautiful story about how we all approach the world with the brain we have, each of us with different abilities and limitations.
 
Why do you believe theatre is important?
Theatre is important because storytelling is important. Storytelling is a way of learning empathy, even for those of us who don’t need to study to be ‘neurotypical.’