As a director, educator, and disability advocate I am interested in new and reimagined storytelling that investigates radical empathy and unique use of the body and stylings. My work as a director has been seen and developed at many noted artistic institutions: Lincoln Center Theater, Dansearena Nord, The Public Theater, The McCarter Theater, Clubbed Thumb, The Lark Play Development Center, among others. I have collaborated with playwright Liza Birkenmeier, Christopher Oscar Peña, Georgina Escobar, Ryan Dowler, author Joan Roth Schmeichel, choreographer Einy Åm Sparks & EyeKnee Coordination, BAAD!, to name a few. In 2013 I was awarded the Zwick Award in Directing and was the first Artward Bound awardee to receive a group residency for a sight-specific art installation performance of Waiting For Godot at NACL which was later produced at Arts@Renaissance. I was the Assistant Director for the World Premier of Have You Seen Us by the legendary Athol Fugard starring Sam Waterston. And was the Production Assistant for Brooklynite the Musical with director Michael Meyer at The Vineyard Theatre. In 2016, I was invited to Lincoln Center as one of six emerging directors from around the world to develop a new play of my choosing.
As the founding Artistic Director of Overturn Theatre I produced and created a myriad of live performances for over 10 years, including: 7 new theatrical works with NY premiers, 2 reimagined classics, over a dozen project developments, concerts, installations, galleries, and have commissioned hundreds of artists from countless mediums to create new works in area of live performance. Overturn was the recipient of the 2013 Arts@Renaissance commissioned ensemble, IRT 3B residency in 2012, Artward Bound Recipient in 2011, Developing Artist award of excellence in 2010, and was a 4 year resident company at Clemente Soto Velez. SInce then I have worked administratively in Artistic, Literary, Education and Development at The Vineyard Theatre, The Lark Play Development Center, Theatre 167, and Making Books Sing, among others.
I am a very active educator and advocate of artists with disabilities and sit on many committees addressing issues with accessibility, sensory, and sensitivity throughout the five boroughs of NY as well as New Jersey and Michigan. I have been a co-curator and guest artist with The Dwarf Artist Coalition for the last seven years and am the founder and artistic head of the Dodson-Levine Fellowhship, which provides young little people around the nation a year long professional mentorhsip in Theatre. I have been invited as a guest artist to work with disabled populations from Jackson Heights to Uruguay.
I began my career in performance as an acrobat, where I performed and competed internationally for 14 years, notably performing with Ringling Brother’s & Barnum and Baily’s Circus’ Midwest Touring Company. After an acute back injury I turned my focus toward theatre and performance. Contemporary, experiemental, and inclusive movement pedagogies and techniques remian the main area of my interests and research. M.F.A. in Directing Brooklyn College, B.F.A. in Acting The Conservatory of Theatre Arts & Film at SUNY Purchase