What will you be teaching this year?
This fall I will teach two introductory acting courses and a Voice Over & Narration class, as well as directing a play on the MainStage. In the spring, I'll teach Voice Lab II for B.F.A. actors, another unit of Voice Over & Narration, as well a new course centered around Onset Acting Practices.
What attracted you to the Department of Theatre & Dance and the University of Texas at Austin?
I appreciate diverse cultures, adventure and a little bit of crazy. I have traveled to many places in my life, but few rival the town I’ve called home for 20 years—New York City. When I was initially invited to Austin as a guest lecturer, I was skeptical. It didn’t take long to find this place has a charm and buzz all its own, very different from the East Coast vibe I’ve grown accustomed to, but a unique eclectic mix of art/technology/leisure. UT’s reputation for scholarship, athletics and professors at the top of their respective fields was a big draw, and the Department of Theatre and Dance with its embarrassment of riches—world-class faculty, talented students and state of the art facilities— really made the decision a no-brainer.
How did your professional pathway lead to your focus on Acting?
I’ve always been curious about what makes people tick and how our choices and interactions create meaning. I studied psychology and drama in college and really fell in love with theatre. Most of my professional life has been spent acting, but I also write, direct, shoot portrait photography and dabble in multimedia collage, so some might call me a multi-hyphenate artist. Labels don’t really interest me, though. All forms of expression feed into a singular goal: storytelling. I think acting has been my primary focus because it allows me to tell stories while studying human behavior from the inside. In exploring different characters with various collaborators, I get to examine what it means to be alive while building communities one project at a time.
What’s something students and colleagues should know about you?
I’m a big fan of film, music and comic books.
When not working?
I love traveling. I’ve also been known to play a video game or two.