I'm a theatre artist, teacher, and scholar. I hold an MFA in Playwriting (University of Washington) and a PhD in Theatre and Dramaturgy (Florida State University). My plays have been finalists and semifinalists in regional and national competitions and have had readings and productions at university and professional theatres. In recent years I've become increasingly interested in staging and helping develop the works of other writers. That impulse, along with my belief that the solutions to the world's social and political problems have a spiritual basis, has led to the establishment of NEW stAGE. I'm currently on the theatre faculty at Point Park University. Previously I taught at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, where I directed a workshop production of Arthur Kopit's Discovery of America as part of the author's residency in Spring 2006.Why "Producing Dramaturg"?
I've chosen my title over the more common "artistic director" in order to reflect my approach to the process of developing and staging theatrical works. I see my function as facilitating communication between dramatist and audience, with the performer(s) being the media through which that sacred, communal interaction takes place. When the playwright is present and the script under development, I strive to help the author realize his or her vision in a way that can be translated effectively from the page to the stage. When it comes to finished work, I select material that I believe speaks powerfully for itself, without the need for me to impose my own "vision" on it. (Not that there's anything wrong with that in certain situations.)
