Welcome!

This website represents a non-exhaustive list of select accomplishments and highlights from my professional career spanning 20+ years as a (1) Non-Profit Arts Organization Leader, (2) Producing Artistic Director, and (3) Educator/Researcher involved with over 150+ theatrical, musical, and creative productions. In short, I delight in designing and facilitating meaningful stories and learning environments within high-achieving contexts where creativity and innovation can thrive, and connecting people to transformational educational opportunities in and through the arts.

 
 

Non-Profit Arts Organization Leader

I excel at… (click on “+” below to expand)

    • Tripled student class enrollments in three years at the third largest college-preparatory day school in California (highly selective, acceptance rate 15%)

    • Actively contributed to the fundraising success and opening of a $25 Million state-of-the-art, 45,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center in 2012 which is designated as one of 14 “All-Steinway Schools for Excellence” in the world, and houses a thriving arts community boasting a 6-production season staffed by industry professionals with robust budgets

    • Built a multiple award-winning department recognized regionally for artistic excellence.

  • As a member of a historically marginalized group myself, and as a trilingual (English, German & Spanish) with a global outlook, I have championed EDI/DEI efforts for decades, but especially in relation to the arts.

    • Worked three years as a full professional company member with a multi-cultural, social action-based experimental theater troupe in NYC that applied theater for social change by bringing true stories told by audiences to life

    • Served multiple times as a People of Color Conference/Student Diversity Leadership Conference (POCC/SDLC) Faculty Leader

    • Board Memberships: OC LGBTQIA+ Center (Fundraising committee) and Preschool for the Arts (Governance committee) in Madison, WI

    • Lead the creation of an DEIB Director role with a Global & Diversity Task Force

    • Facilitated culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy training for professional teaching artists at a major regional theater

    • Delivered programming to underserved populations and higher needs public schools with the UW-Madison Arts Collaboratory

Producing Artistic Director

I excel at… (click on “+” below to expand)

    • Examples of previous major collaborations include work with affiliated professional artists from CalArts MFA in Video Performance Department, Deaf West Theatre, Jim Henson’s Muppet Company, and the Dell’Arte School of Physical Theater.

    • Developed over 100+ new plays and musicals through special programming, including works selected for The American College Theater Festival, the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival (Best Young Filmmaker Award), and material which has received professional stagings in NYC and CA.

    • Founded and administered the highly successful summer performing arts laboratory Innovation Stage for five years, a week-long summer intensive program with two sessions involving 80 students and a full-time staff of 15, Innovation Stage empowered young artists by centralizing them in the creation process of adapting and transforming award-winning literature for theatrical and musical production under the guidance of experienced industry professionals (as featured in the 2015 Orange County Register).

Educator & Researcher

I excel at… (click on “+” below to expand)

    • Taught for three years as a full-time Teaching Artist throughout New York City for K-12 public schools with acclaimed arts organizations such as ArtsConnection, Arts Horizons, Music Theater International (MTI), New Victory Theater and Broadway.com, during which time I was also asked to evaluate the original NYC BluePrints for Teaching and Learning in the Arts.

    • Trained professional artists (acting, directing & voice) and staged productions at: American Conservatory Theater (ACT), The Old Globe Theatre, Chapman University, South Coast Repertory Theater, the University of San Francisco, Vassar College, Manhattan Theater Club, Manhattanville College, Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose, SMES, and at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. 

      • Former students have attended BFA and MFA programs at: CMU, CCM, NYU, USC, Julliard, Yale, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, BOCO, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and are performing leading roles on Broadway.

    • Twice awarded by 50+ peer faculty (across all departments and divisions) for outstanding teaching and service, and inducted by them to the esteemed Cum Laude Society (Phi Beta Kappa) recognizing scholastic achievement and excellence in the arts.

    • Published research grounded in data with numerous academic journals, and presented at leading international conferences in multiple languages on the topics of creativity/innovation, design, arts learning, theater education & digital media/technology

    • Maintained a 4.0 G.P.A. in the #1-ranked Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the #2-ranked School of Education in the country (US News & World Report, 2017)

    • Received the Morgridge Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellow (highest departmental honor) & University Fellowship (2 years, only 5% of graduate school students)

    • Elevated by colleagues to the level of lead co-investigator on $1M grant-funded mixed methods study