Between Sleep & Awake
Three of my strongest childhood memories are rooted in theme park entertainment, live theatre and film.
Memory #1 - Sitting on the edge of the Rivers of America at Disneyland for the opening night of Fantasmic! I specifically remember that I had walked by this exact location all day and now it was as if a show had magically appeared out of the water as the flames inched close to my fingertips. It was a venue hiding in plain sight.
Memory #2 - Seeing Peter Pan at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium. I remember sitting front row center as Peter flew over my head and away to Neverland.
Memory #3 - Seeing Hook in theaters with my dad at age 6, and being so completely mesmerized with the music and Spielberg's brilliant world building that I was mad at my dad for not turning out to be Peter Pan. Why did Jack and Maggie get all the luck?
Excavating the memories of the characters in my plays is my favorite way to tell a story. I'm also heavily influenced by my own memories, and my work always includes theming, cinematic elements and traces of Neverland.
My Story
I'm usually up at 6am writing stream of consciousness into a notebook. I have piles of these notebooks.
I love creating theatre. Every part of it. When I got my start as a playwright, I was also producing my own work, which led me down a path where I got to learn every element of production there is. It is pure joy directing actors, and I'm in love with the casting process. Location scouting has become a hobby and even though I can't draw, I have filled notebooks with scenic, prop and wardrobe sketches. Also, my brain functions better when there's a film score playing and anything I create is made with film scoring in mind.
I love the magical realism genre, the works of John Williams & Steven Spielberg as well as the way that children navigate the world. All of these elements are the core inspiration of everything I create. Telling stories of mental health through the eyes of a child is incredibly important to me, and I hope to continue bringing those types of stories and experiences to life so that children can be empowered to continue to forge their own path and know with their whole heart that they are not alone.
I grew up sitting in the house left box at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium as well as Disneyland. My childhood led me to working in theme parks (Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood) and theatre (including Broadway and regional theatre). This unique mix of experience has led me to creating immersive experiences, including The Rabbit Hole Society, which premiered at the Berger Park Mansion in Chicago.
Contact
Wanna partner on a themed entertainment or theatrical project? I'd love to hear from you!