I have over 12 years of teaching experience working with undergraduate and conservatory students, as well as students in preschool through high school. I am a Designated Linklater Teacher and a Certified Teacher of The Michael Chekhov Technique through The Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium. I am currently on faculty at the top-ranking University of North Carolina School of the Arts where I teach voice, speech, and accents. Other faculty appointments include Fordham University, Marymount Manhattan College, The City College of New York, Long Island University-Brooklyn/The New Group, and The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. Previously, I served as a teaching artist with Broadway Bound Kids, Classic Stage Company, The Play Group Theatre, Great Lakes Theater, and the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory Outreach Program.

COMMITMENT TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING: I meet students where they are and illuminate the path to their potential. I believe that each student comes into the training space with a unique personal history and learning style, which are assets that enrich their work. I aim to validate those qualities and guide students in expanding their sense of self in order to fuel their imaginations and meet the demands of the story. Their work should be uniquely them, while embracing characters that may be beyond their personal experience. This process looks different for each student. Through facilitating open conversations about learning styles, utilizing multiple approaches when exploring a concept, one-on-one coaching and more, students will discover new possibilities through skill building.

CONSENT-BASED PRACTICES: I utilize consent-based and trauma-informed practices to encourage courageous exploration without harm. Students gain an understanding of boundaries along with practical tools to navigate their personal boundaries on any given day. In class I aim to contextualize all exercises so students know what, where, why, and how we will work. In doing so, I seek to empower students to create work that is daring, visceral, and challenging, while maintaining the physical and mental safety of the actor.

EMBODIED LEARNING: I want my students to develop voices and bodies that are free, flexible, and expressive in order to meet the physical and emotional demands of any text. They will connect language and physicality to imagery, breath, body, and voice. They will deepen this connection through exploring a variety of texts in order to tell the truth within contemporary and heightened language. They will establish a vocal and physical vocabulary to articulate their craft. In the classroom, I draw upon the voice and speech work of Kristin Linklater, Patsy Rodenburg, Louis Colaianni, and Knight-Thompson Speechwork. I draw on the movement work of Michael Chekhov, Laban, Alexander, Viewpoints, and more. By exposing my students to a variety of techniques, I aim for them to gain a greater understanding of how to tap into the inherent power and expressivity of their vocal and physical instrument.

MAKING THE INTANGIBLE TANGIBLE: As an acting teacher, I strive to pass along a set of practical tools that will bridge the gap between the intangible and the tangible, allowing my students to cultivate bodies and voices that work in harmony with their imaginations. Whether we are exploring the Method of Psychophysical Action, Sensory Work, or Qualities of Movement, I view myself as a guide, illuminating the many paths that could lead students toward inspired acting. Through physical training, learning to unite feeling with form, and using analysis, imagination, and empathy to tap into the heart of a character, I seek to build a courageous and culturally competent space where my students can create work that reflects their creative individuality. 

As an artist and educator, my work is centered around creating learning spaces that embrace equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility. This commitment is shaped by my training with artEquity, the Restorative Justice Initiative, Theatrical Intimacy Education, gender-affirming voice work, and my lived experience as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. I aim to facilitate a meaningful exploration of the transformative power of theatre for my students that is expansive and empowering. I strive to create a pedagogy that allows my students to ground themselves in the complexity of their identities and lived experience to create personal and expressive work with desire and freedom.

What does this look like in my classroom?

We generate community agreements at the start of the semester. This is inspired by my training with the Restorative Justice Initiative. I ask, “What can we do to cultivate a community that is restorative? A community where you can tell your story? A community that honors the theatre-making process and every ensemble member?” Throughout the semester we revisit our agreements, reflect on how we are implementing them, and make changes when needed. Through community agreements we build a foundation for mutual respect while providing a framework for navigating difficult conversations in the classroom. I believe community agreements break down the hierarchy of teacher versus student by acknowledging that we are all held accountable to the learning atmosphere we seek to co-create.

In my syllabus, and on the first day of class, I talk about the importance of cultural humility. “Cultural humility involves an ongoing process of self-exploration and self-critique combined with a willingness to learn from others. It means entering into a relationship with another person with the intention of honoring their beliefs, customs, and values. It means acknowledging differences and accepting that person for who they are.” As actors we often talk about being an advocate for your character without judging them. Practicing cultural humility is not only essential when embodying a set of given circumstances that are different from your own, but also when building community. Cultural humility means acknowledging differences and accepting a person for who they are.

I believe our voices and bodies communicate our histories, therefore work with the voice and body must be identity-conscious. The student is the authority of their experience of their body, breath, and voice. In the voice and speech classroom, I do not set standards or prescribe a “correct” way of speaking. I draw upon the work of Kristin Linklater, Louis Colaianni, and Knight-Thompson Speechwork as they are progressive, adaptable, and center the individual in the work. In the movement classroom, I draw upon the work of Michael Chekhov, Viewpoints, and Laban as they provide tools for transformation when bridging self into character while honoring the individual. My hope is that students feel their bodies and voices can support their humanity, as well as the humanity of any given character.

I utilize Strength-Based Feedback when evaluating students. Rather than highlighting deficits, I aim to highlight what is working so a student can apply their strengths to the areas they seek to further develop. For example, if a student isn’t as prepared as they could be when working on a monologue, I might say to them, “The first half of your monologue is so specific. I witnessed a feeling of ease in your body, you were connected to your breath, and your voice communicated the imagery in your text. The second half felt different. What do you need to do so the second half of your monologue is at the caliber of the first half?” By eliminating unnecessary harm from focusing on weaknesses, the student is better equipped to learn and grow through affirmation and encouragement.

At the end of class, I often conclude with everyone gathered in a circle, giving us a chance to reflect on the work and how it connects to other classes, rehearsals, and our daily lives. I believe this opportunity to stand as equals, putting language to experience, listening to the perspectives of others, and allowing there to be space for differences, reflects the type of learning environment I strive to cultivate: a compassionate environment of action, reflection, and understanding. In creating spaces that are equitable, diverse, inclusive, and accessible, I believe we are able to more deeply grasp the transformative power of theatre and generate work that meaningfully reflects the human experience.

Acting Technique: Stanislavski, Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Viola Spolin

Voice: Linklater (Designated Linklater Voice Teacher), Rodenburg, Berry

Speech: Louis Colaianni, Knight-Thompson Speechwork, Patricia Fletcher

Movement: Michael Chekhov (Certified Teacher), Viewpoints, Laban, Alexander

Shakespeare: Exploring heightened language through sound, structure, meaning, rhetorical devices, and more.