There are roads Thanks for dropping by! This site focuses on my research and creative activities. It has samples of my work as an actor, director, playwright, scholar, and teacher. This first page offers a taste of my philosophy, vision, inspiration, and what you will discover as you visit. |
Bearing Witness
I’m an actor and professor of theatre and film. I lead students and audiences toward a stronger appreciation of theatre, arts, and culture. The students and audiences I engage with recognize that the creative act is a necessary and important part of their lives. They take part in my classes or performances to affirm that the arts are valued and meaningful to them. And I seek to serve as a witness to their discovery and creativity. I hope after engaging with me that they are able to identify art and beauty in unexpected places, they will make a point of viewing art and beauty where it is known to reside, or they will make art where it never was. In the end, they find, seek, or make beautiful things.
Through a student’s synthesis of the many tools they have as actors I aim for them to reveal new modes and levels of critical thinking. An ultimate aim is that my students experience the power and transformational eloquence that can occur through performance and, most importantly, deepen their understanding of what it means to be compassionately human in the 21st century. 
What Inspires Me?
I am open to allowing anything to inspire me. In reviewing my life and the construction of my worldview, I can recognize the following as definite points of inspiration: Nancy Drew. Reading Nancy Drew books as a child developed a sense in me that everyday objects could have a mystery. The keys that unlocked adventure for Nancy included mundane things like clocks, bracelets, stairs—but there was always a deeper story to discover. Lewis Carroll inspired me to always take the time to imagine the other side of the mirror or the underside of the earth—the double, where life was topsy turvy or reflected back on itself. The Game of Mousetrap led me to understand that every action creates further action and that the results should be compelling, nerve wracking, unexpected, but always fun to watch. Carol Burnett. Every Saturday night when I was a kid she proved that the promise of laughter could bring people together. Lucille Ball. Great Comedy takes bravery and is serious business. Howard Finster proved that the objects we throw away can be divine. Romare Bearden demonstrated that a strong narrative could be created from odds and ends cut from various ephemera. Edward Hopper gave exquisite lessons in the simple crystallization of images involving people, places, and the strength of solitude. Augusto Boal showed that theatre does not need to answer questions but can raise the questions and create the dialogue. Derek Jarman taught me that image and text can collide in erotic and political ways. Gustav Mahler let me hear that the themes in your life never disappear completely from your art. They weave about and return in your creations; allowing you to explore them all over again in different ways. |