One of my personal philosophies when it comes to creating theatre is that I believe a truly great story can be performed on a blank stage and still hold its own as a great story. This is important for me as a director because, of course, I love spectacle and stunning production elements, but I won't allow myself to use these things as a crutch to make a mediocre story or acting "better”.

In some instances, if it doesn't pass the strip down test, like are there parts that will move an audience with just the absolute devestating humanity, then I know I am reaching. Stripping everything away challenges the writing (and the actor) to carry the weight. When it works, it’s devastating because there’s nowhere to hide.

That said, I also believe some moments in theatre aren’t meant to pass the stripped-down test. Certain experiences rely on accumulation like image, sound, movement, rhythm. I like to believe the emotional impact of my work often emerges from the full composition, not just the bare bones.

My rehearsal room, and my classroom, operate on two key principles: to ignite imagination and release the body. My human-first approach puts the needs of the person at the heart of every decision and in front of anything else. Actors are active participants in collaboration.  I hold them to a high standard and I demand they dig deep into parts of themselves in order to find the truth.

I direct in such a way that we all, actors, designers, technicians, build a road together that we can travel down, veering within a framework that we've all built under my guidance, that starts with respect for the script and the story we tell.