Director

My many talents as a director include 'visionary, dramaturg, collaborative director, ensemble creation, empathic directing style, improvisation, flexibility, kindness and patience.' In my career, I have directed over 250 youth, senior, and adult community theater plays. In over half of the productions, I have served as the primary set and prop designer.

Twelve Angry Jurors * Piedmont Players

Youth Theatre

My dream as a young person was to be an actress. I studied and acted for many years and while I was acting in an Off-Broadway play and teaching and directing youth I realized my passion and life mission was to work with young people. I felt my empathy, talents and experience were guiding me to make a life choice - Youth Theatre. My life's journey in youth theatre is told on my Artistic Director and Educator pages.

Community Theatre

Since moving to Concord, North Carolina I have directed several adult plays for local community theatres. These include: Davidson Community Players—'This Property is Condemned’ , ‘A Midsummer's Night's Dream’ and 'Strolling with Shakespeare'. Piedmont Players—'Twelve Angry Jurors’. Old Courthouse Theatre--Blessed Assurance and ‘Retrieving the Lamb’.

Shakespeare Productions

My favorite plays to direct are those by William Shakespeare. One can think way 'outside the box' while conceptualizing his plays. I spend a lot of time doing tablework with the cast: working on the text, understanding the text and the relationships of the characters. I feel it is imperative for actors to know what they are saying. We work on iambic pentameter, beats, moments, subtext, relationships and the characters journey. I have conceptualized Shakespeare's plays in 1969 Woodstock, in a Punk Rock CBGB club, in a Surrealist Museum, in a 1953 Rock'n'roll World, in a Post Apocalyptic World and more....

Immersive Theatre

I started directing Immersive Theatre in the early 90's when I directed 'As You Like It' in the Japanese Rose Gardens in Rogers Williams Park, Providence RI. In this immersive theater production, audience members followed a youth music group from one site to another as the principle actors travelled via boat. Again in the park at the Temple of Music for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream, the audience immersed themselves as they moved to four locations. Actors arrived tumbling down a hill or by horse or boat. For 'Seven Ages of Anne' in the 90's the audience moved through several spaces viewing scenes including a kitchen where the youth actors made soup. Five groups of audiences strolled to five locations when I directed 'Strolling with Shakespeare' in Davidson, NC. In September 2022. This immersive experience took audience through five different locations immersing themselves in five scenes culminating with an all company Renaissance dance and epilogue. My most recent production was a children’s production of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in Huntersville. Here audience members were immersed on four acres of land with a pond. Four Alices took their separate groups on 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. All groups played croquet with the Royals and the entire audience convened for a tea party with the Mad Hatter and friends before the Big Trial.

Senior Theatre for 55+ Communities

When I moved to North Carolina in 2009 my dream was to offer Seniors 55+ acting classes and to start a Senior Theatre. During this time, I designed and taught 'Short Attention Span Theatre', 'Young at Heart: A Laugh-in Experience' and 'Life Stories' classes. I founded and directed a touring senior theatre company, 'Young at Heart'. I loved teaching and directing my 'Life Stories' class which culminated with a sold-out performance to 300+ people. Later we performed some of the life stories in senior retirement homes. I taught a monthly acting class for residents in the Brookdale Assisted Living Community for eight years until Covid closed everything down.

Audience Participation Productions

As the Artistic Director of 'All Children's Theatre' in Providence RI, I observed our youngest audience members needing a way to become more involved in our productions. This need led to the development of audience participation plays and dinner theater plays. With these productions, I took the fourth wall away by getting the audience up to dance or sing along with the actors. These productions were box office successes. Additionally, we found young audience members joining our classes at All Children’s Theater. One young boy joined our classes as a five-year-old and stayed with us all the way through high school. As an adult, he returned to music directing several of our plays. Seeing young actors grow, learn, and give back to theater brings me such joy.

Upcoming Show

I am directing 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', produced by Mooresville Community Children's Theatre. Forty youth aged 7-15 will bring this classic children's story to the stage. Performances of this all-time classic story by the Brothers Grimm and adapted for the stage by Tim Kelly are September 28th at 7pm, September 29th at 7pm, September 30 at 12pm, 3pm and October 1st at 3pm. Performances are held at the Charles Mack, 215 N. Main Street in Mooresville. To purchase tickets:

https://search.seatyourself.biz/webstore/accounts/mooresvillechildrenstheatre/buy-tix