Pedagogy
Pedagogical Philosophy
Being an artist is the greatest joy of my life, and I consider it the utmost privilege to share that joy with others. Some of the most powerful moments in my young teaching career have been ones of genuine delight shared between myself and my students: when they make something they are proud of, or a concept finally fits into place. It is my utmost goal as an educator to create a safe playground for joyful artistic exploration, where students can innovate freely without the judgement of palatability so prevalent in our industry. I want students to interrogate what theatre can be, what it means to shape space and create worlds. I revel in finding ways to get my students excited about the material I am teaching, connecting the powerful emotions of art with the simple act of learning.
Diversity Statement
Working in theatre puts us in the business of telling stories, and working in American theatre means telling those stories in a deeply flawed system that selects only stories and storytellers it deems palatable. Theatre artists have a responsibility to do better, to challenge the privileged ideal of what theatre can be. My goal as an educator is to create an affirming space where every student’s story and perspective is uplifted, regardless of gender expression, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, age, socioeconomic background, or political alignment. My students should leave my classroom confident in their ability to effect meaningful and positive change to the culture of our industry, and to champion voices which have historically been silenced. As a professor, my accountability to anti-racism and equity is vital to creating a safe classroom, and I hold myself to a high standard of self-education and openness to criticism. I teach from an intersectional understanding of privilege and oppression, and a recognition that no single approach will be right for every student. It is my goal to be a trustworthy collaborator in my students’ education, holding class as a safe space for learning to be a joyful, challenging, and rewarding process.