I am a student-centered teacher and believe that the generous & collaborative nature of theatre lends itself beautifully to crafting learning spaces where active listening, critical-thinking and personal growth can be achieved. Together with my students I work to create community, which I believe has wide personal and political repercussions.

​I work to create and participate in strong ensembles that foster brave work at the individual level. To me, the fundamental spirit of an actor's education lies in finding presence in the living moment - an awake and mindful sense of self and empathy for others that lends itself to all of life's experiences. Thus I strive to empower students to unfurl their courage, to discover within themselves a deeper empathy and to develop a more tuned sense of self. To me, this all falls under having a developed sense of presence.

For student directors, I emphasize facilitation as much as text analysis, communication as much as casting. I train directors in lateral leadership and experience design no matter the material they are working with.

Highlights:

• Since 2011 I have offered directing and acting courses at Universities & Colleges, exploring the building blocks of an actor's discipline for theatre majors and non-majors.
• I have been a regular guest speaker in college and high school classes with focus on research-driven theatre making; physical performance; director-designer collaboration and womens' leadership.
• I presented my work at the Earth Matters on Stage Conference at Carnegie Mellon University and was invited to attend the inaugural Berkshire Leadership Summit for women leaders in professional theatre, hosted by WAM Theatre.
• I have been a teaching artist for schoolchildren, taught and coached high school aged students inside schools and out, taught older adults at community centers and offered master level workshops for professional actors.
• I frequently work as a production movement coach, drawing on my extensive background in physical comedy, mask theatre and the Commedia dell'Arte.
• An extension of my work as an educator and artist is creating and facilitating community events such as The Mother/Artists Summit, which brought together a cohort of mothers across the arts in Western Mass for a plenary, story circles, and lunch. It was funded in part by a grant from PAAL (Parent Artist Advocacy League).

Mother/Artists in a working group at The Mother Artist Summit

"Committed acts of caring let all students know that the purpose of education is not to dominate, or prepare them to be dominators, but rather to create the conditions for freedom. Caring educators open the mind, allowing students to embrace a world of knowing that is always subject to challenge and change."
​-bell hooks, Teaching Community

The cast of They Won't Pay? We Won't Pay at UMass learns about the commedia influences of Dario Fo's comedy

Actors at UMass Amherst learn Commedia dell'Arte

Students at UMass Amherst explore physical character & Victorian Panto