Hello and welcome to my website! I’m a performing and teaching artist based in NYC.
In the Bay Area of California, I started acting, singing, dancing, and studying music in the first grade. At age 14, I was accepted into Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts (ISOMATA--now Idyllwild Arts Academy) in southern CA, where I moved on campus and trained full-time, gaining awards in musical theatre. After graduation, I wanted to focus more on acting technique, so I went on to study acting and improv at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and trained in other schools and classes for acting. I moved to NYC when I was accepted into Circle in the Square’s 2-year Professional Workshop (majoring in acting). Graduating with the Martha Schlamme scholarship award, I then co-founded my first acting company (Summoners Ensemble) with fellow alumni from Circle in the Square in order to stay active in the NYC theatre life—which we did for years until most of our group moved to LA.
The next Manhattan theatre company I cofounded was River Heights Productions, where I was Founding Producing Director. Two other women and I started this company to bring the classic Nancy Drew books to life on stage. Our adaptation of The Clue in the Diary was accepted into the NYC Fringe Festival, and I was cast as Ms. Drew while also trying to get the rights from Warner Brothers. They were just coming out with their own new Nancy Drew movie, so obtaining those rights proved to be a caper not meant to be solved. The process, however, was educational and fun. We went on to produce Casey Kurtti’s Catholic School Girls, which Ms. Kurtti graciously attended and supported.
Along with the schools mentioned, my performing training also includes many years of other classes and schools for voiceovers, acting, commercial acting, theatre, music, and musical theatre. I’ve performed in theatre, film, TV, commercials, voiceovers, cabarets, and clubs around the country--mostly in CA and NYC.
I co-taught the children’s theatre summer program when I was at ISOMATA/Idyllwild Arts; and in 2014 I went back to those teaching roots when I was invited to take part in Circle in the Square’s Arts Education training and residency for their alumni. After completing that year-long program along with other training in the teaching arts, I was hired to co-lead the playwriting residency at PS 11 (a Manhattan public elementary school) with playwright and master teaching artist Daniel Judah Sklar.
After working with Daniel and teaching Playmaking as a master teaching artist for five years, Daniel gave me his blessing to continue his work as he retired. At PS 11, I teach all the 3rd-grade classes, and lead a new team of Circle in the Square alumni each year as they learn to become teaching artists. I teach students how to write their own scripts, then we perform their plays on the Broadway stage at Circle in the Square, which is a fulfilling experience for us all.
I also direct the annual Arts Education for Actors alumni program at Circle in the Square, and the Shakespeare program at Manhattan’s Talent Unlimited High School, which I also teach. I’m a teaching artist at other schools in NYC as well.
More information about Arts Education for Actors at Circle in the Square and the PS 11 Playmaking residency is available at this link: circlesquare.org/outreach.
If you'd like Playmaking or any other form of theatrical or mindful-based teaching arts taught in your community, please reach out. I can create a lesson plan to match any wishes or needs. My arts education training and teaching arts experience includes, while is not limited to:
playwriting for kids
teaching acting, singing, theatre, and musical theatre
directing children's theatre and musical theatre
mindfulness curriculum (teaching mindfulness within the arts in the classroom and professional practice)
understanding and working with autism spectrum disorder
pre and post-show engagement
integrating the arts into STEM and other academic programs
creating healthy teacher and teaching artist partnerships
rehabilitation through the arts
coaching and mentoring youth within the performing arts
Having grown up as an active shareholder and board member of our family company has integrated my creative mind with a solid, passionate business sense as well.
If you'd like to learn more, please see my performing and teaching arts resumes on this site, and feel free to drop me a line. I appreciate your time here, and wish you all of my best along your own journeys.