Artist Statement

At the core of every show is someone’s story. As a designer, I feel a great responsibility to do justice to those stories. In doing so, I cannot help but work through a historical lens, utilizing the first degree I earned, a B.A. in History. A significant portion of this education came from my minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies, which allowed me to spend time studying the intersectional identities of people. Specifically, how identity affects people’s place in mainstream society, and how people are able live their lives. I keep my designs conscious of the societal contexts in which they exist as all the different facets that make up a person’s identity affect their story. It is important to keep in mind that audience members receive and identify with these characters differently depending on their identities. Not all stories mean the same thing to all people, but this does not lessen the value or importance of these stories.

I take great care in researching the context behind the stories we tell. When designing, it is crucial to understand the motivations of a character and how their environment has shaped them. Scenically, its the small details that tell a greater story. These details provide audiences with the story of a character’s life. Whether it be a bedroom, a bar, or a neighborhood street, it is the small details in a set, such as the cracks in the wall, that are able to tell us so much without saying a single word. There is history in those small details. I am astutely aware of how much was lost, destroyed, changed, or ignored by those who wrote our history. That small details and great tragedy alike are kept in the dark. Theatre provides a space where we can tell underrepresented stories. And, we have a responsibility to do justice for those stories we tell. I have worked to keep my creative depictions of these stories accurate, with the empathy and justice they deserve.