A little bit about me...
Creation, storytelling, and play were my entry point into both the arts and education. Learning by doing has shaped my path and fueled my curiosity ever since. While life offers thousands of possible vocations, the visual, performing, and language arts—especially theatre—have allowed me to inhabit many of them at once. I’ve always been drawn to how interdisciplinary, embodied, and immediate the form is.
I earned my degree in Theatre Performance/Acting from the University of Northern Iowa, with a minor in Music Performance & Theory/Composition and a cognate in Arts Administration. Early in my career, I co-founded Trainwreck Productions, a found-space nonprofit theatre, and served as its artistic director for seven years while also writing for Julien’s Journal and performing music throughout the region. I especially remember productions of Chicago, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, [title of show], Reefer Madness , and The Drowsy Chaperone for the deep friendships they fostered and the clarity of purpose they offered.
I later moved to New Orleans to continue acting and directing professionally, eventually earning my MFA in Film & Theatre Performance/Directing from the University of New Orleans. I worked with companies like Southern Rep and the NOLA Project, and began teaching in UNO’s Film & Theatre program. Highlights from this time include roles in Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, Hedda Gabler, and nationally acclaimed productions of The Aliens and The Royale, both recognized by the Big Easy Awards and Kennedy Center ACTF. Personally and professionally, this became a time of radical and unexpected transformation.
Now back home as Associate Professor and Director of Theatre at Loras College, I continue to direct and perform regionally, including productions of Silent Sky, Eurydice, Ride the Cyclone, and Rock of Ages, and launched the Loras Film & Theatre program. I’ve also served as a Commissioner and Officer for the City of Dubuque Arts & Culture Affairs Office and currently serve on the Art on the River committee, in addition to Loras College's Legacy Symposium, Honors Program, and Academic Council.
My scholarly work centers on communication and performance pedagogy in the liberal arts, narrative analysis and interpretation, and the arts in health and medical humanities. Creatively, I focus primarily on stage acting and directing, with an emphasis on emotionally resonant ensemble work in bawdy musicals and contemporary dramas. Lately, my scholarship has expanded into intrapersonal communication, expressive arts education and community-based interdisciplinary arts, and leadership studies.
I’m a storyteller, teacher, and uplifter who enjoys conversations, big ideas, collaboration, dancing, weight training, and walking meditation. I savor sunshine, silence, and a genuine laugh. Thanks for your interest in my work and story.