ABOUT
I am a theatre educator and teaching artist with experience across K–12, higher education, and community-based settings. I have taught workshops on physical comedy and Commedia dell’arte to high school and college students at institutions including Westfield High School, Staunton High School, Virginia Tech, Viterbo University, and more. I have also co-taught an undergraduate course in devised performance at the University of the Arts, collaborating to rethink and adapt curriculum for a virtual learning environment. In addition, I have coached individuals in public speaking, worked with theatrical ensembles on improvisational performance techniques, and led storytelling workshops for business school students. This range of experience has strengthened my ability to connect theatre education to diverse learners and contexts, and has prepared me for my goal of becoming a Theatre Teacher with Fairfax County Public Schools.
I hold an MFA in Devised Performance from the University of the Arts, in collaboration with the Pig Iron Theatre Company. Working through a two-year Lecoq-based pedagogy, I studied the development of new theatrical work through collaborative, physical, and ensemble-based approaches. I specifically chose this program for its strong educational focus and completed coursework in Fundamentals of Teaching & Learning Theory, Pedagogies of Performance, Progressive Pedagogies, and a supervised teaching practicum.
In addition to classroom teaching, I bring extensive experience in arts and education administration and a strong understanding of how to design, manage, and sustain effective learning programs. As Associate Director for Lifelong Learning at Johns Hopkins University, I programmed and produced a public-facing educational event series and facilitated community-oriented educational programs taught by faculty, alumni, and community members, providing instructional feedback, assisting with curriculum design, and supporting virtual classroom activities.
I have also worked as a Program Manager and Instructor for the Experienced Professionals Career Management Team at Columbia Business School, where I taught workshops and bootcamps for Executive MBA, MBA, MS, and alumni participants. Drawing on my performing arts background, I specialized in teaching communication and presentation skills through courses such as Professional Presentations, Communicating With Impact, and The Socially Intelligent MBA. One of my favorite projects was an original Storytelling for Leaders workshop, which used theatrical performance and writing exercises to help students strengthen their communication skills through applied, hands-on practice.
Finally, as a graduate of Fairfax County Public Schools (Westfield High School, Class of 2006) and a current Reston resident, I bring both a personal connection to the community and a strong commitment to serving its students.
TEACHING STATEMENT
Theatre – and theatre education – helps students discover who they are and who they might become. I know this firsthand. As a high school student, theatre classes were a formative experience that offered meaningful opportunities for self-discovery and shaped both the person I am and the values that guide my life today. As a teacher, I am committed to creating that same opportunity for my students: a classroom where every learner is invited to explore their voice, take creative risks, and connect artistic discovery to personal growth.
I approach this goal through inquiry-driven, experiential instruction. Lessons are structured around exploration in the space, followed by reflection, feedback, and revision. Students learn by doing: testing ideas physically, responding to collaborators, and refining their work through ensemble dialogue. This process supports the development of each student’s voice, encouraging them to engage with their own creative ideas, theories, and beliefs, while also making learning active and visible. When learning is embodied and experiential, it becomes more meaningful and memorable, strengthening communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills.
Central to my teaching is the cultivation of rigorous play. The play impulse is fundamental to creative learning, and just as an athlete plays a sport, an actor plays a role. Students must also learn to play with ideas, testing their limits, reframing them, and examining them from multiple perspectives in order to fully understand them. Drawing on the pedagogical work of Viola Spolin and Jacques Lecoq, I use games, physical exploration, and humor as essential instructional tools, creating a classroom environment that balances joy and risk-taking with discipline, focus, and care for craft.
My curriculum emphasizes foundational theatre skills while introducing students to a range of styles and approaches. My particular area of specialization is devised performance and physical theatre, but I teach these forms as part of a broader theatrical ecosystem, helping students understand how different approaches connect, contrast, and inform one another. Different approaches resonate with different students at different moments, and I aim to introduce learners to a wide range of schools of thought so they can begin to develop their own artistic approach.
During class, I shift between the roles of facilitator, lead artist, and coach, maintaining close collaboration with students as we shape learning experiences together. I intentionally incorporate student interests, questions, and discoveries into lesson development. My teaching style is both improvisational and detail-oriented, grounded in strong planning that allows for flexibility and responsiveness in the room. Assessment is active and ongoing, aligned to instructional goals, with real-time feedback during performance, discussion, and reflection supporting students as they experiment, revise, and refine their work. Instruction is designed to support diverse learners, honoring different backgrounds, abilities, and ways of engaging with performance.
Ultimately, what I love about teaching theatre is what I love about making it: impact through creativity, collaboration, and engagement. I believe theatre education has something to offer every student, and I strive to ensure that all learners have access to its transformative potential – both onstage and off.