Artist Statement
HIGH CONCEPT/LOW COMEDY
As a theatremaker, I adapt my background in Commedia dell’Arte and clown for the devising of new work. In traditional Commedia there were no directors, but troupes of performers with equal artistic say, an ethos of collaboration that I bring to all my projects. Inspired by clowning, I search for ways to engage audiences on serious issues in a light, joyful, sometimes absurd way, through transformation, play, sincerity, and finding the epic in the personal. My development processes are fueled by curiosity and inquiry. I believe that great work can be made by thoughtfully crafting a question or prompt and posing it to a group of invested artists. My work is reflective, grounded in experimentation, scholarship, and research.
As Co-Artistic Director of Faction of Fools Theatre, I am committed to the preservation and promotion of Commedia, exploring and pushing the style towards innovation and inclusivity, and producing new, ensemble-generated work. I believe that Commedia, when created joyfully by a diverse ensemble, can harness both the profundity and the absurdity of the human experience. For the past three years, we have been identifying essential elements of the form and eliminating harmful and oppressive characteristics. I implemented this approach most recently as director of Faction’s productions “LOVE LIKE TUESDAY” by Doug Robinson (2023) and “THE MOORS” by Jen Silverman (2024).
In my personal work, I am able to hone my own artistic voice and aesthetics. I create original works in the style of clown that deviate from traditional comedic characters and story structures. “SILENT REFLECTIONS,” a feminist clown cabaret piece I co-devised in Italy in 2014 with Women From Mars Theatre, tours nationally and internationally.
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