Somehow I found lighting design. I realized when I was 17 that lighting was the theatrical language I understood and could use to tell stories. I didn't know how it worked, or for that matter how to approach it, but I knew it was my way into the world, my purpose. Once you're sure of something like that, there's no alternative.

I love lighting in the theatre because it is the most mysterious element of a show, the most ephemeral. Like a subtle whisper. No one ever knows why a light cue is right, but everyone knows when it is. I love lighting design because it puts me at the center of this collaborative joy we all know. I love being in the room, absorbing the endless energy of the material, the director, the other designers, and the actors. It's like jazz music: an endless stream of call and response that is born from the very heart of our instincts as storytellers.

I began as a young intern with the Pennsylvania Ballet, while still in high school. I attended Carnegie Mellon, worked at Lincoln Center, and freelanced in New York over four years, flooding every desk I could with a resume. Prior to graduate school I explored a variety of mediums, from the largest of Broadway venues to the smallest of off-off-Broadway. I assisted some of the greatest contemporary designers of today, learning from everything they did. While at Yale, I undertook the process of integrating the experience and knowledge I had acquired over eight years to develop an aesthetic identity, all with careful and inspired guidance from the greatest teachers and designers I've known. I fueled my desire to be bold. From the sublime complexity of a Broadway musical to the rigorous minimalism of Beckett, I am most satisfied with material and collaborators that extend my imagination to the very boundary of contemporary lighting design, and then beyond.

I believe in a theatrical community, and I long to be part of one. I believe that every company is a small community engaged in a critical discussion with the larger community it is part of. Most of all I believe theatre should be important. We are blessed with the means and opportunity to engage in an intellectual and emotional discussion with a willing community of audience members. Shouldn't we treat that opportunity with the utmost respect? I believe theatre must be made vital again, and that begins with craftsmanship and care. Why should we not strive to execute our craft with the care that is appropriate to the magnitude of our undertaking?

I will bring to your community not only my craft, but my experience as well. While I've been a lighting designer for 10 years, I've spent my entire life in the theatre. Feel free to contact me any time. I would love to talk about how we can collaborate further.