What I want to see from the theater world post-pandemic:

I would like to see a greater emphasis on independent, community-driven theater projects instead of institutional ones. Los Angeles is filled with generative artists creating dynamic, engaging work in a variety of forms. Many of these artists just need rehearsal space and little budget to create wonders. I see a lot of work, as many as 100 shows in a year, and I know now that I'm more likely to be transported while sitting in a basement or converted storefront than I am in a 1,800-seat proscenium. I hope that folks come out of this pandemic ready to support local artists directly. I see all of the comments in the spring when regional theaters make their season announcements, and I agree with many of the criticisms their press releases engender. What I'd like, in a post-pandemic world, is to see this same energy channeled into promoting generative artists, troupes, and companies without permanent spaces, subscriber bases, or a big marketing budget. If you don't know who is making that kind of work in your community, find them! Now is the time for solidarity, resource sharing, and collaboration. We’re going to need each other.

A great book I read recently:

I'm not even sure where to begin. Most of my time is spent reading. I've always been drawn to non-fiction, plays excluded, so I don't read many novels. I can't get enough theory, history, or autofiction, though. I was really blown away by Frank B. Wilderson III's “Afropessimism” last spring when it was released. I revisited Barbara J. & Karen E. Fields' “Racecraft: The Soul of Inequality in American Life” with a graduate class this fall. The lyricism of a particular essay, titled "What One Cannot Remember Mistakenly," has stayed with me for the past few months. I've been thinking a lot about the unreliability of memory in my own writing. That text informed some of my recent revisions. At the time of this interview, I've just begun Vincent Bevins' “The Jakarta Method: Washington's Anticommunist Crusade & The Mass Murder Program That Shaped Our World.“ It's a terrifying, essential work, and it portends a grim future should we not interrogate some of the American myths that comprise our national 'past.' I'd recommend it on that basis alone.

Most interesting non-theater job I've done:

I struggle to call any non-theater job I've had interesting! Well, I did work as a student teacher in a kindergarten class before I was credentialed. It was tremendous fun. I learned all of the songs, I used puppets to teach math, I read stories on the carpet after recess, etc. You know, I didn't think of it as being that different from a performance, really. Some mornings I was exhausted, but the kiddos would come into class so full of energy that I had to match it. It was a bit like a matinée performance with the most enthusiastic audience you could imagine.

My favorite shows I saw right before the pandemic:

I've been slower to return to in-person performance than I expected, but I've really connected with the handful of shows I've seen. I was knocked out by the National Theatre's production of The Lehman Trilogy and Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Caroline, or Change. I also really loved Alma by Benjamin Benne at the Kirk Douglas, Carolyn Ratteray's Both/And (A Play About Laughing While Black) at Boston Court, and Bernardo Cubría's The Play You Want at The Road Theatre Company. No two plays are alike in this bunch, and they all rekindle and reaffirm my love for theatre in their own ways.

Some things I like to do in my free time:

The pandemic really altered this answer for me. Most of my favorite things involve being indoors with a large group of people. I love live performance, film, museums, art galleries, concerts, sports events, used bookstores, poetry readings at my local coffee shop, etc. I love the energy of a crowd. It's been a while since I felt that energy, so I've had to find some new ways to fill my time. Since March, I've been really experimenting in the kitchen. I went vegetarian recently, so I'm learning all kinds of new recipes. I've got a pretty dynamite vegetarian chili that I perfected over the summer. I've also rediscovered my love for video games. I enjoy playing Animal Crossing, Among Us, and Jackbox with friends and family. That's been a great way to stay connected as we isolate in our respective homes. It's also given me a lot to think about in terms of the rapidly advancing narrative potential of virtual, interactive media.

Favorite script-reading/artist meeting spot:

If possible, I really love to read outside. I provide freelance dramaturgy work for several local universities in Los Angeles, so I often enjoy snagging a bench or table near the quad. I like the flexibility that it provides. Sometimes I need to stand up or even pace a bit when I'm reading, so it's nice to have some room to move. Other times, I need to stop and process what I've read. It helps to take little breaks. I'll put the text down and just take a walk around the campus. I think these quiet moments of reflection in nature are an essential part of my process. There's usually a decent coffee shop within walking distance, and that always makes for a pleasant meeting spot, too.