A passion for theatre turned into a career.
The professional life in the theatre started at age 18, first in electrics, and working with rock and roll bands. It was a little ass-backwards to work in theatre while studying film and television production at NYU, but it allowed the passion for all of those forms to blossom during training in the fields.
The years immediately after graduation were spent on the west coast, first at The One Act Theatre Company of San Francisco (production stage manager, associate production manager, script reader) and at the infamous BEACH BLANKET BABYLON (house manager), and later working at all three of Seattle’s Pioneer Square Theatres (props, general backstage, script reader).
Returning to New York, a stint as the production stage manager of the Pearl Theatre led to work as an assistant stage manager at The Vineyard Theatre, which led to several seasons of work as a stage manager and associate production manager and script reader at Manhattan Class Company, and then as a wardrobe supervisor at Manhattan Theatre Company over multiple seasons. After moving with SIGHT UNSEEN to the off-Broadway Orpheum Theatre for its run, wardrobe supervision continued on shows including DAS BARBECU at the Minetta Lane, DEATH DEFYING ACTS at the Variety Arts, and THE PETRIFIED PRINCE at the Public Theatre, directed by Hal Prince.
Leaping from off-Broadway to Broadway as a dresser, shows included the original production of MISS SAIGON (the last 5 years of the original 10-year run), the FLOWER DRUM SONG revival, FOLLIES, and swing work on shows including URINETOWN, 42ND STREET, GYPSY (the Bernadette Peters version), RENT, SPRING AWAKENING, and the first three and a half years of WICKED.
Film and television work throughout the years include production management on a variety of independent films, and day play wardrobe work on shows such as LAW AND ORDER’s CONVICTION spin-off, THE BLACK DONNELLYS pilot, KIDNAPPED, and soaps such as ONE LIFE TO LIVE and THE GUIDING LIGHT.
Script reader work continued (and continues) with work for one of the large, West Coast-based coverage agencies, along with work for individual directors, producers, and actors, based on the material which they seek at any given time. Script doctoring work sometimes involved rewriting scenes on the East Coast and feeding pages as they were filmed on the West Coast. The production experience enhances the ability to write within production and budget parameters on commission.
In tandem with the technical work, the writing grew, with shows produced downtown in New York City, Los Angeles, London, Edinburgh, and Australia. As part of the 365 Women a Year Playwrighting Project, 10 plays inspired by often-forgotten historical women were written over seven years. Script writing grew to encompass radio (a beloved form), corporate scripting, and mission-specific entertainment for nonprofits including the National Marine Life Center. The move into full-time writing happened in 2010, with the move away from New York. After a decade on Cape Cod, the current location is in the vibrant, entrepreneurial artistic community of the Berkshires, working remotely with far-flung production companies and organizations.
