My Philosophy
I am an Afro-Latina woman adopted by a white liberal family, and raised in a predominantly white, ultra-Christian, far-right conservative corner of Canada. I was born in the shadow of 9/11, my values were molded during COVID, and I am attempting to build my life's foundation while watching empathy and integrity be disregarded, and overlooked as guiding pillars in society and those who lead it. Resilience is not something I developed; it was woven into my DNA.
Theatre is singular among art forms; connection is not a byproduct, it is a mechanism. It exists to reflect its community and, more importantly, to challenge it. That can only happen when those leading the work reflect the full mosaic of the people they serve. My calling in life is to serve my community and I know I can make a positive impact leading with integrity, curiosity, and above all, empathy. I want to reclaim theatre as a true third space: a place where people gather, are moved, are challenged, and where those who have never felt welcome finally do.
I am built to do this, it was clear at three when I begged my parents to let me learn violin. It was clear at twelve when I declared I would get a degree in musical theater. It was clear at eighteen when I did. It is clear again at twenty-four now that I refuse to be silenced and fall into what society thinks I “should” be, but instead use it as ammunition to offer an olive branch and try to change the “us vs them” mentality. I believe myself to be a product of everyone who has helped me along the way; family, teachers, friends, adjudicators, even those who put me down.
No matter the project, my hope is always the same…to evoke something real from the people in the room. Whether the audience is ten thousand or one, if a single person comes up afterward and tells me that I made them feel something, I have done my job. I believe art is a public service; a place for people to forget their troubles, to recognize themselves in a story, to take a step back and see the parallels between fiction and real life, and most importantly, to connect with others, both friends and strangers. That belief is the foundation of everything I create.
