“Lonely Hunter is pure catharsis... a master class in empathy.”
— LITTLE ROCK SOIREE
THEATER DIRECTOR | EDUCATOR | NONPROFIT PRODUCER
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, Arkansas Repertory Theatre
Christopher Tester, James Foster, Jr., Myxolydia Tyler
All photo credits listed below.
ABOUT
In 1996, I moved to Minneapolis, expecting to stay for just a few years. I stayed for twenty. After a brief interval in Little Rock, Arkansas, my husband, music director and composer Andrew Cooke, and I returned to New York. We now live Upstate with our oh-so-spoiled but eminently lovable Basenji dog, Dyna.
A creative theater artist with more than 30 years of professional experience as a director, administrator, nonprofit producer, and educator.
I have a deep affection for the classics; I’m thrilled by adventurous new works by contemporary playwrights with distinctive voices; I have an intense passion for music theater; and I delight in the opportunity to give a seldom produced play the chance to find renewed life.
Born and raised in Rochester, New York, I moved to New York City in 1980 to study acting. Shortly after graduation I shifted my focus, realizing that my artistic and personal strengths would be put to better use on the other side of the footlights.
VISION AND VALUES
AS A DIRECTOR, I value honesty, clarity, immediacy, playfulness, and discipline. Although I believe that some scripts may benefit from a conspicuous directorial concept, I find that most plays do not. I make it my goal to realize the intent of the playwright as I understand it. The heart of theater making is collaboration. Building upon the talents and contributions of my colleagues, I envision my role as being the interpretive artist primarily responsible for crafting a cohesive theatrical exchange – one that directly links the playwright’s work with an audience’s experience.
​
AS AN ARTISTIC LEADER, I’m dedicated to cultivating and nurturing the long-term relationship between a resident theater and its stakeholders. I believe that a nonprofit theater can be much more than just a pleasant cultural amenity – it can be a dynamic engine for building and shaping community. The magical singularity of a live theatrical event possesses the unique and powerful potential to delight, unite, challenge, and inspire people in ways that celebrate not only the individual and our many differences, but also remind us of our shared humanity.
AS AN EDUCATOR, I believe the best foundational training for an aspiring theater artist aims to engage the whole person. It should develop the student intellectually, physically, and emotionally as well as creatively, and aspire to cultivate a skillful, thoughtful, and respectful artist who is attentive to their craft, possessed of an entrepreneurial spirit, and eager to play an active role in their local, national, and global communities.
I’m committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in my work as well as in my life for I find that a theatrical event is invariably richer when its creative artists and audience members have various and diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
The Cherry Orchard, Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Alex Campbell, Caralyn Kozlowski, Tristan Rewald