“New York City is an amazing place, but it doesn’t have to be the be-all and end-all of the theatre world. Great work is happening everywhere and it’s time we really appreciate it.”

“I feel my family’s economical status is what truly drove my passion for the performing arts. I worked much harder because it was something that I wasn’t able to take for granted.”

“This week, it was announced that legendary British actor Sir Ian McKellen is about to start rehearsals for a new production of Hamlet with him playing the title character. Director Sean Mathias’s production promises to be cast ‘age-blind’ though the full casting details are yet to be released. Age-blind casting is an interesting idea, but it doesn’t seem possible that such a decision can ever be made ‘blind’ because characters’ ages have a substantial and significant impact on their relationships and situations.”

“You will be hard-pressed to find anyone who works in theatre who hasn’t heard the words ‘theatre is gay’ at some point during their career. Despite the fact that there are, as we all know, plenty of straight actors involved in theatre and the arts, this stereotype seems to persist relentlessly. Particularly for young people, the image of theatre and performance is often one of campiness and lacking masculinity. But why? Where does this come from? Why is theatre seen to be so queer?”

“Despite some silver linings brought about by the newly adapted theatre industry, we’re still lacking the synchronicity of our collective human heartbeat that occurs at the theater and feeling its absence.”

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We do shows like Kiss Me Kate, Bye, Bye Birdie, and Carousel not to show how we should be, but how we shouldn’t. I didn’t realize it at the time, but performing Kiss Me Kate in high school was extremely educational. Not just because we were doing a piece of theatrical history, but because it was teaching us young artists how we shouldn’t act in society.

“I’m here to talk about modes of creativity that are outside the “norm” of artistry and aren’t things we would normally consider creative. Nothing about the times we’re in are normal, so it stands to reason that creativity can hide in the activities we do in these abnormal times.”

“We have to learn to be okay with other people not loving the thing we love as much as we love it. Accepting each other as individuals is one of the core principles in the theatre. This should extend to every aspect of life in the theatre.”

“I have adored work created by problematic artists, and I have also had abusers create work that was consumed by others while completely ignoring who they were as a person.”

“Jacks (or jills)-of-all-trades may be viewed as “masters of none”, but I would argue that their versatility is exactly what makes them so valuable. They are just as much a part of the theatre scene as anyone else, and we not only need to recognize their existence but also to welcome their unique approach.”

“What is too sacred to be touched? At what point do we draw a line, if at all, when it comes to classic works of theatre? And, most of all, what are we hoping to gain by changing or not changing them?”