“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.”

“Earlier this month, the University of Utah decided to cancel their production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World due to a failure “to address essential issues of representation and identity presented by the script.” To add insult to injury, theatre department officials pulled the show two weeks before it was set to stream online, after students had already been cast and rehearsing for months.”

“So much of the job is advocacy for actors, what the actors’ boundaries are, what they’re confident in doing, and then translating. What is the director's vision? Translating that into movement for the actors or translating actor movement or boundaries back to the director.”

“Last week a woman detailed on social media how she was sexually abused by her theatre director when she was a teenager. In addition to posting evidence of how he preyed upon her, she also states how her claims were mishandled by the theatre where he worked.”

“I did not expect to start my morning by defending a predominately all-white cast who just lost their jobs due to them being a predominately all-white cast, but here we are.”

“What is wrong with the theatre fandom is the belief that objectively, some musicals are better than others, and that if you like a certain show, you aren’t the right kind of theatre fan. Gatekeeping is the practice of musical theatre fans who feel that they have the authority to determine who belongs and who doesn’t belong based on whether or not someone is a ‘true fan.’”

“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.”

“In a world where there are so few casting directors of color, we must rely on each other to be aware of our privileges, humble about our abilities, and intentional in deciding when we show up. We must rely on each other to ensure that the actors who will stretch the imaginations of those on the other side of the table actually get into the room.”

“It’s time to get our heads out of our collective asses and wake up to the fact that having a New York zip code does not make you a better actor by default.  Nor does wanting a better quality of life mean you’re less ambitious.  The industry has changed, and it’s time to put those outdated stereotypes to rest.”

“The web is this really messy, chaotic place full of entertainment properties, fans, marketers, journalists, all coexisting together. And just like any real place, it’s full of tension, joy, and all the other stuff that makes for interesting stories—which is why it’s a great place to make theatre in new ways.”

“I love nothing more than when an actor uses creative or obscure material in an audition or in class. Out of context or perhaps with an entirely different emotion, you might find something in the text that you hadn’t noticed before. Actor and comedian Lisa Gilroy has figured that out and what she’s done is downright brilliant.”

“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.”