Raised in a lower-socioeconomic family, surrounded by rural ultra-conservatism, I was floored by the inspiring collective of arts I met upon moving to New York. They expressed and celebrated individuality, identity, and intelligence. Many hailed from arts schools, liberal households, and childhoods that didn’t require working underage to support their parents and siblings. After lifelong hatred towards my hometown Republicans, suddenly, I could at least source their misguided bitterness. Now, in our era of opposition, as a storyteller who can accurately portray and find humor in such timely contrasting views, this is my contribution and voice.

To me, distinguishing right from wrong isn’t as pivotal as representing a range of perspectives and backgrounds. My goal is to strip away stereotypes and judgements, to encourage empathy and understanding from all sides. My shtick strides the line between irreverence and intimacy, authenticity and absurdity. Themes I explore span gender and queerness, coming-of-age, mental illness, patriotism, and both literal and internal travel. Characters’ journeys and moral ambiguities are important to me, and I prefer ensemble pieces. As for dramatic questions, I wonder: how far can an individual go to assert their beliefs and change a system, if it’s all they know? What if they can’t? My other top hits are as follows: what is true versus imagined love, belonging, and success? What compels us to indulge performance and put up masks? Under what circumstances can’t we free ourselves to be ourselves? Maybe these are all the same question. I shall ask my therapist.

What sets me apart, I believe, is how openly I embrace input and ideas. At 26 and characteristically eager, I take no learning opportunity for granted. Onwards, I aspire to be continually collaborating and bettering my work, among fellow visionaries who trust the power of little jokes and big feelings.