Artistic Statement
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SMJ .
Artistic Statement
I wasn’t supposed to make it this far. I was the product of a broken home, closeted in a heteronormative and transphobic town, mixed-race in a sea of white folks, developed an eating disorder from body dysmorphia due to being overweight from an extremely poor diet, lived way below the poverty line, barely survived college physically and financially, and was homeless when I lived in a Catholic church in Brooklyn. I had no power behind my voice and lived my life in silence. When I picked up the pen, everything changed.
I write with hope for a new theater - where it’s financially and physically accessible, where collaboration is king, and where BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, and Fat theatermakers are front and center. All of my work revolves around unraveling our world’s sometimes funny, sometimes heartfelt yet always terrifying truths: the dangerous embrace of fascism & conspiracy theories in the alt-right movement (Untitled Raccoon Play), cult-like behavior in the world of social media (SWAY), racial stereotypes in women’s professional wrestling (No Mercy), gender dysphoria & body dysmorphia in the ballet/mime world (At The Barre), the duality of being trans - trans joy & transphobia (yo ho.), apprentice exploitation in the theater industry (THE COMMAND CENTER), the fetishization of BIPOC & queer folks in teen dramas (OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED), and mob mentality in religious small towns (small town icons).
As a playwright, I’m a community builder. I create unapologetically queer work that inspires, challenges, and highlights my collaborators. If they succeed, I succeed. Collaboration is essential to my playwriting process. My plays No Mercy, Untitled Raccoon Play, OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED, and yo ho. have all developed through some form of devising process. As my profile continues to grow, I hope to grow the profile of emerging theatermakers. I hope to go back to my hometown and others like it to offer hope to young students who may be in the same position I was: kids who loved theater but never thought pursuing it was possible. Kids who never thought they’d make it to age 18, 21, or 27. Kids who need this. I want to be a Trans writer who is an industry game-changer.
I write with hope for a new theater - where it’s financially and physically accessible, where collaboration is king, and where BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, and Fat theatermakers are front and center. All of my work revolves around unraveling our world’s sometimes funny, sometimes heartfelt yet always terrifying truths: the dangerous embrace of fascism & conspiracy theories in the alt-right movement (Untitled Raccoon Play), cult-like behavior in the world of social media (SWAY), racial stereotypes in women’s professional wrestling (No Mercy), gender dysphoria & body dysmorphia in the ballet/mime world (At The Barre), the duality of being trans - trans joy & transphobia (yo ho.), apprentice exploitation in the theater industry (THE COMMAND CENTER), the fetishization of BIPOC & queer folks in teen dramas (OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED), and mob mentality in religious small towns (small town icons).
As a playwright, I’m a community builder. I create unapologetically queer work that inspires, challenges, and highlights my collaborators. If they succeed, I succeed. Collaboration is essential to my playwriting process. My plays No Mercy, Untitled Raccoon Play, OUR CHILDHOOD SUCKED, and yo ho. have all developed through some form of devising process. As my profile continues to grow, I hope to grow the profile of emerging theatermakers. I hope to go back to my hometown and others like it to offer hope to young students who may be in the same position I was: kids who loved theater but never thought pursuing it was possible. Kids who never thought they’d make it to age 18, 21, or 27. Kids who need this. I want to be a Trans writer who is an industry game-changer.