At Southern Oregon University, my Thesis production to complete my B.F.A in Directing was scenes from Reason’s to be Pretty by Neil Labute. This challenging piece provided many fast moving— and even faster talking scenes, presenting a beautiful opportunity to showcase the skills I learned from my mentors. Focusing only on the scenes with Greg and Stephanie, charting the relationship Labute maps out for these two, omitting the secondary relationships. The 1 hour performance was quite a significant milestone for me as a director. I remember quickly adding some extra chairs to squeeze in the last few members of the audience, an audience of people coming together to watch my work.

The experience was challenging, but full of discoveries and so many moments of pride, excitement, and joy. I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to work with two actors with the level of skill to bring these characters to a fully human reality.