Since 1969, Free Street Theater has been at the forefront of the movement to create affordable, inclusive and innovative theatre across Chicago. Free Street is a femme-led arts and culture organization that centers original performance work by Black, Brown, and Immigrant communities; queer artists; youth artists; and work that is committed to the thriving and well-being of people on the South and West Sides of the city. We believe in the theater as a space to uplift joy and justice, especially racial, economic, and environmental justice in Chicago. Through my service as the Producing Artistic Director I oversee our youth ensemble, mentor our artists-in-residence, co-create and facilitate our institute programs & artistic workshops, co-facilitate Free Street Talks, lead our grant writing & tracking, program our season, often act as a production manager, and support our leadership team of four in their programs & projects.

directing AT FREE STREET

Each year, I work on one to two productions where the ensemble spends three to eight months investigating an issue affecting Chicagoans. The play is developed through a method which combines research and interviews, with Free Street devising techniques. For each show, we partner with a local organization, or activist, fighting the issue. By supporting our show with stories and information, we show up for their organization with on the ground support. Shows I’ve directed, their topics, and organizational partners, are listed below. For video work samples, please use the contact form

Mothering the Movement, Hazel M. Johnson and the legacy of People for Community Recovery, Help This Garden Grow Podcast, Respair Media & Production, and People for Community Recovery; WASTED (2023), environmental racism & industrialization, Neighbors for Environmental Justice & Little Village Environmental Justice Organization; 57 Blocks, student pathways, Liberation Library and the HANA Center in collaboration with Birch House (a portion of this production took place on a moving bus); WASTED (2020), environmental racism and trash, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization; Parched, water justice and access, UIC Fresh Water Labs; REST, rest is resistance, The Nap Ministry; For Us, with Love, radical love; Checkmate, how to make change when you can’t vote, Lifted Voices; CRAZY, the closure of mental health facilities in Chicago; The Americans, voting, Chicago Votes; Los Milagros/The Miracles, lifting everyday miracles; The Backyard, a bi-yearly open-mic storytelling space for youth; IN/VISIBLE, a gallery of multi-media about often invisible issues; MAP-O-RAMA, an multi-media gallery which celebrates artists from Back of the Yards, Gage Park, Brighton Park, McKinley Park and Englewood.; The Paleta Project, directed with Ricardo Gamboa, a summer show about what is in the frame and what’s left out; Every 28 Hours, Cycle 3, directed with Coya Paz at the Goodman Theater.

DOCUMENTARY

In 2019, as a part of our celebration of Free Street’s 50 years, I directed and co-produced a short documentary about Free Street. Centered around our major effort “50 in 50,” a show where 100 artists performed in all 50 wards of Chicago in one day, and alongside Head of Photography, Jaaron Boger, I interviewed alum from 1969 - today, and wove together the story of Free Street’s complicated past. The documentary is available for viewing on Free Street’s Vimeo.

TEACHING ARTISTRY

Since 2015, I’ve been a lead teaching artist at Free Street. As the head director of our Pulaski Park ensemble, and Producing Artistic Director, I onboard and train all of our teaching artists; direct one to two shows with our youth ensembles per year; as well as oversee and/or facilitate in-school programs. For each program, I collaborate with our teaching artists to custom design curriculums which match our program goals, and insure that students learn the main tenets of Free Street’s work in the way that’s best for them.