Home: Berkeley, CA. Age: Older than I look. Birthplace: Cleveland, OH. Profession: Broadway producer. Pronouns: She/Her/Hers. Alma mater: School of Visual Arts, New York (BFA).
Current project: Supporting Broadway productions and environmental causes. Recent recognition: Olivier Award nomination for Sweat. Recent professional development: Produced Purlie Victorious on Broadway. Latest contribution to others: Advocacy for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and support for endangered species conservation. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Bringing Sweat to Broadway after seeing it at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Hobbies: Photography. Recently viewed and recommended: A Broadway production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Personality profile: Passionate, creative, purpose-driven. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Visionary. What is your greatest joy? Seeing a play move and inspire its audience. What is your greatest fear? Environmental destruction and loss of biodiversity. What is your guilty pleasure? Collecting rare photography books. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Conservationists. How do you relieve stress? Immersing myself in nature.
What three emojis best describe you? 🎭🌿📷.
What was your first paying job? Public relations photographer for off-Broadway productions. What was your favorite college course? Photography and Storytelling. What book have you repeatedly read? Gorillas in the Mist, by Dian Fossey. What movie have you repeatedly watched? All the Way (based on the Tony-winning play I co-produced). What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Photography from theater productions and wildlife conservation efforts. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Follow your passion relentlessly. What company or organization do you most admire? Earthjustice.
What is your big idea? Using theater as a tool for activism. What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Bringing more diverse and socially relevant stories to Broadway. What change would you like to see in the world? Greater environmental consciousness. What message do you want to send out into the world? Art and activism can go hand in hand. What mega-trend most excites you? The rise of socially conscious storytelling
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Storytelling for Change. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Meryl Streep. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A playwright. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? My collection of theater programs. What advice would you give your younger self? Believe in the power of storytelling. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? Seeing Sweat premiere on Broadway. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? My early career years. I’d take more risks.
Personal mission: To use storytelling to inspire change. Personal motto: Art has the power to change the world. Favorite quote: “Theatre is a mirror, a sharp reflection of society” (Yasmina Reza). Desired epitaph: She told stories that mattered.
