UC San Diego

New to theater design, I came into this program uncertain of what lay ahead. What I found was a freedom which at first I found overwhelming; I could create anything I could imagine. Little did I know my imagination would take me on a trip around the world. My first year brought me to London as costume assistant on a new play at the Menier Chocolate Factory. A quick paced design process, pushed me to learn quickly. After London I visited 1920's Germany, no time machine needed, rather I hopped on board Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. I tackled my first production the one way I knew how, digging back to my art history knowledge to the art of Otto Dix. I left time travel only momentarily when my translation of an Italian children's book presented unseen opportunities, including the chance to travel to Italy to photograph the Ducal Palace of Mantova. My final journey began while working on Alexander Ostrovsky's The Storm. While I should have traveled to Russia I was instead drawn to the play's themes of water and the uncontrollable power of nature. I found myself in post Katrina New Orleans, where I discovered a tragic beauty in the erratic decay caused by the floods. The work of the explorer is never-ending; there are always unseen trails to discover. These past three years have given me a taste of such adventure, adventure that I'm eager to pursue not in spite of, but because of the uncertainties ahead.