Some people believe art is mere decoration or entertainment. Artists and their patrons know that art serves a vital community function. It presents us with visions of how things were, are, and may be. It holds a mirror up that allows us to see ourselves individually and collectively in new ways. It creates new sounds and rhythms that challenge us and change our perceptions.
Art is always participatory. It involves and engages an audience. It therefore, by definition, expands the individual and links them to something beyond themselves. It is my goal to create works that help individuals grow and to increase their sense of connection to each other. This in turn develops a stronger sense of community for all of us.
I believe a dramatist writing about the human condition should not be a mere theorist, but have a high degree of societal involvement. My volunteer work has included being State Coordinator for the Candlelight Vigil for Children, heading a citizen's lobby to end hunger and homelessness, work on several local environmental and political campaigns, and serving as a delegate to the State and National Democratic Conventions. What I learn in this on-going process becomes part of my work.
Drama creates a shared vision. If the unexamined life is not worth living, it follows that life is not worth living in an unexamined society. The arts enable us to look at ourselves and each other in new ways. It is my goal as a theatre artist to provide material that facilitates this process and helps us be more sympathetic and empathetic to each other.
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