OVERVIEW:

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Upon arriving back in Syracuse, I was asked to direct this iconic piece of theatre as a fundraiser for two amazing organizations: ACR Health & The Paul Robeson PAC. Being that I’m a man, I was of course trepidatious – but having loved the show since college, as well as the desire to spark change, I inevitably (and ecstatically) agreed. But with two firm conditions: I needed at least one female codirector, and the cast needed to be diverse. Thankfully, with the help of the brilliant Martikah Williams, I was able to secure both.

We had less than three weeks of rehearsals, no tech whatsoever, and a myriad of rules to follow in accordance with the city of Syracuse: masks were worn whenever the actors were off stage and/or not speaking; hand sanitizer was readily available; our actors and  audiences were spaced six feet apart; and the actors used their own personal windscreens when using the four microphones.

All in all, it was both a challenge and pleasure to create live theatre amidst a global pandemic. Likewise, it was a distinctive pleasure to help share these timely, powerful stories, especially as a man – and especially in such a time of unwavering loss and uncertainty. It is my sincere hope that Ms. Ensler’s next addition to this show is a piece surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement.  

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