Actor • Director • Grammy Nominee

Hi! I'm an NYC-based director, new works enthusiast and Grammy Award-nominated actor. As a theater director, I specialize in developing new works (plays and musicals). I love the "soft power" of theater as a medium for artistic influence, and I endeavor to work on shows that pose social/cultural questions and can have an educational impact on the audience--particularly with regard to Asian American and/or Queer themes and teams (cast and creative), which are my own underrepresented communities. These are usually new works, although this might also include a new take on an older show. 

As a former lawyer, I have exceptional reading and analytical skills, and one of my more unique strengths as a director is the depth to which I am able to collaborate with a playwright to both focus the overall themes and hone the granular storytelling of their play. I am also a lifelong musician and musical theater performer, and am one of few directors who can delve deeply into the musical development of a score.

My directing aesthetic tends to be minimalist and refined, with a sense of restraint and tension. I prefer simple, naturalistic acting and staging, including immersive/interactive elements (when feasible) without going full experimental. I'm always thinking about what is the most effective to help the audience to understand the story, as opposed to glossing over flaws with beautiful stage pictures or dramatic effects. Thus far I have used projections, strongly colored lighting and sound effects to enhance black box spaces with no scenic capabilities.