Chicago was my third and final directing project at Boston University in the spring of 2020. Unfortunately, five weeks into the process, the show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Chicago, I honed in on history and dramaturgy to guide our understanding of vaudeville, celebrity, crime, and urban living in the 1920s with a focus on what about the show makes it feel so deeply American. I implemented a student dramaturgical team to present concentrated research to the cast and crew on a bi-weekly basis about the American media, the glorification of crime, the experience of urban women, and the role of the justice system. We used what we learned to inform our principal and ensemble performances. We also used the research to create a period-style promotional photoshoot for the show that honed in on what the show has to say about the American experience, as seen below.

While Chicago was never performed for an audience, I still consider it one of my proudest projects. I learned how to lead my team through difficult and extraordinary circumstances.