Biography
Grew up in South Texas.
1993 - Stupidly gave up U2 Zooropa tickets to stay up all night studying for an exam, that was postponed, most likely because of the U2 concert. Last responsible decision made to date.
Graduated from Webster University. Moved to New York City.
1995 - Became fixture at the Grassroots tavern, got in trouble for scratching my name on the only unscratched surface in the bar. I was the production intern for The Metropolitan Opera where I developed a love for Opera and Photography. My chief responsibilities were to disseminate information and photograph the set models for new productions. I was able to meet the director Jonathan Miller and several great designers like Paul Brown, Mark Thompson, and Anthony Ward, and pick their brains about design. Decided that I wanted to go to grad school.
1997 - Went to grad school.
1998 - Was convinced not to quit grad school by Debra Booth. Thanks Debra.
1999-2005 (ish) Started the long painful process of unlearning everything I learned in grad school. Became a henchman for hire for designers like Andy Jackness, Santo Loquasto, Mark Thompson, and Riccardo Hernandez.
Around this time I became a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and started to learn how to “hench” for myself and also stopped keeping track of what year it was.
I designed productions for the Juilliard Opera Center and The Manhattan School of music, and was able to work with directors like Ed Berkely, Dona Vaughn, Ned Canty and Lilian Groag and got a free trip to Italy, taking my design for Lilian Groag’s Juilliard production of Oreste to the Spoleto Festival.
2006 - 2008 The lost years.
Left a lucrative but soul sucking position as Art Director on reality Tv show to work on the film Cruzando with Mando Alvarado and Michael Escamilla. No one knows we all went to highschool together.
2009-2013 Became part of an unofficial but notorious collective of theater artists, with noted talents like Raul Castillo, Mando Alvarado, Michael Escamilla, Audrey Esparza, Teddy Feldman, Bernardo Cubria, David Anzuelo, and many other talented people. Jerry Ruiz was there too.
Towards the end of this time the group was abandoned by Michael and Mando, leaving a large group of talented people to a “professional” walk of shame.
While getting to work at places like Intar, Labyrinth, The Working Theater, The Rattlestick Playwright’s Theater, I was able to work with some amazing people, like the director and head squish Pedro Pascal, Florencia Lozano, Lou Moreno, Daniel Talbott, Lucy Thurber, and Jackson Gay, all the while working on television and film as an Art Director/Assistant Art Director to support my theater habit. Some noted film and television projects include John Wick, The Outskirts, and Falling Water (pilot).
I am very proud to have been an Adjunct Assistant Professor, teaching Drama 111 Introduction to Theater Design at Queens College, Spring and Fall 2015.