Artistic Director · Palm Springs, California
"Building rooms
where something
alive and real
can emerge."
Chaya the Creative
Artistic Director · Palm Springs, California
Chaya the Creative
"Theatre is storytelling via creating spectacle and human introspection from those who wish to shine in the circumstance."
— Chaya the Creative
"Bringing out the best in people, versus the best people."
— Chaya the Creative
"Actors are the colors in my paint palette. I may be the brush — but no one talks about the brush. That's how it should be."
— Chaya the Creative
The Book
for directors and teachers in the field
They're all looking at you — what are we getting up to today? Pull out the Back Pocket Improv Guide and know you've always got something hilarious up your sleeve. Or rather, in your back pocket.
Inside you'll find seven original theatre games designed to work with nearly any group size or ability level. Complicated concepts get simplified fast: Bozos and Bastards, for example, is a talk-back inspired game that shows students in real time how they're being perceived as they perform. You'll also find hundreds of ideas for an unforgettable Tableau Tournament, a Laban movement chart for the director educated in motivated movement looking to build games from foundational concepts, and a built-in log so you can document what worked, what flopped, and any tweaks that made a game your own.
Your class will be unforgettable. Don't be surprised if the kiddos want to stay past the bell.
Download the Guide · $10About
I have been the Artistic Director at a Dude Ranch in Florida, on a plank of wood in the middle of a forest, building costumes out of palm fronds from the swamp. You don't have to do that. I was young. And itchy. But as the rooms grew more air conditioned, I found that the philosophy of having nothing was the petri dish from whence my pedagogy developed.
My art is intended to suggest a feeling of a thing rather than show you it. Good theatre is socially and emotionally regulatory.
If I do my job right, every element of design and every performer on stage becomes a star to shine. Let's not tell them where the laughs are. Let's just tell the story.
"I am uninspired by perfection."
"The art form of saying words. And the terror of meaning them."
"Good theatre is socially and emotionally regulatory."
Curriculum Vitae
SPEAK — An Evening of Short Plays is the MFA directing portfolio centerpiece. Five original short plays exploring the gap between what is said and what is meant.
Independent & Professional
SPEAK — An Evening of Short Plays
Writer, Director, Producer · Independent Production · Palm Springs, CA · MFA directing portfolio centerpiece. Five original short plays exploring the gap between what is said and what is meant.
Waxing Crescent
Writer & Director · Musical Theatre University Prep Program · Palm Springs, CA
One Killer Party
Writer & Director · Independent Production · Palm Springs, CA · Original whodunnit for a cast of 23 middle school performers.
Little Red
Writer & Director · Independent Production · Palm Springs, CA · Contemporary adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood set in the NYC subway.
Teaching Residency
San Bernardino, CA · Students performed with Barry Manilow at The McCallum Theatre
Wonder of the World
Director · Self-Produced Developmental Reading · Simple Studios, New York City
Oklahoma! Jr.
Director · Charlotte Players · North Port, FL · First professional directing engagement following graduation from Florida Southern College.
Site-Specific & Camp
Teen Beach Musical
Director · Camp Cayuga · Promenade production transforming the entire camp into a theatrical environment. Leads departed by speedboat.
James and the Giant Peach
Director & Performer · Camp Waziyatah · Maine · Original live score composed and performed with musically trained campers.
Romeo and Juliet
Adapter & Director · Circle F Dude Ranch · Lake Wales, FL · 40-minute adaptation for ESL campers. Choreographed all stage combat. Stepped in as Mercutio at curtain to preserve a student's dignity.
Academic
Dark Matters — Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Director, Costume Designer & Production Designer · Florida Southern College · Senior Capstone · Sold-out midnight performance. Cited by department chair as the most fully realized senior capstone in his tenure.
Words, Words, Words — David Ives
Director · Florida Southern College · Outdoor Bandshell
The Mystery at Twicknam Vicarage — David Ives
Director, Performer, Costume Designer & Props Coordinator · Pinellas County Center for the Arts · St. Petersburg, FL · Runner Up, Senior Showcase.
House Management
House Manager
Ensemble Arts Philadelphia · Academy of Music · Kimmel Center · Verizon Hall
Selected Work
Production photography coming soon.
Work in progress · Summer 2026
Workshops & Residencies
"Play in a Day" is a full original theatrical production — conceived, built, rehearsed, and performed in a single day. Parents arrive at 7pm to watch a 10-minute play their kid made that morning.
The day opens with job positioning. Every participant — performers, directors, playwrights, set painters, sound designers, prop makers — is placed in a role that fits who they already are. Nobody is required to perform. Nobody is left without a job that matters. The result is a working creative company, assembled in an hour, from whoever is in the room.
The script is written that day by the students — with a fill-in-the-blank framework or full creative freedom depending on the group. Costumes are built from whatever is available. Props are made on the spot. The whole production is site-specific to the space we're given.
"I do not make people become theatrical. I create a space for all people to shine — theatrical, practical, logistical, artistic, or supportive."
Play in a Day works with any age group, in any room. Schools, universities, summer camps, libraries, community centers, youth organizations. The only requirement is that you believe your people are ready to surprise themselves. Chaya will handle the rest — including a walk-through of the space the day before, at no additional cost.
What the facility provides
A space · Parent volunteers or staff support for younger groups · Snacks and water for participants · A willingness to be surprised
Pricing is flexible and adjustable to your organization — get in touch to discuss.
What I Teach
Class structure works with any number of students, as the theatre making formula can be applied to two people and has no limit. Students build original work from the ground up — from idea to scene to performance.
Theatre is about playing to our strengths. In this space, we identify and nurture our own strengths and actively support our differences while working together to build trust in a safe space to play.
Laban · Uta Hagan · Viewpoints · Stanislavsky. Students engage with the foundational frameworks of acting theory in age-appropriate, active, and embodied ways.
Led with intention. A safe space to fail, try again, and surprise yourself. Students learn skills that apply directly to real life communication — listening, presence, and the ability to say yes.
Contact
Palm Springs, California