Hi! My name is Michael! 

I am a queer storyteller that directs, choreographs, and performs. Recently I graduated with my MFA in Directing (Theatre) from the University of Iowa. 

As an artist, I seek to not just investigate the truth, I interrogate it by unraveling the work of an oppressive society. Through my work, I am able to uncover the honesty in a moment by curating a process where actors have autonomy over their bodies; fusing movement to create spectacle and thus crafting a moving image of the nuanced human experience.  Although my work is rooted in the queer experience, I don’t confine myself by being exclusive, I am inclusive to and open myself up to a variety of works that speak to a call-to-action, encouraging the audience to inspect how they play a role. These are the scripts that excite me. 

As a Mexican, queer, interdisciplinary artist who grew up in the agricultural Central Valley of California, I witnessed the hustle and grind. At a young age I was determined to create with very little, creating routines in the garage with chairs, blankets, and anything I could find. I was fortunate enough to start dance classes at the age of 15 through a program at school, where I was introduced to diverse styles and techniques in Dance, and finally, discovering a place where I felt like I could express myself in my authentic form. When I moved away to college, I was able to flourish in my queerness and discover what a true sacred space was for me. As a director, I strive to create the same space in my rehearsal room. Where the preservation of sacred space allows for a trust and bond that acts as a foundational force in the room, and therefore, enacts honesty in the work. I utilize the body as the compass for impulse, informing an actor’s movement motivated by their physical impulses. As a collective, we are able to uncover in the process, a physical vocabulary. 

With work in Musical Theatre I am able to use musicality as a function to serve a moment and drive actors to motivate actions through analysis and impulse. My choreographic-work can extend to the spectacle inherent to Musical Theatre to the incorporation of stylistic movement and choreography to accompany a play; utilizing movement as a narrative device in conjunction to the language of a play. I take dramaturgical research of the period, socio-economic, political, and popular culture factors to inform the world of the play. I am passionate about creating a dimensional experience for the audience, inviting them to not just be passive spectators but active particpates in the expereince. 


I lead by striving to form creative bonds with other artists that share the same values as I, reflecting our right to always be our authentic selves not just in the room, but in our daily lives. Always generating curiosity while examining the past and contesting current structures related to how we want to see the future of our world.