About

Michael directed the Jeff nominated productions of Carrie: The Musical (Bailiwick Chicago) and Barefoot In The Park (Step Up Productions), the Jeff recommended Desperate Dolls (Strawdog Theatre), Flies! The Musical! (Pride Films and Plays), PEN: A Musical (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival), and Blithe Spirit (GoodLuck Macbeth Theatre Company). He assistant directed the Jeff Award winning production of The Original Grease, Rent (American Theater Company), Oh Coward! (Writers Theatre), See What I Wanna See (Bailiwick Chicago/Steppenwolf Garage Rep), Detective Partner Hero Villain (Strawdog Theatre), Sunday in the Park with George (Porchlight Music Theatre), and The Complete Works… (Abridged) (Illinois Shakespeare Festival). Michael curates MAP Reading, a monthly play reading series that asks participants to consider the power and effectiveness of a playwright’s words through the use of non-traditional casting and cold reading.

Michael is also dedicated to arts education, working as a teaching artist and program manager in Chicago for over a decade. He has taught, directed, or managed education programs for American Theater Company, Northlight, Stage School, Bailiwick Chicago, StageCoach Theatre Arts School, Stage School, Changing Worlds, and Project AIM at Columbia College Chicago. Michael is an alumni of the Teaching Artist Development Studio at Columbia College Chicago and the Teaching Artists Development Lab at the Lincoln Center. He is a  graduate of Illinois State University where he studied theatre education and directing.