Assistant Directing
Below is a digital portfolio of my assistant directorial work.
Or a timeline of my growth as an artist.
Anything catch your eye? My inbox is always open.
The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy
(July-August 2024)
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Orchestrations by Larry Hochman
Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Based on the Characters Created by Charles Addams
Directed and Choreographed by Steven James Higginbotham
Produced at Weathervane Playhouse
A twist on the ever-evolving tale of The Addams Family. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family – a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.
Production Team...
Musical Director: Bradley Johnson
Stage Manager: Amelia Ringer
Assistant Director: Payten Romig
Assistant Choreographer: Liam O'Toole
Elf the Musical
(December 2023)
Music by Matthew Sklar
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin
Directed by Jennifer Sansfacon
Produced at Weathervane Playhouse
Buddy Hobbs, a young orphan child, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole where he is raised by Santa and his elves. Years later, Buddy finds out that he’s actually a human and heads off to New York City in search of his father, Walter Hobbs. Despite the jaded locals he encounters, Buddy is determined to win over his birth family and help New York City remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Production Team...
Musical Director: Spencer Stern
Choreographer: Molly Model
Stage Manager: Amelia Ringer
Associate Director: Payten Romig
Dawn's Early Light: Industry Reading
(August 2023)
Written by Solomon Duane
Directed by Joel Kirk
Produced by Discovering Broadway Inc.
This new developing musical tells the story of the Zucchiatti family, first-generation immigrants caught in the challenges of proving an American identity and preserving their Italian heritage during World War II.
Production Team...
Musical Director: Amanda D'Archangelis
Stage Manager: Nan Bailey
Assistant Director: Payten Romig
Kinky Boots
(July-August 2023)
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Directed and Choreographed by Nikki Mirza
Produced at Weathervane Playhouse
What would you do if you inherited your father’s shoe factory that was on the verge of bankruptcy? Charlie Price knows first-hand as he tries to live up to his father’s legacy and save the family business. Charlie teams up with Lola, an entertainer who needs a pair of stilettos, to turn the factory around. The duo has more in common than they realize, and it becomes their mission to change their whole world. This Tony and Grammy-winning musical features music by pop icon Cyndi Lauper and will have you dancing in your seat!
Production Team...
Musical Director: Kevin Wines
Stage Manager: Amelia Ringer
Assistant Director and Choreographer: Payten Romig
Into the Woods
(November 2022)
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by Bill Jenkins and Dee Dee Batteast
Produced at Ball State University - Department of Theatre and Dance
Recently on Broadway, this James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim classic takes everyone's favorite storybook characters and brings them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece where each person's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
Production Team...
Musical Director: Beth Truitt
Choreographer: Dylan Cole Passman
Stage Manager: Han Coffman
Assistant Directors: Payten Romig and Madison Pickering
[title of show]
(April 2022)
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Bowen
Book by Hunter Bell
Directed by Mason Golden
Produced at Heorot Performance Venue - Capstone Series
Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. [title of show] is, above all, a love letter to the musical theatre -- a uniquely American art form -- and to the joy of collaboration.
Production Team...
Musical Director: Teah Mirabelli
Choreographers: Annie Wolfert and Christina Youngblood
Stage Manager: Parker Irwin
Assistant Directors: Payten Romig and Myles Keys
Intimacy Coordinator: Dr. Andrew Waldron
Significant Other
(February 2022)
Written by Joshua Harmon
Directed by Matthew Reeder
Produced at Ball State University - Department of Theatre and Dance
Jordan Berman would love to be in love, but that’s easier said than done. So until he meets Mr. Right, he wards off lonely nights with his trio of close girlfriends. But as singles’ nights turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan discovers that the only thing harder than finding love is supporting the loved ones around you when they do. From the critically acclaimed writer who brought you Bad Jews.
Production Team...
Stage Manager: Brady Rohrer
Assistant Directors: Payten Romig and Myles Keys
Intimacy Coordinator: Dr. Andrew Waldron
The Catastrophist
(October 2021)
Written by Lauren M. Gunderson
Directed by Laura Kloser
Produced at Ball State University - Cave Series
How do you plan for a catastrophe? Virologist Nathan Wolfe, named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for his work tracking viral pandemic outbreaks, proposed pandemic insurance years before the novel coronavirus outbreak. No one bought it. Now, in a post-COVID world, we hear his story—presented as cinematic digital theatre. MTC Playwright in Residence Lauren Gunderson returns with a time "jumping tale based on the life and work of Nathan Wolfe -- who also happens to be her husband." Though not a play about COVID19, it is a true story of a pandemic expert. An interactive deep dive into the profundities of scientific exploration and the harrowing realities of facing your own mortality, The Catastrophist is a world premiere theatrical experience built of and for this moment in time.
Production Team...
Stage Manager: Kennedy Ripperdan
Assistant Director: Payten Romig
The Little Mermaid
(February 2020)
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Book by Doug Wright
Directed by Jeanna Whitaker and Chalice Lundquist
Produced at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts - Lowden Theater
In a magical kingdom beneath the sea, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home to live in the world above.
Production Team...
Music Director: Megan Franke
Choreographer: Thomas Disabato
Stage Manager: CJ Daigdigan
Assistant Director: Payten Romig
Xanadu
(October 2019)
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar
Book by Douglas Carter Beane
Directed by Marissa McCoy
Produced at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts - Black Box Theater
A rare musical with a big heart, an even bigger funny bone, and a tongue stuck firmly in its cheek. Follow struggling artist, Sonny Malone, as he encounters his Grecian muse in 1980's Los Angeles.
Production Team...
Music Director: Rossana Cota
Choreographer: Krystina Kinney
Stage Manager: Dixon Kaufman
Assistant Director: Payten Romig