When I say I’m a performer, I feel that people understand what I mean. I act, I sing, I dance. I dress up in fun costumes and pretend to be someone else for a little while. And I take pride in my work as a performer. But beyond ensuring I’ve done my craft well, what ultimately matters to me is the audience impact. Who is my work for? What is it asking them to think about, discuss, or do? Why am I doing this piece in this moment? Theater is a tremendous tool for activism - a way to put a mirror in front of society and ask the audience to stop and reflect on our current world. Theater is also a tremendous tool for escapism - a way to gingerly place a blanket around an audience and ask them to stop thinking and just enjoy for a moment. Whatever it hopes to do, theater gives people these experiences through the stories it tells. So my job isn’t simply to perform. It’s to dive headfirst into creating a new world to share, to speak through my movement, and to evoke feeling through my song. My work as a performer is to impart stories to anyone who will listen. That’s what being a storyteller means to me.