A World of Pure Imagination
My Golden Ticket
My vision with Willy Wonka Jr. centered around one key goal: to bring families together by trying to balance the familiar with the unexpected, using bold color palettes and stylized design to evoke both nostalgia and novelty.
It was a blast and an honor to modernize the classic characters, but one of my favorite creative risks was reinventing the Oompa Loompas. Instead of drawing from the book or films, I reimagined them entirely —a zany, playful chorus with paisley boho costumes that stood in joyful contrast to the more traditional elements.
This production strengthened my planning, organizing, and management in ways I didn’t expect. Rehearsals were in full swing when the school year was starting, so I was juggling this while teaching, lesson planning, and casting my next show. To get it all done, I had to trust—rely on others, communicate a clear creative vision, and empower the team I had around me.
