Hiya! My name is Dezi (they/she)! I’m a dramaturg and writer specializing in new work development and the performance of identity.

After growing up with a profound sense of loneliness, I’m fascinated by theatre’s ability to help us understand ourselves and the world around us. My work challenges the concept of “the self” and points to the whimsically tragic action of coexistence. Social Psychologist Erving Goffman argues, “The self, then, as a performed character, is not an organic thing.” Throughout our lives, we perform this sense of self in relation to societal and personal ideals. Though this action is common, it is incredibly strenuous to our psyche. Where do these ideals come from? How does the expectation to perform affect our relationships? How does the tension between our natural and performance self affect our psyche? My work continuously asks these questions, and with each project, I get closer to my answer.

University of the Arts BFA Musical Theater '20

Columbia University MFA Dramaturgy ‘23