Arts & Entertainment
Navigate the menu below to view my work in each category, or keep scrolling to view all of my arts and entertainment stories.
Film & Television
‘The Paper’ Is Set in Toledo, Ohio. Here’s What Toledoans Think.
For this feature on the spinoff to "The Office," I interviewed over a dozen sources, including local business owners, screenwriting experts and the mayors of Toledo and Scranton. A newsroom colleague also had a distant connection to former “Saturday Night Live” writer Mike O’Brien, who grew up just outside Toledo. O’Brien spoke to me about setting his 2021 sitcom “AP Bio” in the Glass City.
Graphic by Samuel Chang
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Here’s What ‘The Paper’ Creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman Think About Toledo, Ohio
After many email exchanges with PR representatives, NBCUniversal granted me a 15-minute interview with Daniels, who created “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” and Koman, a former writer for Conan O’Brien. Apparently Toledo has great ramen, at least according to Koman.
Graphic by Ruth Chang
NU alum Britt Lower juggles talents en route to ‘Severance’
Thorough internet sleuthing helped me find Lower’s publicist and secure a 40-minute conversation with the actress. It turns out a significant rejection at Northwestern cemented the Emmy winner’s decision to pursue acting professionally.
Illustration by Siri Reddy
NU Prison Education Program debuts Justice-Impacted Writers Project
Screenwriting partners Sammy Horowitz and Adam Pasen are an unlikely duo. Horowitz was incarcerated for nearly a decade, while Pasen said, “the most trouble I ever got in was getting busted for breaking curfew one time.”
Photo courtesy of Adam Pasen
Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV inspires mass-es to screen ‘Conclave’
Most sourcing from this story came from Letterboxd — specifically, lots of scrolling to see who had recently logged the film. I had also previously interviewed Jeff for stories on the Oscars and comedy, and I knew he was a cinephile.
Illustration by Cayla Labgold-Carroll
'Dìdi (弟弟)' is a mirror of adolescence
As a Fremont native, I jumped at the chance to attend a pre-release screening of “Didi” at the San Francisco Film Festival. I spoke with director Sean Wang — who grew up minutes away from me — and actor Izaac Wang in my first press junket.
Photo courtesy of Tremendous Communications
Comedy
Mee-Ow Show returns with wild ride on ‘The Mee-Owgic School Bus’
When covering any showcase, I strive to interview everyone involved, especially people working behind-the-scenes. I visited the set before the show and witnessed how intricate the design was, right down to the school bus headlights.
Mee-Ow Show kills with ‘Knives Mee-Owt’
Existing relationships with the show’s cast and crew made this Mee-Ow story even more exciting to write than the first. The producer told me Joseph Radding, who contributed to the first ever Mee-Ow Show in 1974, would attend. I was grateful to catch Radding for a brief conversation after the show.
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SESP professor’s podcast collaboration bridges academia and comedy
A change of tone from typical comedy coverage, I spoke with a Northwestern professor and a Chicago comedian, a duo who likened themselves to “peanut butter and jelly,” about their new podcast. Of course, I also listened to several hour-long episodes of the podcast itself.
Photo courtesy of PJ Fahrenkrug
‘Broad City’ co-creator Ilana Glazer performs stand-up as A&O fall speaker
Many news stories call for serious writing. This article was not one of them. I wanted to capture Glazer’s bold, irreverent tone. But the news principle of quick turnaround still applied. I filed the story less than two hours after Glazer’s talk ended.
Illustration by Lily Ogburn
Music & Dance
From TikTok to Birdland, NU alum Stella Cole swings into spotlight with timeless tunes
After speaking with Cole over the phone, I attended her concert as credentialed press. Watching the singer and her fans in action was crucial to color in the profile. The concert also served as a great environmental portrait setting.
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Chicago Jazz Dads brew up tunes at Evanston coffee shop
Without intending to, I stumbled into the jazz and comedy beats. But I’ve enjoyed every second of covering both. Sometimes, the best human interest stories are just next door.
Over 20 years later, TONIK Tap grooves through generations
Twenty years contains many stories. I interviewed TONIK Tap’s founder, as well as a former artistic director who told me about TONIK marriages. Just before the show, the former AD texted me that O’Connell, who had met her husband in TONIK, would attend that night. Speaking with O’Connell resulted in my favorite quote of the story.
Photo by Dalton Hanna
NU Latin Music Ensemble plays at Spanish Club music and dance event
The two-hour turnaround on this piece didn’t stop me from interviewing as many people as possible to find out how the Spanish Club-Latin Music Ensemble collaboration began.
Theatre
Waa-Mu Show to return with four musicals among changes to NU’s longest theatrical tradition
The pandemic hit student theatre hard. For the Waa-Mu Show, which has nearly a century of history, its audience is only a fraction of what it used to be. I spoke with professors and students who had worked on the show for years about what Waa-Mu meant to them.
Illustration by Isabel Su
Waa-Mu Show to commemorate 94 years with NU-themed ‘Arch Madness’
Still, the show must go on. Most of these interviews came the evening after a dress rehearsal. Waiting outside the auditorium at night was worth it to hear about Waa-Mu alumna Heather Headley’s visit and Crumbl Cookies.
WAVE Directors’ Festival presents plays from first-time directors, lets ‘underdogs’ shine
I saw the 60 origami cranes when I visited the set. Scenic designer Seidy Pichardo, who thought of the idea, was my final interview. She told me, “This is supposed to be a time for the underdogs to shine.”
Drawing back the curtain: the dynamics of student theatre
Despite the spectacle and talent of student theatre, certain politics can still influence roles. I’m grateful for the sources who trusted me enough to share their experiences in this magazine story.
Design by Lena Rock
Literature
NU alums fulfill promise to co-author mystery novel 45 years later
My two-hour conversation with Linda Edelstein remains my favorite interview I’ve done. She told me how an impulsive pitch letter led to her best-selling work and how she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at age 58 despite her fear of heights. We only stopped talking because the coffee shop closed. Upon leaving, she told me to “be bold.”
Illustration by Madeline King
Authors John Green and Rebecca Makkai share writing experiences at Chicago Humanities Festival
Two renowned authors speaking about fiction writing results in a goldmine of insights. But the story would not have been complete without audience members’ reactions. Youna Choi, who sat next to me, said the writers’ advice assuaged the pressure she felt writing in English as a non-native speaker.
Photo by Edward Simon Cruz
