After over a decade abroad working as a photojournalist—often covering conflict and complex global issues—I returned to the U.S. to finish my first film, feeling burnt out on photography. The work had become heavy, and I felt lost.

Then, I found the Slipper Room - a historic variety theater on the Lower East Side. It was the living room for New York's burlesque, circus, and sideshow royalty to perform their original acts with complete - and often unhinged - freedom.

This space of play, irreverence, and authenticity reignited me, and the artist that had long been lost in the seriousness of journalism. After photographing over 50 shows, it’s become a creative home, and a family with whom I collaborate regularly, through both film and stills.