Theatre

Cybelle directs classics, new work, contemporary plays, and musical theatre, with an emphasis on female led and queer stories. While adapting to the pandemic, Cybelle created both traditional and virtual theatre.

Restoration

WATCH CLIPS HERE

"Restoration" by Nick Exum was a world premiere play at the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

WINNER: Producer's Encore Award

NOMINEE: Theater Theater Podcast Playwright Award

Elliot used to be a painter, but now he only restores existing work. Estranged from his family, chronically single, and recovering from a traumatizing relationship, he decides he is safer living like the paintings he repairs- behind a thick layer of varnish, distant, untouchable.

But when Lucas, a charismatic, curious stranger, commissions him to restore his most challenging painting yet, Elliot finds himself struggling to open up in a new relationship and to attend his sister Dana’s wedding, who he hasn’t spoken to in years.

This intimate, small cast play explores the challenges of letting people in- to our thoughts, to our art, to our lives.

Photos by broadwayphotovideo.com

1/12

Alice In Wonderland

Cybelle directed a musical version of the beloved children's book "Alice In Wonderland", with music and lyrics by Mark Friedman and Janet Vogt, at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. The musical was part of the Morgan-Wixson's Youth Education/Entertainment Series and featured an all youth cast of young performers aged eleven to sixteen. The production used puppets and elements of folk art to bring fantastical characters to life. The costumes and choreography showcased a wide blend of musical genres referenced in the score.

Photos by Miriam Kouzel Billington

1/18

I And You

WATCH CLIPS HERE

Cybelle directed "I And You" by Lauren Gunderson at UC Irvine as her thesis for honors in directing. An intimate two hander about vulnerability, chance connections, and chronic illness, this production focuses on the impact one person can have on someone's life forever.

Photos by Sandra On

1/10

Do You Trust Me?

"Do You Trust Me?" by Summer Session was a one act new radio play produced in UC Irvine's night of Audio Theater. A cross between a staged reading and a full production, the emphasis was on creating an immersive soundscape. This campy, nostalgic sci-fi thriller reflects on friendship, deception, and what it means to truly belong somewhere.

Listen to the performance HERE

Photos by Paul Kennedy

1/10

Monday Night Playground: Staged readings of new 10 minute plays

Each month, Playground-LA gives a writing prompt to their pool of playwrights and selects six new 10 minute plays to be produced. These plays are rehearsed for just 90 minutes before being performed. Cybelle has had the joy of directing eight new plays with them.

Matilda and The Wizard of Oz

As part of a new collaboration between Arts & Learning Conservatory and the education enrichment nonprofit Think Together, Cybelle directed musical productions of "Matilda" and "The Wizard of Oz" in summer 2024 at public elementary schools in El Monte. The cast was children aged 8 - 12, the majority of whom had never acted or performed onstage before and came from underprivileged areas.

Read about the shows HERE

The Golden Age

Cybelle directed a staged reading workshop of act 1 of "The Golden Age" a new musical in progress by Leah Jackson. The book tells the timeless myth of Achilles and Patroclus, using songs from Woodkid's 2013 chamber pop album of the same title. Two young soldiers fall in love, but their idyllic teenage years are ended by the darkness of a brewing war.

HalloQween

Cybelle directed "HalloQween" by Elisa Alvarez as part of Brick Theatre Company's 2020 New Play Festival. Producted virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival focuses on student written new work at UCI that tells queer stories. "HalloQween" is a playful yet heartfelt coming of age story about two best friends trying to win a drag competition- while gaining confidence in themselves and their identities.

Watch HERE: Play starts at 30:30