Evan Michael Woods
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
Rich@DallasVoice.com
Theater thrives on creativity, passion and countless hours of dedicated work. And much of that work happens out of the spotlight.
While a number of queer actors and directors often take centerstage locally, a dynamic community of LGBTQ+ individuals plays crucial roles in shaping the local performing arts scene from behind the curtains. This piece shines a light on a handful of unsung heroes, celebrating their contributions and the unique perspectives they bring to the world of theater.
And we hope to grow this list.
Administration
Name: Evan Michael Woods (he/him/his)
Identifiers: Queer
Title: Marketing director and artistic associate at Amphibian Stage
The job: As marketing director, I’m responsible for all outbound communication from Amphibian Stage. If you’ve ever engaged with one of our Facebook posts, read an email, received a postcard, liked a photo on Instagram, admired a poster, read an article about us or walked under the big marquee on South Main Street, then you’ve seen my work. And none of this would be possible without my colleague and friend, Logan Schurr, who has been my incomparable marketing assistant since 2022. I would be nowhere without her.
As artistic associate, I’ve had a hand in season selection, the adoption of our tiered ticketing system, the launch of SparkFest (named it, actually!), casting and building creative teams.
I care deeply about Amphibian Stage from a holistic perspective and feel honored that Kathleen Culebro and Jay Duffer have invited me into the process. I’m also grateful we’ve gained Elizabeth Kensek as another guiding force in shaping the organization. I’ve been with the company since 2018, when I started as a marketing intern in college.
Queerness and work intersection: I was recently talking with two other directors about this exact question. All of us agreed the answer to if they intersect is “yes,” though none of us could point to one direct line.
I’ve been making art for as long as I can remember: drawing, playing piano, getting into graphic design and then theater. I loved fashion; I used to plan my birthday outfits months in advance when I was 8.
In a way that feels very traditionally queer, that love of aesthetic, beauty and visual harmony has shaped me as an artist. In 2023 I shifted into directing with the world premiere of Miss Molly at Amphibian Stage, and, for the last two years, directing has been my sole focus. It feels like the logical next step in a lifelong exploration of different art forms. I had already worked as an actor, photographer, scenic designer, costume designer, and projection designer.
I think my background as a photographer has deeply informed my sense of lighting, staging and composition. Every artistic endeavor prepared me for directing, and there is little more satisfying than guiding all the different elements that make up a theatrical experience. I just love it.
Job satisfaction: I love working with wonderful people at a wonderful theater that makes wonderful art. Collaboration is my favorite part of the job. Like directing a play, the work is most exciting when I bring an idea to someone with a different skill set who can make it blossom. I’m not an illustrator, sign fabricator, videographer or social media manager, but I get to work with brilliant people who are.
Other theatrical endeavors: I support it! And so should everyone. Go see a play!
Intimacy Direction
Name: Claire Fountain (she/they)
Identifiers: Bisexual non-binary femme
Title: Freelance intimacy director
The job: I choreograph intimate moments for stage (primarily) and screen. This includes everything from a meaningful hand graze to simulated sex and all types of intimacy in between.
Queerness and work intersection: As a person who experiences attraction to all genders, I feel like my lived experience as a queer person informs my intimacy work. Understanding what it’s like to have relationships of different types with people across the gender spectrum allows me to create intimate moments that are realistic and honest to the queer experience.
Living and existing in my community, I get to see beautiful examples of queer love across different backgrounds, ages, gender expressions and relationship structures. The queer definition of sex itself is so complex and expansive, and because I know what LGBTQ+ love and intimacy look like for us, I’m able to use those beautiful dynamics to craft choreography that (hopefully!) honors this community.
When I choreograph queer intimacy in particular, I get to tell stories like my own and my peers’, and I get the opportunity to advocate for our representation in a real way. Recently, I got to choreograph intimacy (a first kiss!) for a dear friend’s play between a teenage non-binary character and a girl they had a crush on. I got to explore onstage what intimacy looks like outside the binary. What kind of touch is affirming to this character? How does their identity inform how they interact with the girl they like? It just opens up a world of opportunity, and I’m glad there’s more non-binary and queer representation in new works.
Job satisfaction: I like keeping people safe and advocating for my fellow artists. I like finding creative ways to tell intimate stories. I like thinking about how our interpersonal relationships affect how we initiate and respond to intimacy. Since I get the luxury of only worrying about small moments, I can get super specific and granular with everything.
The variety is fun, too. In January, I was creating sweet, small, wholesome, hyper-natural moments for Almost, Maine at Allen Contemporary while staging stylized, over-the-top, adult-film-inspired intimacy between an actor and a blow-up doll and multi-partner acts for Debbie Does Dallas at Theatre Three.
There’s truly never a dull moment, and I’m constantly challenged to keep learning.
Multiple titles: I’m also an actor and a playwright. This year, I’ve played Simone in The Amphibians with Sundown Collaborative Theatre, Mae West in The Mad Dog Blues at Hip Pocket and a few different characters in The Stamped Project at Bishop Arts Theatre Center, and I’ll be in Christina Cranshaw’s adaptation of Frankenstein at Hip Pocket this fall.
My short play, I’m a Boo-liever, will be featured in Sundown Collaborative Theatre’s short works festival this fall.
Choreography
Name: Evor (they/them)
Identifiers: Queer
Title: Choreographer, dancer, actor, singer
The job: I have choreographed and performed in some large-scale musicals, and I teach dance classes
Queerness and work intersection: In the theater and dance worlds, I think there is starting to be more space for queerness and non-binary expressions. For industries that are filled with queer people, I still experience a lot of old habits that conform to the binary. Contrarily, I often work with Uptown Players Theatre, and queerness is at the forefront of everything I do there. Every show I do there feels personal and powerful (in these times particularly).
Job satisfaction: I am inspired by performers — people who love to express themselves, connect deeply and create personal surprising moments. I love how hard dancers work. It’s important for me to create a safe and empowering space for an artist to shine. In my work I find connection, authenticity, trust and joy.
Multiple titles: I would say that I am a drag consultant of sorts. I was a drag queen in Dallas for almost a decade and have performed in some drag musicals as well. So, I come to the party with a lot to offer.
Additionally, the last three shows I’ve choreographed, I have also costumed (Jada Bells, The Prom and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).
Stage Managing
Name: Rain Phillips (they/them)
Identifiers: Non-binary, bisexual
Title: I am a stage manager and a costume designer, I work with theaters all over the DFW area.
The job: I typically will help the production team run rehearsals, maintain show paperwork and solve problems as they come up. Then we move backstage, and I help make sure everything’s running smoothly and fix it if it isn’t.
Queerness and work intersection: My queerness plays an important role in my job, especially when working with Uptown Players. I’m passionate about telling queer stories through the art of theater.
Job satisfaction: I love the collaborative process of creating a show. I get to watch it all start out as a mere concept and grow and change and finally come together into a story that lets me be a part of something bigger.
Multiple titles: I also work with Tarrant County College as an instructional associate for Visual and Performing Arts.
Technical directing
Name: Kae Styro (they/them)
Identifiers: Queer
Title: Technical Director at Circle Theatre
The job: I like to describe my technical director role as the facilitator of the world-building process. I collaborate closely with designers to bring their designs to life while ensuring that the technical elements work cohesively to achieve the overall creative vision of the piece.
Queerness and work intersection: As a queer person, I’ve always considered the theater to be my safest space—a place where you can experiment, explore, and create freely without any limitations. Theater is my sanctuary, and I hold that belief at its highest in the world-building that comes with my work. I’m creating that space for other queer and marginalized individuals to feel the same sense of energy and safety to create freely and honestly.
Job satisfaction: I find something new to appreciate about it every day. I love the creative freedom it brings to problem solving. I love the artistic payoff during tech when everything starts working together beautifully. I also love this weird energy that theatre people carry about themselves—a warm and specific familiarity of knowing what hearing “places” feels like. I love being surrounded by that energy every day. It reminds me how incredibly lucky I am to have a career in the arts.
Other theatrical endeavors: A little bit of everything! I’m a scenic and production designer, a carpenter, an actor, a singer, a musician, and even sometimes a dancer! I’m also a painter and muralist. (Check out some of my work at MainStage in Irving!) Basically, if we’re creating or performing something, I’m there in any capacity, doing my best to foster and support the creative process.