My Story

I fell in love with theatre as a kid, right here in Tampa. Back then, I was Erin Austin, and I adored acting, singing, and reading every play in the downtown public library. My passion led me to Blake High School for the Arts. From there, I earned a BFA at the University of Miami.

After college, I immersed myself in New York’s theatre indie scene—writing, producing, and performing new work.

I quickly learned:

You don't have to wait for permission to make art. You just make it.

At Northwestern (MFA in Writing for Screen + Stage), I co-founded a site-inspired theatre collective, now Second Site. We made theatre in unconventional spaces—living rooms, furniture stores, art galleries.

My work in Chicago taught me:

Transformative theatre doesn't require fancy venues or big budgets. It needs creative, brave artists.

Along the way, I also discovered a knack for helping others tell their stories: in classrooms, rehearsal rooms, community centers, and in the corporate world.

But here's what I've come to understand about dramatic structure—in plays and real life:

The most satisfying stories bring characters full circle.

When I became a parent, I wanted to raise my kids in the community that first inspired me. Now I'm back in Tampa, writing new plays, teaching theatre (at Straz Center, USF, and Saint Leo), and collaborating with communities to build new theatre.