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, and collaborating with communities to build new theatre.