Destyne Miller Emphasized Artistic Exploration & Collaboration in Lunch Bunch
Returning to the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance as a guest director, alumna Destyne Miller guided students through a creative process grounded in experimentation, collaboration and the value of taking artistic risks.
For guest director Destyne Miller (MA ’23), the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance’s recent production of Lunch Bunch represented more than an opportunity to direct an unconventional play. It offered a chance to return to the academic program where she earned her Master of Arts degree, collaborate with emerging artists and engage students in a creative process centered on experimentation, artistic inquiry and collaboration.
Reflecting on the production, Miller identified the generosity and shared sense of purpose among the company as some of its most meaningful elements.
“Lunch Bunch is a quirky, challenging play that requires everyone to take risks and trust one another,” Miller said. “What I appreciated most was being in a room where everyone was willing to do that.”
That collaborative environment was essential to realizing the play’s theatrical possibilities. With a script driven largely by dialogue, the cast and creative team were challenged to develop much of the production’s physical language, movement and interpretation. Miller’s academic and professional background provided a foundation for guiding that process. Her MA from UH focused on theater pedagogy and working with students, while her Master of Fine Arts in directing from Yale University emphasized the practical and conceptual processes involved in developing a production from initial ideas to performance.
“I think UH gave me patience and an understanding of how to work with students, whereas Yale gave me the confidence to make bold choices and stand by them,” she said.
Returning to UH as a director also represented a meaningful connection to her own academic experience. As a high school educator, Miller regularly encouraged her students to audition for UH productions. Her return as a guest artist allowed her to engage with a program, she said continued to value both artistic rigor and creative exploration.
Throughout rehearsals, Miller was particularly impressed by the students’ professionalism, resourcefulness and willingness to contribute creatively. She recalled a pivotal scene involving the character David, during which she intentionally stepped back to allow the actors to develop the movement and staging through their own creative interpretations.
“The craziness of that scene was born out of their own creativity,” she said.
For Miller, witnessing the development of those ideas and seeing the contributions of student designers, stage managers and actors come together were among the most rewarding aspects of the production. She emphasized the importance of trust and commitment across the company, noting that the collaborative atmosphere and sense of joy complemented, rather than diminished, the artistic discipline required to bring the production to life.
As an educator, mentor, playwright and director, Miller also recognized the educational value of the creative process itself. One of the most significant developments she observed was students becoming more comfortable with uncertainty and moving beyond the pressure to produce technically perfect or predetermined outcomes.
“There seemed to be a moment for everyone when they pushed that need to be right and perfect to the side and decided to just try things and enjoy creating,” she said.
Miller hopes that willingness to experiment extends beyond the rehearsal room and informs the students’ future artistic practices. Along with encouraging them to make ambitious creative choices, she emphasized the importance of finding fulfillment in their work and using artistic expression to question systems that no longer serve people.
“We need artists who are willing to be a wrench in the machine.”
Destyne Miller
Miller’s engagement with the School of Theatre & Dance will continue in the spring when she returns to direct Fabulation. The upcoming production will provide another opportunity for students to work with an artist whose approach to directing and teaching emphasizes artistic courage, collaborative inquiry and a sustained commitment to developing the next generation of theater-makers.
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