West Hyler first discovered his passion for the drama and diversity of theater at his performing arts high school in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from the University of California at San Diego. On Broadway, he was associate director for How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Jersey Boys, which he staged in venues around the world. West’s NY directing work includes Primary Stages, Ars Nova, York Theater Company, HERE Arts Center, and New York Musical Theater Festival. Regional work includes Actors Theater of Louisville, The Colony Theater, La Jolla Playhouse, The Guthrie Theater, The Old Globe, Great River Shakespeare Festival, and Mythmakers Theater Company. He was Artistic Director of Magic Carpet Children’s Theater and Mythmaker Productions. West wrote The Chechnya Play, which won a new play award from the Actors Theater of Louisville in 2001 and was developed into We Declare You a Terrorist for the Summer Play Festival at the Public Theater. He wrote and directed the short film “A Jake and a Tom” which premiered at the Hollywood International Family Film Festival and was screened at film festivals globally. This is West’s directing début with the Big Apple Circus.