I'm the big sister in my small, cute Texan family. My extended family all lives in Texas, but my parents, brother, and I moved around a lot while growing up so I come from Beaumont and Corpus Christi, Texas, but also Asheville, North Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents moved back to Texas when I was a sophomore at UC Davis, and I then lived all over the Bay Area (Calistoga, Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco) before heading east for grad school.
How did you get into acting and how would you describe where you are in your career?
I always did plays in middle school and high school, but didn't start following the path seriously until my junior year in college. I was a Human Development major, and worked part time at the on-campus day care. I had twin little girls in my class whose mom was an Acting MFA student, and one day I told her that I kept chickening out on auditioning for the college shows. "Hmm," she said, "Next show, I'll help you with your audition." She kept her word, and I auditioned for SOUTH PACIFIC that December. I ended up as Nellie and the rest...history.
I am at an exciting time in my career. After 3 years of intensive graduate school training at Penn State, and 4 years working in New York City, I feel like I'm finally in the game in the way I want to be. I'm thrilled to be a producing member of a theater company called new theater house (www.newtheaterhouse.org) and on the board of another company called Red Fern Theatre (www.redferntheatre.org.) I also do an amazing amount of readings and small projects for an exciting array of theater artists here in NYC, and it thrills me to see everyone working their way to success. (Working HARD! Theater is not for the lazy :)
What excites you the most about theater? What kind of theater do you want to be part of?
I am excited by the possibility of theater - the different forms it can take, the way it can be done on a shoestring or with the huge budget of a small film, traditional or avant garde, backyard or Broadway. When you pair that possibility with the immediacy of live audience and live actors...thrilling.
I want to be part of theater that is smart, innovative, and devoted. And, in fact, I am! The two companies that I work with inspire me daily.
Have you ever been involved in any humanitarian or community activities? Please describe.
I am a professional audiodescriber for the blind, which is the best humanitarian job I could ever ask for. I know most people don't know what that is, so I'm happy to say that ABC News and New York 1 have done stories on it! You can watch them here, it gives a great overview of the work, and the impact it has on the blind patrons of the service, who in this case happen to be awesome high school students.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vZ-rgG99Fs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97c_KNt3pUI
How do you make ends meet? What have you done in the past for money and what do you do now?
Well, the audiodescription is a paying gig, so that helps. I also have my real estate license and rent apartments in Brooklyn, which sometimes feels like a humanitarian effort as well! It's hard to get an apartment in New York, and I enjoy helping people easily find a place to call home. In the past, I have done lots of interesting things, and thankfully, not any humiliating ones: manager of a Calistoga B&B, Special Events and Volunteer Manager for a non-profit theater, middle school drama teacher, babysitter, caterer, administrative assistant, and many many more.
What other activities do you enjoy besides theater?
Travel. Salsa Dancing. Hiking/Camping. Escaping the city. Practicing my Spanish. Stoop Sale-ing. Dreaming big. Laughing.
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