Weird, Wise, Well-Intentioned…Beating to her own jaded drum
Where I originated:
I grew up in the same little town in Massachusetts as Mary and her little lamb. It’s true, there’s a life-size (Read: SMALL!) lamb statue in the center of town. Also nearby are orchards planted by Mr. Johnny Appleseed himself, and the original birthplace of the pink yard flamingo. The house I grew up in has been in my mother’s family since maps were made of town.
My parents were antique dealers, so I know a thing or two about that mysterious looking old kitchen tool being overpriced in the vintage market, or what you should list your old toy for on eBay. And if I get stumped, I just text a picture to my dad! Storytelling is a bit of a family trait. My dad strongly believes that his time in front of his auction audience is like a performance. But just get him talking after hours and you’ll find that the man has millions of all very interesting stories! He was at Woodstock, for goodness sake!
Where I am now:
I’m still in Massachusetts, but I get out a lot more. I can work local in NYC, LA, Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis. I have been on several national tours for a brand I represent, and I love getting to see the country and call up old friends for a meal together when I’m in their neighborhood! I got married in Dublin, Ireland on Halloween. My husband and I couldn’t decide on how to handle having a huge expensive American wedding, so we fled the country and met some distant cousins of mine in the process. Also, we love Halloween. (Also a family trait). It’s a holiday there, not quite like you’d expect, but it sure worked for us. I love cooking…so much. When I travel for work I’m famous for leaving my husband Matt with a freezer full of ready-to-go meals. He is perfectly capable in the kitchen, I just get more unhinged joy out of it. We have recently become big fans of making exquisite cocktails at home, tiki drinks in particular. If you can’t fly to LA just to go to a tiki bar, you’d best figure out how to DIY, right?
Why am I weird?
My mother used to pretend to go crazy on the full moons. You know that thing where you turn into your parents? It might be that. Without ruling that out, I will also divulge that I hand-feed a squirrel friend in my backyard, pet bees on their fuzzy little bee bums, and have full conversations with my cat. He’s extremely talkative.
I started a business in middle school selling craft supplies at recess. It caught on big. Eventually we were shut down by the suits, but it didn’t stop my entrepreneurial spirit. A few years later, I had a full operation going of custom duct tape wallets. And then duct tape models of things people like. You like ducks? Here’s a duct tape duck. That sort of thing. They didn’t keep well in high temperatures.
Well-Intentioned?
I LOVE finding thoughtful gifts for people. I love showering people in surprise fun things that I think are neat, and hope they will enjoy! I also have to admit here that many of my worst “Oopsy” moments have occurred when I was trying to do something nice. The worst incidence was when I was trying to pack my then-boyfriend secret cookies in the bottom of his carry-on for a trip, and found my soon-to-be engagement ring! As you can tell, that inevitably ended well, but it did not go over well at the time.
Why Acting?
After a life of dance lessons and making things, I found theater. I was in my first play in the eighth grade. I had been in The Nutcracker so many times, it was such a happy transition – I was not just allowed, but encouraged to talk!? Well, alright. I think I found my thing. After some stern talkings to from my ballet teacher about getting my priorities straight, I wound up majoring in Drama at Hofstra University. (I still minored in Dance and Art.) Ever watch Somebody Feed Phil? Everything he says about it is true…really great cafeteria there, and I too am still friends with all my old college theater pals. My Hofstra years culminated in an absurd and slightly Neo-Futurist one-woman show as an honors thesis. I got accepted to come back for a Masters Degree in Reb Powers (no, seriously!) to keep doing more self-study and performance, but my mother had just passed away, so I felt more compelled to freely move between New York and Massachusetts for a time instead. More miles on my car, but more experiences in my book.
So, here I am, folks. I’m a bit off the beaten path. I’ll make you cookies. I’ll whisper to your local wildlife. I beat to my own drum. And so do the characters that I play.