I grew up attending live theatre – first the shows at the high school where my dad taught, then to the regional theatre in Philadelphia and Broadway shows in New York to which my parents took me. I even saved up my money to buy a ticket to see Nathan Lane in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum when I was 15. I always wanted to be an actor, but my high school tech theatre teacher thought I'd make a good stage manager, and soon I was stage managing high school and camp plays. I continued acting and stage managing throughout college, and after a few post-college tech internships, I ended up working in education and retail. After a few years I decided I needed to pursue theatre professionally, so I got a few local stage management credits in Philadelphia and then applied to the MFA program at UC San Diego. Part of the draw of this fantastic stage management program was the opportunity to work on a show at La Jolla Playhouse and get my Equity card by graduation.
Grad school was one of the best decisions I ever made – besides the excellent education, I got my Equity card on Hands on A Hardbody, which was a fulfilling experience and a lot of fun. I was so excited to receive my Equity card in the mail that I actually called the L.A. office to ask how long it would take! I have photos of myself signing my first contract and getting my first card (it was white), and have been a proud Actors’ Equity member since 2012.
Originally published in Equity News, Winter 2019.
