THE QUESTIONS



1. What does a typical Thursday look like for you, starting from when you wake up – to heading to bed?

Hmm, well it varies from week to week, I don’t have a set schedule per say, but if I look at the Thursdays over the last few weeks, it would look something like this:

7am: wake up, coffee, emails, read papers online, look at the day ahead

9.30am: teach yoga or cardio something at either the JCC or Spynga

11am-1pm: work in home office, emails, calls… if I’m lucky my intern Jen or Amanda is in and they can be amazing as always and help make things easier

1.30pm: Afternoon audition or recording (commercial voice-overs or animation is what I’ve been doing these days)

3-5pm: Back to work at the office, usually take meetings at this time

5.30-7.30pm: Teach at Flirty Girl or Uptown Yorkville

8pm-11pm: Perform (corporate gig, play, concert) or go to event of some sort to see what’s going on about town and network, be it a show or party or industry event

I usually turn into a pumpkin by midnight.



2. What was your first job out of school?

Mad Science Theatre tour in New England. I played “Crash!” the mad scientist!! 3-5 fourty-five minute shows a day with one day off. I had to lie on a bed of nails having a bowling ball dropped on my stomach from 15 feet in the air to crush a block of ice… and then there was the 5 foot flame that shot out of the set right beside me… oh, and the game we played with liquid nitrogen… At 20 I couldn’t have been more thrilled! Today I thank gawd we have a union.

3. What are the 3 skills you require most to do your job well?

Perseverance, Creativity, Drive. I guess those are actually characteristics to keep your spirit in tact. Required skills, per say, are based largely on talent, which is pretty subjective. Okay, skills might be: In depth knowledge of the art-form and craft and being really damn good at it; the ability to learn very quickly (lines, dance moves, music) and perform it on command; adaptability to changing work environments and people.

4. What do you love most about your career?

The drama, the roller-coaster, the pace, the surprises, the freedom. These are all the things I don’t like about it too. I’m a Gemini in constant battle with my other self.

5. If a woman wanted to get into this business, what are your recommendations of how they should start?

It’s a great business, but it’s a hard business. Much of its success is left up to luck and chance, which for anyone who needs stability and guarantee is tough to swallow. However, hard work is definitely part of the equation, like anything else. In the case of the entertainment industry, where things are often self-started (especially in this country), that hard work requires self-motivated training, reading, getting out there and seeing shows and films and what people are up to, and then putting the pieces together to make your own projects happen. It’s really an entrepreneurial endevour, even if the product is yourself.

As an actor, theatre school and training is the ground-work. Then it’s about getting out there and auditioning and doing indie shows in attempts to get an agent, who will hopefully help you audition more, until hopefully you start booking enough gigs to work steadily and pay the bills, in between serving tables or teaching at Flirty Girl 🙂

As a producer, you just need plain old business savvy, so a business or law degree or an MBA is ideal educational background, though many people learn from internships or mentoring. Then it’s about networking, schmoozing, raising money, working endless hours and being married to your projects. What’s great about being a producer, however, is that you’re the boss and you can truly see the fruits of your labour grow and come to life!

As an actor, much of your fate is left in someone’s else’s hands and you can spend a lot of time wishing, hoping and waiting for ‘that’ phone call saying yes, you were the one out of a thousand they chose! That’s why many young artists such as myself have started creating our own work as a source of empowerment.

6. Do you have any warnings?

You’ll avoid those negatives – such as discouragement, desperation, depression – if you really know why you’re in this business. Do you have an insatiable love of the art-form and craft? Do you eat, sleep, breath, dream about it? Can you imagine doing anything else? Cause if you can, then I’d recommend going to option two on your list. If you’re desire lies mostly in money, accolades or fame, then I’d say move to LA now, get as pretty as can be, and start going to parties and sitting on producers’ laps… otherwise, you’re in the wrong country and the wrong business . These are the tough love words I tell theatre school students that I audition in hopes to filter out those who aren’t serious.

Having said this, if you love the craft and it’s truly what you believe you should be doing, then there are immense amounts of joy, beauty and possibilities open to you in this city! There’s an amazing community of performers and producers and the arts scene, particularly the indie one generated by young artists, is growing every year. If you can swallow the probability of a life as a ‘starving artist’ as a trade off, then welcome aboard!

7. If you could try a different career on for a year, what would it be?

Journalist abroad. Hands down. I may still find a way to broach that one…