Hometown: Catasauqua, PA
Education: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Favorite Credits: Spitting In The Face Of The Devil– Writer/Performer Spitting is the first thing I ever wrote and I am very proud of it. CIRCLE, a play by Suzanne Bachner who also developed and directed Spitting. The show is so much fun to do; I get to play 5 different characters!
Why theater?: Because it is alive and powerful for the moment it is happening and then it is gone.
Tell us about Spitting in the Face of the Devil: Spitting In The Face Of The Devil is the true story of discovering that my abusive, charismatic, ex-Marine father was a pedophile. It is a powerful story, but it has a lot of humor.
What inspired you to write Spitting in the Face of the Devil?: I was compelled to write the show because I never heard a story of abuse told the way I wanted to tell it, with the confusion and pain that goes along with growing up that way, but also with the joy of childhood. I also wanted to talk about what happens after you get away from the abuser. Most stories make you feel like after you leave the person that hurt you, you are fine, but that is when the real work begins.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love all different kinds of theater. Great stories speak to me, told in a way that catches you off guard. The late great Spalding Gray was a true hero of mine. Spitting In The Face Of The Devil started out as a desk monologue, I wanted to be just like him. Eric Bogosian is brilliant, and Anna Deavere Smith is quite frankly one of the best solo performers I have ever seen.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: That is a very long list. I love working with actors that excite me, that are not afraid to take risks, make bold choices. If you are looking for a celebrity list, at the top would be Bernadette Peters, Ian McKellen, Neil Patrick Harris…this list could go on and on.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: We saw an amazing show in the New York International Fringe Festival this year called This Is Where We Live written by Vivienne Walshe and directed by Alec Fellows-Bennett. It is a fantastic piece of theatre that I recommended to everyone. The two actors, Shaelee Rooke and Oliver de Rohan are from Australia and they were both just incredible to watch. These two are absolutely on the list of actors I would love to work with.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: I would love an unknown actor to play me, someone who comes from nowhere and knocks it out of the park. The story of my life already has a title: it’s Spitting In The Face Of The Devil.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I’m not a sports fan in any way, but I love watching Ninja Warrior. I find myself on the edge of my seat rooting for the underdogs to make it through the course.
What’s the most played song on your iTunes?:“A Little Revolution” by Firewater.
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: Lost. Theatre is my home and it has been ever since I was a kid. I don’t know what I would do without it.
What’s up next?: I am working on a new solo show about smoking. I was a smoker for many years and loved it. The show focuses on that love affair as well as how fear becomes belief and the importance of communication in a relationship.