Why theater?: I'm an actress. There's nothing more exciting than being in a terrific play, acting with wonderful actors and sharing the experience with an audience. I love film but it can never replace 'live' theater. It's a happening in the moment.
Tell us about The Sun Shines East?: The Sun Shines East is a play I've written loosely based on the true journey my husband and I took to adopt a child from the Republic of Georgia. It will be playing in an Equity Showcase production for 15 performances at the beautiful Marjorie Deane Little Theater at 10 West 64th street, from January 31st through February 16. In brief The Sun Shines East, is about Christine, a New York actress in her early 40's, who after suffering a series of miscarriages, finds herself drawn “east” to The Republic of Georgia to adopt a child. Her husband Robert, also an actor, a bit less enthusiastically, goes along with the idea, but it soon becomes apparent that there are plenty of obstacles to achieving this goal, both internal and external.
What inspired you to write The Sun Shines East?: My journey to adopt a child was so wonderful and difficult and challenging, it was so full of synchronicities and miracles, and it was so life changing that I wanted to tell the world of my experience. The inspiration for The Sun Shines East has come directly from my own personal experience, but it is about so much more than just my own story. It is a cry, a plea for the abandoned and unwanted children of the world. It is an urgent call to action as children continue to be used as pawns by politicians throughout the world. If we do not speak up for them, who will?
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: The kind of theater that speaks to me the most is when I see a living experience created on stage. Not an imitation of an experience, but a real experience that reveals some aspect of the human condition.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Vanessa Redgrave. To me she always brings such humanity and truth and generosity to whatever she does.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Well, I recently saw, No Man's Land with Ian Mckellen and Patrick Stewart. I thought the acting and the relationship that they created between them was just amazing.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Juliette Binoche. I think she's a wonderful actress and I identify somehow with her energy. We both have a French father and a Polish mother. The movie would be called "Walking into the Unknown."
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: I like my red wine. I'm French.
What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Maria Callas singing "Casta Diva" from Bellini's "Norma."
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be_____?: I would be writing––which is what I do. I wrote a book about my journey to adopt my son called the 'Road to Cali,' and now I'm writing a book about my family's hidden Jewish background and their escape from Poland during WWII.
What’s up next?: Well, connected with the above, I'm putting together a video documentary of my search.