Hometown: Houston, TX
Education: BA in English with Speech Minor from University of Houston.
Select Credits: Lu Ann in Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander, Jessie May in Trip to Bountiful, M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, and Boo in Ballyhoo.
Why theater?: Because I’m insane. I’m kidding. Honestly, the short answer is that I love and treasure stories. As an actress, I’m drawn to theatre because I love finding pieces of myself in other characters. There’s something beautiful about being openly vulnerable on stage.
Who do you play in Lone Star and Laundry & Bourbon?: Hattie
Tell us about Lone Star and Laundry & Bourbon: It’s about life in small town Texas after Vietnam. As a play, it would have been so easy to make this story dark and dramatic, but James McLure made it so much more than that. He penned the depth of life in 1970s rural Texas in two one acts. Rather than being navel-gazing and depressing, it’s actually one of the funniest plays I’ve ever read. I will never get tired of this play. I could spend the rest of my life touring with this play.
What is it like being a part of Lone Star and Laundry & Bourbon?: It’s just as amazing as the last two times we’ve produced it. My best friend is playing the role of Hattie’s best friend, and that makes the whole experience more fun. It also allows us to go deeper into play, into the characters. We revel in the comedy, but in this production we highlight how trapped the characters are.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I challenge myself to produce theater where the audience members see their stories on stage-where they can feel better, relate, and lose any sense of loneliness. I seek out stories about relationships and the problems we all face. Personally, I admire Beth Henley, Holly Hunter, Cathy Bates- women in the arts who have never given up their Southern roots. Women who can so easily play diverse characters, but have never traded in on their heritage.
Any roles you’re dying to play?: No, because these are the last lines I think I can memorize! I’ve found that the more children I have the harder it is to memorize lines, and I’ve got six kids so these monologues are killing me. But I always seem to venture back out onto the stage, and I’ve got my eye on a work by a Dallas playwright for next season.
What’s your favorite showtune?: "Day by Day". Every time I hear it, I feel lighter.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: John Patrick Shanley. I love his words and his perspective.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: My youngest daughter, Grace, would play me well if she could manage to do it without too much satire. I think it would be called, “This Really Is A True Story.”
What show have you recommended to your friends?: Last Night at Ballyhoo because it has everything.
What’s the most played song on your iTunes?: Anything by Phil Collins. I’m sure exactly why, but I can listen to his songs on repeat.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: Umm…I don’t think I can put it in print.
What’s up next?: My daughter is in Little Women the Musical in December, and that’s what I’m focusing on next. We’re also planning our 2015 season at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. Planning the season is one thing I look forward to every year, and I am so excited about our thirteenth season at CTD.
For more visit https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Lone-Star-Laundry-and-Bourbon/Overview
