CURRENT MISSION

To make life more joyful for other people

ABOUT ME

I'm a quiet extrovert from a town of less than 300 people. Now I live with my German husband in Witten, which, with a population of 100,000, is enormous to me.

Interests

In college I studied studio art and philosophy. I still make art sometimes, but rarely read philosophy anymore. I prefer literature, especially 19th and 20th century Russian novels. My favorite book is The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov.

I worked as a wardrobe mistress, costume designer, and actor at a Shakespeare theater in Massachusetts for many years, and have mostly been lucky in finding other enjoyable work. I've worked in a country store, for a couple of ceramicists, as a baby and pet sitter, as a model for art students, as a resident assistant for a couple of small college dorms, and as a vegetarian and vegan cook. Most recently, I taught English as a foreign language to adults from a variety of backgrounds.

• pets
• arts
• books
• literature
• theater
• design
• acting
• cooking
• vegetarian
• vegan
• modeling
• music
• opera

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My friend's eccentric grandfather bought us tickets to the Metropolitan Opera once. We saw Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. I didn't really know what to expect, but it moved me very much. The sets and costumes were stunning, the music was sweeping, and the acting was superb. Though it was so melodramatic, it sucked me right in because it was also so sincere. Everything was very grand, and the glamor of the opera house and other patrons echoed the action on the stage.

The other moment that comes to mind also involves theater. One season, Shakespeare and Company was presenting Othello, Twelfth Night, and Hamlet. I was the wardrobe mistress for the latter two. Whenever I arrived to prepare for my evening show, I would hear the end of Othello over the monitor. They were always right around the scene where Desdemona sings, "Willow, willow." Willows are a symbol of mourning and love gone awry; she is foreshadowing her own murder. Every night, standing over the ironing board, I would start to get teary-eyed and end up crying during the murder scene. The actor playing Othello was phenomenal, and his anguish broke my heart no matter how many times I listened.

Countries I’ve Visited

Cambodia, Canada, Germany, Rwanda, Spain, Uganda

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, United States