
Is this your first Sheherezade?
Yes it is!
Sheherezade is an ensemble piece, which means you are playing several roles between the plays. What are the roles you are playing this year?
I play the young and conniving Gina in The Box, the musically passionate Girl in the Absurdist piece Dissonance, and a barista who is taken on an emotional journey in Almost Like Being Alive.
Knowing that we all bring ourselves to the roles we play, is there a character or character's experience that you connect with in particular?
I can very much relate to the barista in Almost Like Being Alive who is called upon to empathize with someone in need. When she opens her heart to a man who is suffering, she comes to terms with her own problems and forms with him an unexpected bond. Through this experience, she learns about the perpetual give-and-take that is necessary to build trust between two people. This willingness to share, I think, a valuable lesson that I find myself constantly relearning with every new friendship and relationship I enter.
An emerging theme between these plays that has really jumped out at us is reality and perception. Tell us about an experience that you thought had been one thing only to discover it was completely different.
When I entered my freshman year of college at NYU in 2012, I was introduced to my very first New York winter by way of Hurricane Sandy. Needless to say, as an Oakland-raised girl who had only experienced Bay Area winters, my sense of meteorological reality was completely shattered. I’m just glad I’m here to tell the tale.
What do you hope audience members come away from the show with?
I hope that audiences will be able to enjoy themselves as much as I have had
while working with such a hilarious and dedicated cast and crew.
What are you most excited about to share with the audience?
To me, Sheherezade is evidence of the plethora of talent that's present
here in the Bay Area. I am eager to showcase and celebrate this talent together with other Bay Area natives.