how it began…
I had always loved being on stage - giving myself over to the energy that seems to hum just before the curtain rises. But I didn’t know why until I began my serious study of acting in New York City. It was the summer before my senior year in college when a manager recommended Ann Ratray’s acting class to me. Not knowing what to expect, I found my way to her classic six on the Upper Westside and joined other young actors on a long, low leather sofa in her living-room-turned-acting-studio. “Sit! Don’t plop!” she pleaded. Ann introduced me to sense memory, and with it something that seemed of almost spiritual importance to me at the time: the physical honesty of the body that could be used to communicate meaning and tell stories. We may hide behind words, but the body doesn't lie. I learned much about myself in Ann's master class and soon went on to pursue acting, dance, and voice training all over Manhattan. During the three years of my “conservatory by subway”, I began to book my first jobs in professional theater.
I look forward to sharing more stories with you.
P
