THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK

I've been in rehearsal the last few weeks for an original play that will be presented at the 'Cohen New Works Festival' on campus the week of March 25-29th.  This festival honors the memory of David Mark Cohen, a theater professor and playwright and occurs every two years.  It presents new works from the numerous artistic departments at UT and is well received by students, faculty and the Austin community.  This original play The Only Living Boy in New York by Haley Elizabeth Anderson really spoke to me.  The setting is Brooklyn, a cluttered apartment, the home of a father and a traumatized son whose mother has abruptly departed.  The son is painfully struggling and communicates through a typewriter.  My role is a zany, all over the place family friend/psychotherapist.  I was invited by Haley to play Kara.  I've only worked in film, never  live theater before and have been assisted by the director, Stephen Gerald (also a native New Yorker) and my acting teacher Laurel Vouvray (another native New Yorker) to embrace this role with heart and soul. (And of course my big personality). So think about it:  a Brooklyn social worker retires to Austin, begins to study acting and finds herself in a play set in Brooklyn, cast as a therapist, written by an extraordinarily talented playwright from Texas who has always loved "everything New York."  How sweet is life.