BIO
Pictured above with Frank Viveros in Caroline or Change at PCPA, 2011
Photo Credit Luis Escobar
According to my mother I have been performing since birth; arriving with a head full of hair, two front teeth, screaming at the top of my lungs, and "eyes full of water".
Born in Morocco, Africa into a military family, my family moved every two years until I was a teenager. We settled in San Diego, CA where I spent my formative years. In Junior High School I took a puppetry, then a Reader's Theatre class and soon became hooked on theatre. Throughout high school I became very active in community service, student government, and drama.
After graduation I sang and danced with a group called Up With People. We toured throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. When I arrived back to the states I was awarded a scholarship to study dance at US International University in San Diego. It wasn't long though, before I was impatient to pursue my career in acting.
I dropped out and ran away to L.A. with $50, my suitcase and my parent's car. I enrolled in an intensive Musical Theatre program at the Music Center. I delivered lunches to stock traders in L.A. in the morning to pay for rent and attended classes at night. At the end of the program a casting director saw me. I auditioned for and got my first L.A. gig in a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" at La Mirada Theatre and got my Actor's Equity card. A year later I joined AFTRA, then eventually SAG and started auditioning for TV.
It has been an incredible career working as a professional actor. I've enjoyed performing in regional theatre, doing straight plays, classical, and musical theatre. Work on screen has been equally fulfilling in commercial, television, some films, voice-over, and most recently teaching. I've moved into directing, and have written plays which have recieved notable awards and a couple of productions. I returned to university to complete my MFA in teaching acting and directing at Cal State University, Long Beach in 2014 and graduated with honors.
However, my most rewarding experience was traveling to Bangladesh with my husband, visual artist Peter Zokosky, to teach a summer arts program at The Asian University for Women. I taught an introduction to acting and directed a production of Medea.
And the blessings continue.
