A Unicorn Prepares

I’m in a public toilet at the Santa Monica Pier on a Tuesday. My heart pounds as I change from street clothes into a colorful, star-studded onesie with a horn at the top. I’ve crafted a basket with beads and a sign that says “Tips are Delightful!” 

I stepped into that bathroom as a regular person. In a moment, I’m going to emerge as someone else entirely.

The Bug for Performance

When I was five years old, I saw a girl on TV score a perfect ten in the Olympics. The Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comanici, changed my life forever. I knew from that moment that I, too, wanted to be a performer.

The way my mom tells it, I asked her to take dance classes. She agreed, but said I could only begin once I started school. (She was sure I’d forget about it. Nope!) She enrolled me at the Emerald Hills Studio of the Performing Arts headed up by Miss Mitzi and Mr. Michael. 

Tap, ballet, jazz, acrobatics, singing…soon I was in an amateur variety show called The Generation Gap performing with other kids and grown-ups, too. We did shows in malls and nursing homes, on asphalt and fancy stages. I sang It’s a Hard Knock Life from Annie and was given my first solo – I’m Flying from Peter Pan.

At 16 years old, I bought a used car and hit the streets looking for an agent. I was very ambitious. I took that ambition with me to U.C.L.A. My parents were on board with my moving across the country to get a college education. What I really wanted was to be an actor.

On Again – Off Again

I pursued acting for decades. My relationship with it wasn’t healthy. Several times I quit all together. I had my biggest creative breakthrough when I started writing my own material. 

Eventually I was inspired to develop a very spicy solo show – which I performed over the years in twelve cities – including some universities. I’ll always be proud of those accomplishments.

Then came Edinburgh.

The Mother of All Festivals

I heard about the rigors of performing in the largest fringe festival in the world. I had sworn it off for being expensive and exhausting; for chewing up performers and spitting them out. Even so, when I found out there were U.S. based producers who regularly represent American solo shows at this gargantuan event, I wanted in. 

I went all in – financially, physically, emotionally. (And a generous group of supporters came for the ride.)

I suited up, showed up, and performed more than 20 times in almost that many days. I was reviewed nicely. I even wrote an article for the illustrious national newspaper. But Edinburgh kind of wrecked me. Not in a way that you could see from the outside. 

Once I got back to Los Angeles, I quietly stopped performing all together.