About That Play

At the end of October, playwright Serena Norr called me on the telephone to ask me if I’d be interested in the lead in a short play she wrote. “I’m not an actress,” I responded. “I think you could pull it off,” she encouraged.?

I felt scared, so I said?yes.?

In the summer of 2022, I?threw shame and caution to the wind. I embarked on a creative experiment that had two challenges: 1) write a children’s book and 2) create one baby class. The class was formed around a character I developed called The Lady. People were interested. I said yes to things because saying yes brought me opportunities.?I wondered what else the universe would send me if I continued to be so brave.?

I started attending local networking events in character. People noticed me. Serena Norr was one such person. I told her I craved creative community to give me brutal feedback. She told me to take my character to an open mic night she attended in Mt. Kisco.?I was terrified, so I said yes.?

It had been over twenty years since I played a stage. Too shy and lacking in confidence to carry a show, in school I was never the lead. I faded into the behind-the-scenes work of set design, eventually leaving the arts for?college to pursue a “safer” path.?

In law school, I could not silence the voice in my head that yearned for a creative life. I made a bold choice to pursue my road not taken. In my decade-long career in marketing, I was a part of incredible creative work, but it was not my own. I left to work with my own clients, but hit pause when I had my boys.?

As a stay at home mom, I certainly lived creatively. I sang and danced. I made up stories. I painted. I baked. I crafted small animals out of pipe cleaners. I did the manual labor of raising two small boys with very few extra hands. I am proud of my hard work, but again I yearned for a creative life of my very own.?

I started The Lady & the Floofs without expectation.?In the six months since its start, it continues to evolve. When Serena Norr asked me to do her play, I knew I couldn’t live without knowing what might happen if I said yes. Now, days after it’s close, I’ve already learned some things.?

1)?I am an artist.?This is not an easy title to gift oneself. For 38 years I’ve destroyed my art work and cyclically pressed pause. The pauses came from fear, but by putting myself out there this year, I have learned to have?chutzpah.

2)?The Lady & the Floofs is a story not a class.?The Lady is a reflection of the Millennial parenting experience, but also the tale of a very real woman with a very particular message. She wants Floofs of all ages to believe they can be brave. Whether it is the taste of an unfamiliar green leaf or singing on a stage, The Lady is here to say, “we try things.”

I believe in the human capacity for change. I believe that big things can come from small steps. I challenge everyone feeling stuck to meet one new person or do one thing outside of the ordinary every week. Put on a silly hat. Take the long way home. These decisions set off a ripple effect. Don’t you want to know what might happen if you try?

In pursuit of my ripple, I will share the YouTube link to the play, Cut Up Fam,?here.?It is a 10 minute production about a mother who finds refuge from the madness of her home life within the creative world of her attic. Can you relate??

While the universe contemplates its next move for me, I?must pause to say thank you for your infinite support of this journey.?I am forever humbled by the outpouring of love and trust from my community. In the coming months, I hope to bring you more experiences that bring us together in the spirit of trial and play.?

Want more Floof? Follow me at @LadyandFloofs.