After studying Noh Theatre in Japan in the late 1970's,
I returned to the U.S. to finish my Bachelor's degree. Upon
graduation, began working in children's theatre, where critics
cited her fantasy make-up and mask work for it's humor and
originality. During this time, Susan Zeder invited me to design the fantasy make-up
and masks for her play, Ozma of Oz, when it was staged at
the New Play Festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
In the mid-80's I came to San Francisco to pursue a career
in health education. MY work in film began as co-producer
and writer of an award-winning HIV Educational Documentary
for youth, "Smart Talk." Since then, I have produced,
written, and/or provided art direction for a number of short
narratives and music videos, including co-producing and
art directing "The Hunger of Memory," which was
named "Best Narrative" at the 1994 Atlanta International
Film Festival.
As children, our mother's Slovak peasant upbringing and
resulting frugality meant that many of my sister's and my
often fervent requests for new toys and games went unfulfilled.
Rather than buy us the "latest fads," Mom encouraged
us to use our imagination to create our own entertainment
out of whatever was at hand.
As an adult, I have spent much of time as an artistic director
and designer working with limited budgets. Who would have
thought that the enforced "scarcity" I experienced
as a child would eventually enable me as an adult working
in children's theater and independent film to turn the "sow's
ear" of limited resources into the "silk purse"
of innovative artistic design.
