I discovered my passion and voice as a playwright early in my, as-of-now, 25-year career as a professional actor. I initially started writing as a way to create my own performance work, so as to not always be beholden (a word my Appalachian mountaineer relatives abhorred) to casting or artistic directors for my next job. With far fewer roles available to me than my male counterparts, writing gave me some modicum of surety in an unstable business. In fact, my solo touring plays sustained me for years. Now I write because I am driven to use the platform of theater to amplify issues that have deeply impacted my life, and those around me. As I have navigated the challenges of being a special-needs mom, the parent of a gay man, and the daughter of a disciplined, responsible gun-owning father during these times of unmitigated gun violence, I’ve found empathy and understanding for the human condition - and discovered for myself that the adage “The personal IS political” is no cliché. Anyone who navigates these rocky terrains must become a fierce advocate. The weight and depth of my experience that has fueled my playwriting. I have turned to the pen to share the hard-won knowledge I gained and to empower parents, caregivers, and anti-violence advocates about the critical issues that face us today. These issues that have touched me personally are tearing this country apart. Thomas Wolfe, was right, “You can’t go home again,” but I am interested in exploring my childhood home of Appalachia. I'm increasingly sure that greed is the problem.