When I was younger and my friends and I played pretend, in whatever scenario we imagined ourselves in, they always played the same character, while I, on the other hand, created the world around them - playing numerous colorful characters they'd interact with. I've always loved acting for the opportunity it gives me to take on the personas of others. And for that reason I am grateful to have been given the challenge to play Lorna Moon. Playing Lorna was a particular challenge for me because she is one of the closest characters to myself that I have performed. What I learned through that process is how much more difficult it is for me to play characters like myself than characters that are vastly different from me. Playing Lorna made me feel especially vulnerable. She didn't have an extreme physical difference from me, or a flashy costume, crazy wig, fat suit, or a "presentational" style for me to rely on. One of Lorna's most truthful lines to me is when she tells Joe: "I'm not much interested in myself." In the last 3 years, I have been compelled to examine myself, which has been both a thrilling and terrifying experience - but beyond that, enlightening. I feel the most valuable lesson I've learned at UCSD is that the most rewarding experiences come from when you are playing someone else ...only to discover that you have come to know your own personal self just a little bit better.