Praises for a passion.

When I was a little girl I decided to become an actress. Little did I know back then that becoming it is actually really hard.

I have been involved with theater since I was 6. That's when people started saying things like "awwww, she is so cute, she's gonna be a huge star one day.". Of course, we've probably all been there and I guess my parents didn't really make anything of it back then either. At the age of 9 I had my first solo in a theater production and that's when it all started for me. I knew that this was the ONE and ONLY thing I wanted to do with my life.

Being Queen Aggravain in the MHS play Once upon a mattress in 2002 was a true highlight. It meant so much to me because I was the exchange student and I still got to be a lead! I couldn't believe how many people came up to me and told me I was good and I should pursue this. Mrs. Brodman even announced I will be studying at Julliard School in New York. The biggest compliment, however, I received back then was the fact that people didn't recognioze me as the exchange student.

After I returned to Germany I spent the next two years working really really hard on pursuing my dream of becoming an actress. I even won awards with several theater projects...

Right before I graduated from High School in Germany I went to auditions for acting schools but they all turned me down. All of them said "you don't fit in, you are an accomlished person already and there is not much we can do for you." Great...thanks.

That's when I decided to bury my dream. I started going to College majoring in American Studies and Theater Studies but only after 3 years I dropped my Theater Studies major and fully concentrated on American Studies. I never stopped playing theater though. But it didn't feel like it was going to get me very far.

I think I really started to give up on myself but NOW everything is different again. "Closed Games" got awesome reviews in the press. And, as if this wasn't enough, I personally was mentioned to be "brilliant and outstanding". I almost started crying when I read that because it felt like it was a sign that I should NEVER give up on this dream. Maybe I am meant to be up on stage. The newspaper article reassured me that I DO have talent and that I am capable of touching people with my passion. It is a great feeling.

Why did I question it in the first place? Playing theater has always been a big part of my life and now I KNOW that I will continue doing this. Maybe, one day, I will be able to make a living with my acting. Wouldn't that be great?

Lilly