When my parents landed in Chicago after leaving Ukraine, with little more than a baby in tow, they took one look at their new street sign and thought, “Look, we made it to Broadway!” I didn’t have the heart to tell them. Or the ability to speak yet.

I spent my childhood singing and dancing and asking everybody if I could pet their dog. Some things never change. But I did grow up and decided acting was the thing I wanted to do. Playing the elderly Mama Mae Peterson in “Bye Bye Birdie” when you’re in middle school will do that to you.

I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Millikin University, where I, too, spent my weekdays crawling around a dance studio like a tiger and being rejected from the main stage shows. I also dyed my hair purple and fell in love, so it was all worth it.

After graduating, I spent many months auditioning at various theaters, my now-husband dutifully driving with me to calm my nerves and feed me ice cream after. Eventually, I caught the eye of Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan and worked there as an ensemble member for three years (three really is a magic number). I performed shows back-to-back, got married, and even squeezed in a few trips to Ireland. Eventually I decided I needed more of a challenge, so I started taking on-camera classes, got an agent, and added a second dog to my family.

I’m a Chicago actor who’s passionate about growing her career and gets to pet two adorable dogs every day. I may not be on Broadway, but the burgers here are better, anyway.