Mrs. Anna began to develop her love of theater while in elementary school. She loved creating character voices and personalities for her Barbie and Troll dolls, and spent many hours role playing with her BFF! Her first real job was working in the box office of the now defunct Beverly Dinner Playhouse in Jefferson, LA. She loved the theater life! At the Beverly she also worked with the set designer, lighting designer and worked backstage as wardrobe assistant. After marrying the lighting designer, she volunteered at Tulane University as his assistant, and additionally a costume designer, stitcher and on deck wardrobe person. Mrs. Anna took a little time off to have children, but never really stopped working in theater. She has designed and/or built costumes and/or props for SLU Dance department, SLU Opera Music department, Izzy Moving Dance, Hammond Ballet Company, Lemoine Academy of Dance, Fellom Ballet, Tulane Music Department and Summer Lyric, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Hammond Eastside Company, Holy Ghost Spirit of the Stage, and the former Columbia Players. She was a volunteer at the "new" Columbia Theater and spent many hours helping as wardrobe assistant, stage hand, promo videos and whatever else they need. Most recently she designed the 2020 set and props for the world premiere of Alice's Christmas in Wonderland at the Columbia.
In 2007, the H. Rocker Electric Family Foundation asked Mrs. Anna to help develop a community theater company focused on children. The Octavians was born! She spent 10 years writing and directing, workshops and plays, designing costumes and props, and marketing the organization. Some of her favorite shows she has directed are Dracula, Commedia Sinbad the Sailor, Alice in Wonderland*, Winnie the Pooh, Robin Hood-both full stage and Commedia del arte' version, Wind in the Willows and, well all of them!
She accepted a position as Teacher of Talented in Theater with TPSS in the fall of 2010 bringing her knowledge and expertise to the students of Tangipahoa Parish. She loves teaching students about theater, helping them develop characters and watching them come alive on stage! Mrs. Anna also shares her talent and knowledge of costuming and prop design, as well as lighting and stagecraft, with her students to help them understand that there is more to working in theater, or the movies, than just acting. The students present their shows to classrooms, at festivals and on stage.
Mrs. Anna lives in Hammond with her husband, Pete and they have four children, now grown, who are all involved in some form of the arts. They also have 5 grandchildren.
*denotes playwright