It was New York City in the summer of 2013. Manhattan was sweltering. Even still, it didn't zap her energy. She expertly wove through a scattered sea of fast-moving locals and paused tourists checking their maps. The air carried a mix of sounds and smells: the aromas of food-truck gyros and cigarettes, while the Alicia Keys hook every Midtown pedicab was blasting that summer rang out from their sound systems. Wielding a metal briefcase, the young woman hopped from audition to audition, determined to book the acting role that would establish her as a serious thespian.









