I used to find comfort in shadows. Like one finds pleasure in a silky satin robe. And it was a garment I knew well. I hid in the soft darkness, refusing the light of the stage, and as a costume designer, I preferred instead to fluff and pin and perfect the women I’d outfitted who would enter the light in my place. Of course, I still love that – making beautiful costumes for beautiful women. But not so long ago, I knew it was my turn now. My desire to be on stage had been long-suppressed, given the comfort of the shadows. Once upon a time, I had scurried to dark corners because the painful spotlight stripped me of the armor I wore. The armor of needing to be perfect in front of everyone. The armor of the acceptable, over-achieving, money-making middle class life I had been trained from birth … Read More