Tell us about your character. How are you similar?

Julie's a renegade, a heart-breaker, and a total sex pot...well, at least somewhere deep in her mind she is, or wants to be. Honestly, I think the most "renegade" thing about Julie is her bumpy love life, as she's otherwise pretty conventional. She navigates rather safely in many areas, as a result of choice and circumstance, but I think she wishes that she took the road less traveled. Julie is a loyal friend, yet guarded in the heart department. She is at times compulsive, at times safe. I don't think she sees herself as others see her. What is similar about us, you ask? We both have great hair, dislike cheap booze, and have intimacy issues...

What have paper cranes come to mean in your own life now that you've worked on this play?

I was hesitant to learn how to fold a paper crane. Not as hesitant as a fellow cast member, ahem, but I missed that day in school where everyone learned how to do it (side note, I received a picture of a gorgeous paper crane by aforementioned cast member, and I smiled. big. it was beautiful).  I did learn, however, and managed to fold a few during a recent rehearsal.  What struck me as so was their ability to all be so unique, yet folded with the same guide.  What a reminder of how unique we all are, and how important it is to recognize the beauty in all of it...the instruction, the fear, the path, the results.  Each one is gorgeous, especially the ones that don't look like exactly the picture. You can follow the instructions all you want, but the result will always be unique...at times messy and frustrating, but decidedly, beautifully yours.

You can learn more about Melissa by visiting her website: www.melissahammans.com.