Anna's first experience in theatre was playing the Tinman in Eagle Creek Elementary's The Wizard of Oz. Wearing a costume she and her mother painstakingly constructed out of duct tape, spray painted linoleum, and silver spandex, Anna was able to experience firsthand the extreme discomfort actors were willing to deal with to look fabulous onstage. She experienced this again throughout high school, where she acted in assorted roles that demanded too-tight shoes, fat suits, and decades-old greasepaint, among other things.
Anna received her BFA in costume design at Southern Oregon University. There she worked on the costume or wardrobe crews for numerous shows, served as makeup crew supervisor on some others, and had the privilege of serving as head designer for three: Waiting for Godot, Measure for Measure, and Dream of a Common Language. Her creations required actors to descend rope ladders in voluminous petticoats, dye their hair green, and cut off all their hair, respectively.
While she aspires to create costumes that are comfortable and not too intrusive, Anna has been fortunate to work with some very accommodating people.