As a writer I try to be as transparent and honest as possible. So let me preface this, yes I am TOTALLY biased when it comes to Dyllan. Dyllan and I met 8 years ago as Freshmen and have been dear friends ever since. Not only do I think Dyllan is the kindest human I've ever met, in fact, I have never met anyone who doesn't adore Dyllan for their verve for life, career and friendships. I admire Dyllan greatly for using their voice for good, and for speaking up against those who are not taking the Covid-19 guidelines seriously. 

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How have you and your family been affected by covid-19?

Like so many others I lost my main source of income and had no idea when I would be returning to work. Relying on unemployment without the additional PUA tends to leave me with anxiety whenever I swipe my debit card or send my rent check. But my situation is not unique. I try to keep things in perspective; things may not be perfect, but there are thousands of others who have lost so much more.

As far as my family goes, we take it one day at a time. I, like many others, left NYC for a bit. At one point while I was home, my father, mother, brother and myself all contracted Covid-19. That was pretty scary, and quite frankly, frustrating, because I had left the city to avoid getting Covid or spreading it. I stayed in my parent’s home for 3.5 months, never going farther than a few blocks to walk our dogs. During the lockdown, my dad who is an essential worker, has to go to different hospitals and living facilities to pick up soiled Covid linens. We think that may be how it came into our house. The only symptom I had was loss of smell. My brother and mom became sick in varying degrees but it was not too bad. My dad had it the worst out of all of us. That was something that really tore me up because my dad never gets sick. I’m not exaggerating when I say that in my 27 years of life, I can count on one hand how many times my dad has been so sick that he couldn’t work. To see my 7th degree black belt owning, endlessly hard working, strong father go down was scary. And the thought of him going to the hospital scared me even more. I just don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t tell him I loved him again. But I thank my lucky stars every single day that my family has recovered. Others are not so lucky and my whole heart goes out to them.  

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You’re using your voice to speak up to those who aren’t following guidelines to ensure the safety of our communities. Where does that courage come from?

Honestly, I am not sure. I am a very non-confrontational person. I don’t like to rustle feathers and I don’t like to be made to feel wrong for speaking up, even if I may be right. But this matters too much. When I am out and about in the city (with a mask, of course) I very rarely see people without masks, especially on the train or indoors. But I have definitely asked a couple people on the train without masks to put them on for the safety of others. It does not always go over swimmingly but hey, I tried.

Most of my efforts are online. I know that sounds silly or disingenuous but it is another way to reach people. Most of the time I reach out to those people privately because I find that public shaming does not help anyone. I first try to see things from their perspective and try to understand why they don’t like to wear a mask or won’t wear a mask. Then, I will try to give them some of my perspective and get a dialogue going. Some people are more receptive than others, but all we can do is try.

There are so many people still out of work and there are lots of people who have returned to work even if it’s not in their best interest (i.e. teachers and in-person education.) If everyone wore a mask until a vaccine is available we can prevent fewer transmissions and deaths. In my personal opinion, it seems that 2020 has exposed a lot of truths about America and it’s people. Unfortunately, many people do not see it as a communal effort. The biggest thing that I try to get people who I challenge to see, is that we need more empathy. Like so many others, I don’t love wearing a mask, but I do it anyway because I am not only protecting myself but I am doing the literal LEAST I can do to protect others. 

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Since being quarantined, how have you managed to keep your artistic side fueled?

Even though Covid-19 has wreaked a lot of havoc and turmoil, this time locked indoors has been a great opportunity to think about who I am as an artist. I have tried to redo my rep book - shoutout to Problem Solved by Jenna for helping me do this! I have been taking virtual dance classes, virtual voice lessons and watching the shows and movies that drew me into the arts in the first place while also trying to find new things.

Also, a few friends and I have been working on a big project! Over the last 14 weeks a few friends and I have been working on a new web series! It’s called “BUFFERING The Making of a Modern-Day Musical” In a nutshell, it is a mockumentary about theatre-industry professionals putting on a new digital musical from lockdown from auditions to opening night, that somewhat mirrors our reality. “BUFFERING” has been such a great way to be creative when our industry is shutdown for the foreseeable future. It has presented us with a unique challenge because we film from our own homes utilizing the resources and space available to us. I am so excited about what we have made so far and I cannot wait for people to see it. Our first episode premiers on YouTube on Sept 12th at noon EST! Make sure you follow us on instagram @mask4maskstudios!