An Ode to Anne Karner

There are no words to really start talking about this next donor, my loving roommate Anne Karner.

Anne and I met doing The Spitfire Grill in Roanoke, VA (for those of you keeping track of Spitfires, this was #3, and the most recent!).

The Spitfire Grill at Mill Mountain Theatre, in Roanoke, VA

The funny thing about Anne is I was pretty sure she was going to hate me. Why, you ask? Well, one of her former roommates happens to also have been an ex-girlfriend of one of my ex-boyfriends, and he was not very clear in making a precise delineation between the two of us... (He then turned around three years later and did the same thing to me, and to quote my sister "What else did you expect?") The theatre world is so incredibly small, there is a really strong argument for not "pooping where you sleep", or what have you.

So I thought Anne would hate me.

And now she's my roommate!

Anne and I in our Harlem apartment, in our fancy T-shirts!

First and foremost, Anne is amazingly talented. If I don't mention this enough about my actor friends, let me just say, ALL of my friends are amazingly talented. But Anne is

remarkable. If she doesn't book a major show sometime soon, I will be shocked. She has been "so close!" so many times, it's only a matter of moments until her number is called. But you should check out Anne's website, and really see how amazing she is (and also appreciate that I am the one who designed it!).

Anne is also hilarious. I have even tried to take on some of her token phrases, my favorite being the complete deadpan "What." Not a question. A statement.

You could use it in such situations:

Friend: Did you hear that they just cast Britney Spears as the new Desiree Armfeldt in Little Night Music?

You: What.

She can always make me laugh.

She is also a great roommate. Not just for the basic things like paying bills on time, but she's neat and organized, AND has amazing style! I love that when we discussed painting out kitchen a luscious deep, dark teal blue, she totally went for it! And enthusiastically. Anne loves a bargain just as much as I do, and can shop for "tops" at TJMaxx with the best of them. In fact, our whole apartment is classy-chic from the best Designer-For-Less stores there are! Anne recently got engaged to a really wonderful man, and she will make a fantastic wife and mother.

But more than anything, Anne is a great friend. She has always been there for me, whether it's in celebration or anger, and she challenges me to see the world in other ways, especially when I get stuck in my own head.

I will miss having her as my roommate, as she moves in and upwards towards her new life, but I couldn't be happier for her starting this new adventure in her life with a new partner in crime.

(And I console myself with knowing that fashion sense and color palate choices my will always be way better than his!)

So thanks to Anne, for being a fantastic woman who shares more than just her space with me! Love you!