Miriam’s Biography
…and why should I listen to her?
I’m a writer, pod caster and performer, among other things.* I’ve found my passion in weaving words and emotions into pieces that help us remember who we are and where we come from. I love to put these words to paper, whisper them into your ear and release them from the stage.
I was always into theatre—at least since I starred in The Snow Girl for Theatre 65 in Evanston at age 10. I took a BA in Theatre Arts at the University of Minnesota, but somehow I forgot to go DO it when I graduated; chalk it up to a profound fear of waitressing. Somehow, Dad convinced me that law school beckoned, or was that an advanced practicum in the theater of the absurd. (Yes, I really did practice. No, it was not like Perry Mason.)
A decade ago I started to get back to the roar of the greasepaint, as children’s theatre playwright and director, next directing The Orphan Queen. Since then, I’ve been delighted to act, sing and even dance in The Really Big Dance Company’s Pirate Show and to be a part of Claude Wampler’s Career Ender, part of the Portland’s Time Based Art festival.
What started as a writing and pod casting project (http://miriamfeder.com opened November 1, 2006 and got a major remodel November 2007) took a turn toward the Salon by the beginning of 2007 and I became hooked on making my own live theatrical performances before year’s end. (The Vestibule: life, love and tears through the midlife lens debuted in October 2007, About Love: the bittersweet heart came in February 2008 and Big Words: a kaleidoscope of follies enticing the heart and teasing the mind opened in September 2008.)
I also perform with the women’s a capella chorus, Pride of Portland (on to Hawaii, November 20008) as well as in various open mic locales. I still direct and accompany my original musical productions with student actors (In Portland and Even To The Western Ocean.) I look forward to more and varied performance opportunities in Portland and on the road.
Pretty much everything else about me emerges in the work.
*Among other things can probably be added to every line of every woman’s resume or bio. Not that you men are necessarily slackers, mind you. But in my experience, all women do an awful lot of important things, some of which they don’t even notice or can’t even remember. Unfortunately, too often, nobody else does either—until the woman stops doing them. Then all hell breaks loose. Here’s to you, honey.