The Logan Square resident never had dreams of becoming an actress. She loved singing, and a decade ago, bored with the bank job she was working, she started auditioning for musical theater roles on a whim. Now she’s acting full time and breaking through to bigger stages like the Goodman, Court, and Northlight — where she’ll play the title character in Nina Simone: Four Women, opening January 24.

On quitting her day job

“The struggle is mad real. But I’m still feeling very good about the decision I made. Since the Muggle job is gone, I haven’t sat down.”

On reaching larger audiences

“I’ve seen the change — now more and more people are coming up to me and saying, ‘I’ve seen you in this, I’ve seen you in that.’ But being in bigger theaters hasn’t necessarily changed the way I do things.”

On playing Nina Simone

“I’m a huge fan of her activism, of her music, just her artistry in general. Those are some shoes, man, but I’m gonna put some cotton in the toe, and if they don’t fit, I’m going to give the illusion that they do.”