REALITY SHOW WRITER-ACTRESS RECALLS OWN EATING DISORDER.Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer VALENCIA - Susan Hinshaw is ready to hold up a mirror on the stage at College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. . Excerpts of ``Nirvana nirvana (nērvä`nə), in Buddhism, Jainism, and Hinduism, a state of supreme liberation and bliss, contrasted to samsara or bondage in the repeating cycle of death and rebirth. ,'' her one-woman show about personal struggles with an eating disorder eat·ing disorder n. Any of several patterns of severely disturbed eating behavior, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia, seen mainly in female teenagers and young women. , will be presented Wednesday in the college's new theater. Not only is the subject matter of wide interest, but Hinshaw is also head of the school's drama department. It is her debut performance on her own new stage. The public is invited to the 4 p.m. show, and admission is free. ``One of our goals is to bring the community in and show them what great faculty we have,'' said David Stevenson David Stevenson may refer to:
``Having Susan as the first performer in our new theater is ideal.'' Hinshaw has performed the full version of ``Nirvana'' at intimate theaters and in recovery programs, retreats and conventions across the country. ``Nirvana,'' an autobiographical account of her relationship with food, deals with a theme touching thousands of people who struggle with eating disorders eating disorders, in psychology, disorders in eating patterns that comprise four categories: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, rumination disorder, and pica. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-starvation to avoid obesity. on a daily basis. ``Susan's subject is of interest to a diverse crowd,'' Stevenson said. ``We're hoping to attract students from our medical fields, as well as anyone interested in learning more about her experience with eating disorders.'' Hinshaw, who worked on stage and in films before coming to the college in 1999, found at first that teaching kept her too busy to do shows. ``A regular show takes two months to rehearse re·hearse v. re·hearsed, re·hears·ing, re·hears·es v.tr. 1. a. To practice (a part in a play, for example) in preparation for a public performance. b. and two months to perform, so there goes a semester se·mes·ter n. One of two divisions of 15 to 18 weeks each of an academic year. [German, from Latin (cursus) s ,'' she said. ``I put my acting behind me, giving everything to my students, and promptly made myself miserable.'' She felt a need to get back on stage herself. ``I'm happy to bring a piece of my work to the college as an actor,'' she said. ``I'm primarily an actor, though I spend a lot of time at the college teaching acting, directing and producing. It's nice to walk the talk with my students. And it's scary.'' After the show, Hinshaw will discuss the development of ``Nirvana,'' outlining the process of writing and balancing the elements of a one-person show. The nurturing Food Fairy at the show's beginning morphs into the Food Demon, providing conflict and dramatic structure for the story. She said her original intent with the one-woman show was to make it about a variety of eating disorders, including bulimia bulimia: see eating disorders. , anorexia anorexia /an·orex·ia/ (-rek´se-ah) lack or loss of appetite for food. anorexia nervo´sa and compulsive overeating Compulsive overeating is characterized by an addiction to food. An individual suffering from compulsive overeating disorder engages in frequent episodes of uncontrolled eating, or binging, during which they may feel frenzied or out of control. . Her writing coach told her she would be most successful focusing on what she knew best. ``Nirvana'' explores the comforts and dangerous relationships experienced by compulsive overeating. ``I have a lot of people who tell me after seeing the show that they have kept it (an eating disorder) a secret and say I described their lives,'' Hinshaw said. ``Everybody relates to the food character and has a voice like that in their head. ``I also find that people who have not previously understood eating disorders come away with an understanding. So many people think it's just a weight problem or a little food problem, but the show educates them and gives them some compassion for the women who deal with this.'' Carol Rock, (661) 257-5252 carol.rock(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Susan Hinshaw, drama dean at College of the Canyons, will perform her one-woman show on campus on Wednesday. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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