Allow me to Introduce Myself: Shoshanna Lakshita Gleich

The Name
 
Shoshanna is the name given to me by my mother and father; it means rose.  
Lakshita is the name given to me by my spiritual teacher; it means marked with the virtues that are love, humility, selfless service, freedom from anger, compassion, fearlessness, and love.  
Gleich is German; I have been told it means equal, rich, and the same.  

I share the meaning of my name because I think it gives you a sense of who I am, and who I am coming to be.  
 
The Roots of My Creativity
 
I have been involved in creative writing since the moment I could write complete sentences. I loved using words to create my own reality.  
 
My first script -written in the first grade- was for an episode of the Partridge Family, with a role in it for me playing Danny Partridge's girlfriend (I loved him).  My step dad helped me send the script, and I told the kids at school I was going to be leaving any day for the Partridge family because I truly believed it was that simple.
 
In my senior year of high school, I skipped class to enroll in a college-level introductory filmmaking course. My student film consisted of New Yorkers twisting to Chubby Checker's famous tune. I simply went out with a tape recorder, played the music, and filmed people dancing. My intention was to show people from all walks of life dancing to the same music. Editing was done in a way that all the dancers were made to look like one person, communicating my message of our diversity along with the deeper truth of our union.
 
I was nearly expelled from high school for following my heart, and faced the possibility of not graduating. However, after viewing my film, school administrators were moved to share the film with my classmates and their families during the graduation ceremony.
 
My little student film went on to be shown in many different venues. It was aired on WABC-TV Hot Tracks in NYC and LA. Then, on to the US Army to cheer up the troops. Additionally, it was played at night clubs in New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.  
 
While continuing my studies at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, I wrote, directed, produced, and acted in a film called Dinner at Jojo's. The film was well-received, winning numerous awards, including best film-NYU in 1989. Griffin Dunne saw  Dinner at Jojo's, and cast me in his film Addicted to Love.  

After that, I appeared in the movies Ninja Turtles II, The Spawn, and When A Man Loves A Woman. I also did a commercial for Coors Light beer.

A Canary sent into a Coal Mine
 
After graduating from NYU film school, I went to work for a production company. Within a couple of months, I noticed a change in my health. Whenever I entered the office, I would shake, felt disoriented, and my skin would turn bright red. When at home, the symptoms would disappear.  Eventually an environmentalist was hired to check the office. High levels of formaldehyde and carbon monoxide were detected. The environmentalist said I was like a canary in a coal mine. Traditionally, canaries were sent into the mine to test if it was safe for the workers; if the canaries died, the coal mine was deemed hazardous to humans.  
 
My environmental sensitivities only increased over the next couple of years, to the point that I could no longer be indoors. I was forced to quit my job. For the next 12 years, my living situation ranged from my car to the home of a Hasidic aunt with her 16 children to living in homes made of sandbags and earth, and all kinds and sorts of places in between.
 
Panty Hose Haz No Snaps
 
Those twelve years were extremely challenging because I had a strong sense I was here to be of service with my creativity. However, I could not think straight and my whole focus became finding a home. I began writing about my experiences in the form of a screenplay called God's Giggle. Friends in the industry suggested I perform it as a one-person show.  Changing the title to Panty Hose Haz No Snaps, I am now engaged in performing segments of the show.  Through this creative endeavor, my intention is to share my experiences.
 
I am creating a television series based on Panty Hose Haz No Snaps, and am writing a book on the same subject. Within the next couple of months, I will present the show again  at a raw foods restaurant in New York City. Producers, publishers, and potential investors will be invited to attend the performance. The invitation will say:  Dinner theatre is back with a new theme - Health. Healthy food. Healthy show. Raw foods and raw talent  -- on roller skates.

A Step Back to Move Forward
 
I am back in nature again after 6 months of living in Brooklyn.  
My health is now vibrant and I am feeling great

This is a time of contemplation, a time to listen, a time of being fully guided by the divine, and simply being a channel for the divine to express through me what ever is most needed right now on the planet.

How can I be of service?
What are my next steps?
 
At this moment, I am writing by a sacred fire.  Fire connects us to the Heart.  The Heart is the key to everything.  It is the only way to listen.  
 
I am a stand for transformation, creativity, and finding the humor in all of life. As I say these words, a butterfly has landed upon me. Butterflies represent  transformation - a metamorphosis from cocoon to butterfly.

When my work with Panty Hose Haz No Snaps has been fulfilled, I look forward to producing films, television shows, and books that inspire and uplift humanity.

My goal is to be a liberated being, which means seeing the Divine in everything, and standing in that place to inspire and bring joy to everyone around me by whatever way I am guided.  I see myself bringing heart-felt laughter to people and reminding people of the play of life.

To the reader, I thank you and offer words that have been shared with me along the journey:
"Let the music play you."
"Transmute adversity into a victory."

SOME PHOTOS

	On the set of Dinner At Jojo's with cast and crew.

Acting in "Panty Hose Haz No Snaps" at Here Main Arts Center.