We had maybe the greatest success of any company that I know of in Paris, and after two or three years I wanted to do this same number that we did for PBS, so we did it and Paris had always considered us their darlings.

Even after 'Gangster' being a success, I was considered a B-grade actress and was a sidekick, even though I was good at what I did, and was jobless for two years.

Aside from a few master teachers that we have had over the years, this has been a completely local talent development. But people have started to come now from Chicago, we have a number of students from Chicago and different places of the country and even in the world.

After 13 years, I couldn't accept to be number two.

I could never live a nonproductive life and I feel that I have lived a productive life as far as I want to in terms of this company that I have for so many years.

We don't intend to always keep this necessarily African oriented. Originally I had hoped to have African American Indian of this area, and the Appalachian of this area, but at the same time, just as we have the Haitian room, we will always have room for another exhibit.