My dear friend Melissa and I have known each other since we were in a college singing group together back in the 90s, and her daughter Olive is like her in so many ways.
Olive has been on plenty of stages herself: Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kate in Titanic the Musical, the lead in All Shook Up, the Dragon in Shrek, Mrs. Pearce in My Fair Lady — and Actress of the Year 2023-2024 at Westwood High. She graduates as valedictorian this spring, headed somewhere fancy (she’s keeping us all in suspense on which fancy place, exactly).
But titles and roles only tell you so much. What I loved about shooting Olive was how easy it was — she brought the personality, the expressions, the spark. I didn’t have to coax anything out of her. We started at Balboa Park for the architecture — those Spanish colonial arches and tilework never get old — and then headed over the bridge to Coronado for some beach scenes as the light softened. Through it all, Olive lit up the camera and just kept going.
Melissa and Olive, thank you for trusting me with these memories. Congratulations, Olive! I can’t wait to see what you do next!!













































