The Lady of the Lights

It is the light of the sun that brings Barbara Barrow to life. Intently, she watches the flakes fall from the sky. There are no rays today. It looks as though a baker is shaking powdered sugar over an ice-skating rink. Barbara started out seeking the stage. In this winter of winters, this warm-weather woman gathers her construction-site-scarred parka around her and sighs. “If there’s a patch of sun, my face will be in it,” she says wistfully. Barbara’s interest in light…

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The Toe-and-Tap Teacher

Michelle Koutsoubelis tap dances in the shower. She can’t help it; the running water sets her feet on fire. Miss Michelle, the owner of Cathy’s Dance Studio. Right now, she’s sitting in a swivel chair — don’t worry, she won’t be in it for long — and her 4-inch stilettos run through a routine, flying across the floor before she can stop them. She’ s wearing her everyday shoes, so the tap, tap, tap sounds like the petite prancing of a miniature horse. “I…

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The Guy Driving the ’55 Chevy

There’s no seatbelt. Pete D’Andrea throws back his head and laughs. It’s going to be a loud, rough ride. He can’t wait to rev up the engine. Pete’s crazy for classic cars. When he does, the 1955 Chevy roars like a jet taking off from LaGuardia with Pete bouncing along for the ride. “These cars are masters of the racetrack,” he yells above the deafening noise. Pete, a lean mustached man with sad brown eyes, has been the owner of the Regal Turquoise and India…

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The Comic Who Counts Laughs

Sooyah Jun must get off the bed — now! It’s big and white and puffy like a cloud, and it’s so comfortable that she’s in danger of nodding off in mid-sentence. She was out late last night and the night before that and the night before that … Sooyah works in a law office. This has pretty much been going on for the last three years, ever since she started doing stand-up routines after work, and her lack of sleep is starting to catch up with her big time. Ah, the big…

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