Meet Nakisa Aschtiani of Lake Forest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nakisa Aschtiani.

Nakisa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I think back on my earliest memories, I remember wanting to be a doctor – some time around high school, that changed. My junior year, I thought it would be fun to take Drama as an elective. I loved it so much I majored in Theatre in college. After graduation, I kept busy – I meticulously kept a calendar on upcoming auditions, rehearsals, performances. I was simultaneously rehearsing for one show, performing in another, and auditioning for my next. I did this for years. Eventually, I transitioned from Acting to Playwrighting. Looking back on it, it makes sense to me: I always loved literature and reading. I read a lot growing up and, as an actor, I read a play a week. I wrote poetry during my school aged years. It was another way to feed my brain. My plays have been produced in Ca and NY. I am on the board for SheNYC, an organization that helps marginalized playwrights produce their work. In the midst of all this, I worked in Finance. My aunt was a bank teller. She recommended I apply. It was a great way to get steady income (and have health insurance) while working in Theatre. I worked in Finance/Banking/Accounting for about ten years or so. I met some great people along the way. Today, I work in the Education Department for a wonderful non-profit Theatre in Orange County, Ca called Laguna Playhouse. Laguna Playhouse has been around for over 100 years and, more than half that time, they have been developing programs for our youth. When I was in elementary school, Laguna Playhouse toured our school and performed a short play based on a book we were reading in class. Decades later, I am presenting that same program to students. We no longer tour, but we do bus students into our space. For some, this is the first time seeing a performance and the first time in a theatre. This is my wonderful full circle moment.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My life is wonderful – I love it. I have an incredibly supportive family. I have a husband who lets me be myself. We have a house that I love and dogs that I adore. Throughout the week, we garden or take short bike rides around the neighborhood. I have all this; I also have Epilepsy. When I was eleven, I had my first seizure. I was at a sleepover at my cousin’s house. I remember waking up in the hospital. The doctors told us that it might not happen ever again. He recommend a neurologist. The neurologist sent me for tests. Everything came back “unremarkable” which is doctor speak for “normal.” We thought it was a random thing – maybe I was stressed or tired or sick. About twelve months later, I had another seizure. That came with more tests and more unremarkable results. This pattern repeated itself through high school. I was averaging about one seizure per year without medication. By the time I was 17, I was on regular meds. Still, I missed my Senior Picnic. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was twenty. My doctor and I finally found a medication that worked. Here’s the thing about Epilepsy: there is no cure. Some people have medication resistant forms. Others take meds and they “work.” Our meds don’t get rid of the seizures, they just prolong the time between. Lucky for me, they work very well. I went seven years without a seizure. We thought there was a chance I outgrew them, but the only way to know is to stop the meds. With the help of my doctors, we tapered off the medication. Within a month, I had a seizure. Another month, another seizure. 24 hours later, a third. Something happened to piss off my brain. I went from a seizure now and then to having seizures every few weeks. The meds my doctor put me on weren’t working. My anxiety was through the roof – I was afraid to be alone. My now husband was amazing. He kept me safe. He drove me everywhere. This went on for about 4 years. I asked to be put back on my original medication. Looking back on it, I should have fought harder to get on my original medication. The doctors were trying others, but were hesitant to put me back on my original ones – the ones that worked. My neuro at the time put me on something that was making me feel horrible. I was experiencing nearly thirty of its side effects including brain fog. I was forgetting things – I couldn’t remember the names of things. I had trouble reading. It was so bad, I thought the seizures had caused brain damage when it was the medication. I begged to be taken off of it. Her response? If it is keeping the seizures away, we don’t like to switch. A week later, I had a seizure. My brain that had been misfiring and keeping me from feeling “normal,” finally did me a favor. That was enough to convince her to switch me back to my original meds…and me to change doctors. In June 2020, I had a seizure. In January of 2021, I caught Covid and had a seizure. Knock on wood, I have been seizure free since then.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To say I have my dream job is an understatement – and actually, it would be inaccurate. I didn’t know this job existed, but I absolutely love it. I work in the Education Department at Laguna Playhouse alongside the best boss. We have an incredible group of teaching artists. Together, we create Theatre Arts programs for students 19 and younger. We have a lot of programs that fall under our Education umbrella: afterschool programs that include classes and rehearsal to performance programs, onsite acting conservatory, fall and spring youth theatre productions, summer camps, summer teen ensembles, and more. One that is especially near and dear to my heart is called Theatre Reach. Theatre Reach is a program that brings to life beloved children’s stories. When I was in elementary school, Laguna Playhouse toured my school and performed a show that I now help create. While we no longer tour, we invite schools to the playhouse. Hearing the students enter our space is magical. For most of them, this is their first live performance and first time in a theatre. Watching the shows with them is an experience in and of itself. They get so involved!

What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory? Family is a huge deal to us – it always has been. And I have a large family. I’m including cousins. I have one sibling – a brother, but I have TONS of cousins and aunts and uncles. For a lot of my childhood, we lived about an hour or two away from everyone else. But that didn’t matter – it didn’t stop my parents from taking us to family dinners. I remember counting the freeway signs to try and learn how many signs it took till we got there. Sometimes, we would get to stay the night with everyone like a giant family camp out in the living room. On the nights that we would drive back, my parents made beds for us in the back of their Nissan, so we could sleep on the way home.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lagunaplayhouse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nakisasagreatasch/?hl=en

Image Credits
Cynthia Shaffer
Michal Olender