Natalie Symons
EVENT: She's in Nicky Silver's Raised in Captivity, produced by Moonlight Theatre Company.

How was your childhood? "Very good. I was raised in Buffalo, New York, a little bit privileged, raised by two very good parents who are still married. I have really fond, incredible memories of my childhood, which most people don't."

Any incestuous leanings? "No. Never."

No hunky cousins? "Oh, you know what, I do. I had a cousin, Trip. He was a first cousin, my mother's sister's son. My first real crush. I used to see him every spring break--it was all female cousins except for him, and he was my age. We used to torment him a little bit."

How? "We used to gang up on him--it was called 'Kiss Time.' We'd scream at him and run up and jump on him. I haven't thought about that in years. Wait, I have one other: My Uncle John, I remember, I used to--this is as a very young kid, three or four--I used to hump his leg. John used to say, 'Natalie, stop humping my leg.'"

How did your parents respond to this? "They just laughed. We were a tight family."

But not too tight. "No."

Have these tactics--"Kiss Time" or leg-humping--worked well for you as an adult? "Uh, I don't still do them. Actually, I did a show with William Cole called Coyote Ugly, and I had to do the same thing on his leg--it was a show all about incest. I remember being terrified to go there, even though I have gone there."

Into that emotional territory. "Yes. Though I wasn't admitting it to the director and the cast. I felt like they were asking me to take my clothes off."