Veterinarian Reconnects with Theatre Passion

Veterinarian Reconnects

with Theatre Passion

Community Theatre Allows Rachel Borwein to Balance Artistry with Profession

Rachel Borwein knew she wanted to be an actress when she saw Joan of Arc at five years old.

“I thought it was the most amazing thing ever,” she said. “I didn’t understand it at all — I just loved it.”

Borwein went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts, planning to act for a living, but had a change of heart after graduation.

“I was stressed about supporting myself as an artist,” she said.

So Borwein went back to school and became a veterinarian. For the past 10 years, she’s cared for sick animals and had three children of her own. But when she moved to Naples two years ago, she had the urge to get back on stage.

Rachel BORWEIN

Rachel Borwein in Don’t Dress for Dinner

Her first show with The Naples Players was The Taming of the Shrew. Now she is playing the role of Suzette, the cook in Don’t Dress for Dinner. The role allows Borwein to work full time at the Banfield Pet Hospital while engaging in the arts.

“Being a vet allows me to support myself in the world by doing something altruistic and helpful,” she says. “But my heart is in movement and the arts.”

Borwein said that working as a vet has given her the stability and security she was looking for in a career, but acting has always been her passion. The Naples Players made it possible for her to have both.