b'Another perk of baking is sharing her creations with the people she loves. And, while mixing and shaping cookie dough is a delicious sensory exercise, it also abets another passion: Too busy and too antsy to sit with a book very often, the avid reader now opens up an audio tome while mixing the muffins.CATS: CREATIVITY, CULTURE, COMMUNITYMoon blames her theatrical passion on her husband.When Jerry Chan was in 5th grade, like many local boys, he took lessons at Nelda & Lennies Dance Studio, in downtown Grass Valley near the old Greyhound Bus station (now the site of the Gold Miners Inn). So when Moon and Chans older daughter Allison was small, the energetic tyke went there too.Nelda demanded that papa Chan get in there with the 2- and 3-year-olds and join in the plis, Moon recalls. Soon,little Tiffany came along, and Nelda recruited the wholefamily to help in her annual production of Tchaikovskys "TheNutcracker" for her Gold Country Productions. They playedthe mandarins for Chinese Dance, and Allison and Tiffanyportrayed dancing marshmallows that hid under MotherMarshmallows skirt. As the girls grew into gymnastics, theybecame mice, other animals and eventually the Mouse King,Photo by Kristofer B. Wakefieldand mama Moon stitched their costumes. We were considered Optometrists Lisa Moon and Gerald Chan have been married 45 years.the Chan family dancers, Moon says. The applause We gothooked on that. My kids are Chinese, and they are learning so much from all For a production of John Patricks "Tea House of the Augustthe plays we do, Moon says. A lot of people didnt know about Moon," Lisa Moon recruited her Asian friends to participate.the internment, so by watching the plays (such as "Snow Falling That experience wove into a larger mission to bring greateron Cedars" in 2011), they learn about it. Its something for the diversity to foothills theater and remind residents of the keyteachers to talk about.roles played by Asian immigrants in the gold fields, railroadLIVING BY EXAMPLEconstruction, commerce and broader society. Eventually, in 1994, passion and mission birthed Community Asian Theater ofMoon\'s brain worked for nearly three years to memorize her the Sierra. Moon remains thelines for CATS\' 2022 production, Susan Kim\'s "The Joy Luck artistic director. Club." The show was derailed twice by the novel coronavirus.We wanted to give AsianIn the wrenching story, Moon portrayed one of four actors a chance on stage,Chinese-born mothers in a cultural wrestling match with their Moon recalls. The groupAmerican-born daughters. Her aim: Learn to speak English with also educates through events,a Chinese accent. As a child, she had learned it from her Hong including a cooking showKong-born mother, but later forgot.that starred Moon, mahjongNow I want it back for this character, Moon said after a workshops, Mandarin classes,rehearsal. That would make the character more authentic.excursions to historicalTheater is also a lot of fun, she says, where the camaraderie sites and tea ceremonies.and shared mission keep her going. They all buoy each other. So Every project provides aMoon pushed to keep her lines fresh in her brain, encouraging teaching opportunity for theher companions as they push forward together.community own family. If I can do it, Moon says, you can do it.LISA MOONS WISE ADVICETop: Lisa Moon and wardrobe mistressBe kind. Be thoughtful. Have empathy. Sovahn LeBlanc confer on costumes forKeep learning. Keep an open mind.Moon\'s character in "The Joy Luck Club" during a rehearsal at the Grass ValleyLove life. Enjoy it.United Methodist Church.Bottom: Lisa Moon and Mirah Lucas rehearse a key scene in "The Joy LuckCommunity Asian Theater of the SierraClub," in which a China-born motherTheater, cultural events, language classes and more.gives a treasured jade pendant to herPhotos by Trina Kleist America-born daughter. CATSweb.org2022-2023 Western Nevada County Edition SENIOR DIRECTORY 15'