Ukrainian by Choice: Payne, Natalia interview (excerpt)

Natalia Payne has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Yale University and currently lives and works as an actor in New York City. She was born and raised in Toronto.
Natalia’s maternal grandparents fled western Ukraine during WWII to a DP camp in Germany where her mother was born. Subsequently they all emigrated to the U.S.A., eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio. Natalia’s great-grandfather was taken away by the NKVD and never seen again.
Her mother, Irma Osadsa and father, Thomas Payne met at Yale, married at a Ukrainian church in Ohio, and moved to Toronto. Her father is a successful architect in Toronto and mother a well-known artist. Irma’s mother was an expert pysanka* artist whose pysanky were exhibited at President Bill Clinton’s pre-inauguration.
Natalia’s mother always spoke Ukrainian with Natalia and her younger brother and conducted her own Ukrainian school classes for them at home. Although Natalia did not join many Ukrainian organizations, she studied with Roma Pryma Bohachevsky** at a Ukrainian dance camp in Glen Spey, New York and danced “with a motley crew of professional Virsky** dancers” in Toronto. She also attended Ukrainian UNF*** camp in Orillia, Ontario and was a camp counsellor there. She speaks fluent Ukrainian and upholds many of the Ukrainian traditions, especially at Christmas and Easter. Although Natalia has never been to Ukraine she would love to visit someday soon.
Natalia also works in Canada, primarily in TV and film. She has appeared as a guest actor in many Canadian TV series, including Murdoch Mysteries and has had a recurring role on Workin’ Moms. The play, Fairview, which Natalia performed in, premiered in New York and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019.
* traditional Ukrainian Easter egg
** Renowned Ukrainian Dance choreographers
*** Ukrainian National Federation

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