Beth Osnes is a lover of writing, teaching, performing, mothering and a very positive breed of activism.  She holds a Ph.D. in Theatre and teaches part-time at the University of Colorado, Boulder.   Acting: An International Encyclopedia,  is her first book, and she has published numerous articles on theatre and the subject of mothering.  She was a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia where she conducted field research on traditional shadow puppet theatre which she has since lectured on and performed at schools, festivals and museums.  With three friends she founded Mothers Acting Up, a movement to mobilize the gigantic political strength of mothers to ensure the health, education and safety of every child, not just a privileged few (mothersactingup.org)  She has performed in many multimedia creations, ranging from low-flying trapeze to shadow play, and has most recently created a one-woman show, The Mother Load.  Beth and her husband, JP, are happily raising their three kids, Peter, Melisande and Lerato, in Boulder, Colorado.