Actress Nike Doukas is quickly becoming an honorary Pittsburgh actress, even though she's a native of Boston and resident of Glendale, Calif.
Fans of “Desperate Housewives” may recognize her from her recurring role as Natalie Klein. She regularly performs at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Calif., and has had roles in plays at The Old Globe in San Diego, The Pasadena Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
But, since 2010, she has spent a large portion of each summer here while performing in productions at Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre.
Past season roles include Celimene in “The School for Lies,” Olga in “Three Sisters” and Anna in “Ivanov.”
Earlier this year, she played the mysterious Mrs. Erlynne in “Lady Windermere's Fan” in the larger Charity Randall Theatre. There she played alongside her husband, Leo Marks, who is spending his fourth season with Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre.
Through Aug. 31, she can be seen performing three roles — Woman 5, Matron and Mother — in the company's production of “Don Juan Comes Back From the War” in the Henry Heymann Theatre.
The star who would play me in the movie version of my life:
I have casting control, and I'm not going to cast myself? Not a chance.
The first stage play or musical I saw:
I think it was my oldest sister, Thalia, as Gwendolyn in “The Importance of Being Earnest.” I was 7, and she was 17. I played the same part about 24 years later.
I can't live without my iPod, cellphone, DVR or laptop?
I hate technology, but I mostly love my iPhone, because I can check my email without opening my computer.
Favorite brunch food:
Eggs Florentine; eggs must be semi-firm
The best stage play or musical I've ever seen:
How could there be a best? So many wonderful moments, from tiny studio productions to Broadway.
Favorite lunchtime spot:
The window seat in my kitchen. Very sunny and cozy.
Pick one:
A. Stephen Sondheim
B. Richard Rodgers
C. Andrew Lloyd Webber
D. John Kander
E. Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Sondheim and Richard Rodgers. Can't choose between “My Funny Valentine” and “Sweeney Todd.”
My favorite thing about Pittsburgh:
The architecture. I love the houses and all the churches. Could walk in any neighborhood at any time just to gawk at them.
Star I'd like to dance with on “Dancing With the Stars”:
Fred Astaire. I love dancing with a man who can lead.
My quirkiest inherited trait:
Where to begin???
Celebrity crush:
Denzel Washington
One word my mother would use to describe me:
Self-reliant (two?)
My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:
Olive bread with sliced tomatoes, mayonnaise and salt. If you're lucky, there's leftover salad in the fridge. I also like to add Trader Joe's Blue Cheese spread. But the simplicity of the first is pretty amazing.
The oldest thing in my refrigerator:
Condiments of all sorts
Exercise I hate most:
I love to exercise, particularly swimming.
When I was 10, I wanted to be:
Children's book illustrator
I'm deathly afraid of:
Rats. Deathly. I had some living in the walls of an apartment I once lived in. It wasn't pretty.
TV marathon I could watch all day:
I can't watch anything all day; it makes me feel sick. But I love “The Wire.”
If I wasn't an actor/dancer, I'd be:
Depressed
What you'll always find in my glove compartment:
Extra napkins, I hope. I always need them.
The first band I saw in concert:
I think it was the Fifth Dimension, in Boston with my father, who consented to take me. I was probably in eighth grade.
The best concert I've ever seen:
Maybe David Byrne at the Hollywood Bowl.
Saturday mornings, you'll find me:
Doing the NY Times crossword puzzle. Sometimes, it takes me the next three days. Of steady work.
Best new gadget I've tried recently:
I hate gadgets, but I love my microplane lemon zester. It's a miracle. It really works. You must definitely have one.
The worst advice I ever received:
I can't remember, so I must not have followed it.
In high school, I was:
…in all the high-school musicals; it was the highlight of my year.
Favorite guilty pleasure:
House magazines, particularly House Beautiful
The movie that always makes me cry:
I don't tend to watch movies over and over, but I am a very easy crier. I can cry over a commercial.
My most treasured fashion accessory:
My jade and gold wedding band, which my husband, Leo Marks, inherited from his grandmother, Mimi
The last book I read:
“Elizabeth Appleton,” which I found at the Pittsburgh library. It's a book by John O'Hara. His must-reads are “BUtterfield 8” and “Appointment in Samarra.”
My most embarrassing junk food:
I actually don't like junk food, but I could eat ice cream every day of my life.
My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:
Either the fig pizza at The Porch, or any pizza at Mercurio's in Shadyside
My favorite website:
There's a site I love that has vintage midcentury furniture, called Magic City Finds. It's run by a teenage boy, and his commentary is so charming, plus, I love his entrepreneurial spirit.
Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark:
The Cathedral of Learning. Love the first-floor study room and the international classrooms.
My most memorable fashion mistake:
I once walked through a scene shop with my dress tucked into my tights.
My favorite “bad” movie:
“Valley Of the Dolls.” And in a related note, my favorite “bad” actress is Lana Turner. No offense meant to anyone, but I think she is so bad. I can't stop watching her.
My first job:
Babysitting. 75 cents an hour.
My worst job:
I had to type up confidential reports for an agency that spied on employees.
My favorite cable channel:
Hands down, Turner Classics Movies. The variety of stuff they show, and the special interviews … it's heaven.
The song that always gets me out on the dance floor:
Anything by the Jackson Five. Why? If you need to ask, you shouldn't be dancing.
Life would be better without:
Automated customer service on the phone
If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:
I would like to tour anywhere for the travel, but I'd rather not tour with a band. I'm not a big rock 'n' roller.
I never travel without my:
Contact lenses
People would be surprised to know that I:
Paint and sew
