▁up ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁Performance ▁Space ▁ 1 2 2 ▁her ▁show ▁tou red ▁extens ively ▁throughout ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁at ▁colleg es ▁and ▁festiv als , ▁making ▁her ▁a ▁celebr ity ▁in ▁her ▁field . ▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁Nancy ▁Green , ▁h ired ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁World ' s ▁Fair ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁actress ▁to ▁play ▁A unt ▁J em ima , ▁the ▁show ▁expl ores ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁black ▁women , ▁and ▁has ▁tou red ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁extens ively . ▁Despite ▁the ▁wide ▁expos ure ▁she ▁was ▁" stru gg ling " ▁as ▁an ▁actress , ▁and ▁says ▁she ▁was ▁not ▁able ▁to ▁afford ▁to ▁pay ▁to ▁attend ▁the ▁circ us , ▁even ▁though ▁her ▁c low ning ▁was ▁a ▁higher ▁pay ing ▁job ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁than ▁acting . ▁ ▁Mat lock ' s ▁connection ▁with ▁Cir que ▁du ▁So le il ▁began ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁when ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁the ▁circ us ▁saw ▁her ▁solo ▁act ▁and ▁invited ▁her ▁to ▁aud ition ▁in ▁Seattle . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁final ists ▁out ▁of ▁fifty ▁c low ns ▁aud ition ed ▁but ▁was ▁rejected ▁and ▁told ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁sure ▁how ▁they ▁could ▁use ▁her . ▁ ▁In ▁O VO ▁Mat lock ▁plays ▁a ▁lady bug , ▁the ▁" av iation - ch alleng ed " ▁rom antic ▁lead ▁of ▁the ▁show . ▁Once ▁O VO ▁was ▁converted ▁from ▁the ▁Grand