Born in Queens, New York, Doolan first entered the entertainment industry as an actress, later making her rounds on the stand-up circuit before she segued into writing and directing. First, directing stage plays such as “Five Women Wearing the Same Dress” by Oscar winner Alan Ball, Doolan later moved on to directing and producing her short film “The Bug in My Ear”, which premiered at the Dances With Films Festival, and later obtained backing for her first feature film “April’s Shower”, which premiered at the Outfest Film Festival.