Travis' first job after graduating from high school was in a play, "It's Hard to Be a Jew", at The American Jewish Theatre in NYC. After that, Travis appeared in a stage version of Neil Simon's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" and was a founding member of the Off-Broadway theater company "Naked Angels". She appeared in their Frank Pugliese play "Aven U-Boys", as well as in "King of Connecticut". She made her Broadway debut in "I'm Not Rappaport". She starred in Athol Fugard's "My Children, My Africa".