How did you first hear of The Actors Center and what attracted you?
I first joined The Actors Center in August 2014. Many colleagues who I deeply admired were already members, and it encapsulated what I craved: Community. Inquiry. Growth. At the time, I had been out of grad school for 7 years, and in the midst of the NYC grind. I sought a home for artists—a place to continue to grow and learn and develop my instrument; a community dedicated to living in the questions; a playground to define my own authentic voice which is constantly evolving and revealing itself; and a network of like-minded folks to soundboard with and navigate the ups and down of being an artist.
Are there any particular moments or experiences at The Actors Center (with teachers, directors, colleagues) that come to mind that have shaped the artist you are today or your approach to your craft?
Countless, but some highlights from the Actors’ Center include:
Slava Dolgachev’s emphasis on faith and imagination and full immersion in the given circumstances—filling your insides with so much “stuff” that the text is inevitable. I love that. The inevitability of language. All else falls into place–given circumstances, stakes, objectives—when you really invest in cultivating/exploring this inevitability the moment before you speak.
With Joanna Merlin, I will never forget the smell of urine and bedpans I discovered as Yelena (from Uncle Vanya), when she guided us through atmosphere work. I was in the bedroom I share with my husband, and the images of aging and sickness and being his caretaker evoked this very palpable smell. I also found Yelena’s hands and their delicacy (as opposed to my own) as Joanna guided us. I was reminded how much I respond to Michael Chekhov’s techniques and exercises, and it was such a gift to work with a Master Teacher like Joanna—very inspiring for me as an educator as well, as I did not have very many female mentors.
Ron Van Lieu has this amazing way of unpacking a character’s psychology (and his students?) without it feeling prescriptive or judgmental. He speaks so simply, directly and specifically to each student’s individual needs and asks the right questions. It is a skill I am trying to emulate in my own work as an educator, so from him not only has he offered me insights into my Stella from Streetcar and Patti Smith and Sam Shepard’s deeply complicated relationship, but also, how to effectively guide an artist.
Alexander class with Jessica Wolf. It was so delicious to find more space in my sacrum, maximize distance between my tailbone and top of my spine (which extends much higher that I realized), and to re-discover my feet and heels.
All my conservations with Charles Tuthill: He was such a wonderful mentor, friend and educator. He cared so much about this company and craft. The safe space and judgement-free zone he has established with The Actors Center continues to inspire me, and his legacy of living in the questions and deep belief in our ability to AFFECT change as artists continues to guide my work as a teacher and actor. We have a calling, and it is our job to serve. To that end, we must take responsibility for our instruments.
In the words of Stephen McKinley Henderson, “I’m not trying to get it right, I’m trying to get it true.”
You were recently working on the world premiere of El Huracán at Yale Rep. What was that experience like?
El Huracán was an especially gratifying experience for me. I have been very blessed to work on fantastic projects, spanning a lot of diverse worlds—new musicals, re-invented classics, new plays, but rarely have I been given the opportunity to be in a play featuring four generations of deeply complex, rich LatinX women, written by a LatinX woman, directed by a LatinX woman. It was so affirming to share this particular story.
Yale Rep, James Bundy, Jennifer Kiger and the entire community was very supportive of our entire process as we developed this beautiful new play. What made it particularly special, was it was a YSD homecoming for our playwright, Charise Castro Smith, our producer, Jacob Padron of The Sol Project and fellow Actors Center member, Irene Sofia Lucia. It was an extraordinary company—everyone was always curious, always present, always mining. Our director, Laurie Woolery, welcomed our own personal stories and ancestors into the space, and encouraged us to live in the “not knowing,” which I think really helped us to discover this piece on deeper levels, which might otherwise have been elusive. Also, the incredible design team were YSD students, and it was so inspiring and mind blowing to see what our future holds.
You teach acting as well. What’s that journey been like for you—exploring in the relationship between teaching and acting?
My journey into teaching was unexpected, but teaching has become an integral part of my career. As I grow and evolve and expand my sense of self and what I am capable of, I am continually re-defining my multi-hyphenate identity as an artist citizen.
I am an actor-singer-educator. I had always taught in some capacity since graduating from college. I was a teaching artist for years with Children’s Aid Society, taught at the Denver Center Theater Academy, created and directed original works through the Greenwich Village Youth Council and guest taught at multiple universities.
I taught an introduction to theater course at University of Colorado-Boulder when I first graduated from National Theatre Conservatory, but my first official university position teaching acting was at Yale, and came out of a very casual conversation with a former professor of mine. I loved it. My students were and continue to be a bottomless source of inspiration—encouraging them toward truth, generosity of spirit, humor, serious play, and authenticity has held me accountable to those elements in my own work and reminds me that the questions never end. There is always room for more discovery and growth.
Teaching has also been a way for me to give back. I was the beneficiary of many angels and mentors and scholarships—as a woman of color, I rarely saw role models like me in the classroom or on stage, so was rarely validated that it was possible to succeed in this business and make a living as an actor. It took me a very long time to let go of my child of immigrant/first generation mentality that acting was a good “hobby” secondary to being a lawyer, or more importantly, President of the United States. In addition to my presence as an actor, I want to offer up my perspective, my grit, my presence in a classroom. It has become my mission to constantly add to my arsenal, not only for myself, but for my students so that I can offer up the widest range of tools possible for their growth.
Are there any upcoming projects you’re excited about?
I head back into the development of a new musical by John Leguizamo called Kiss my Aztec. I’ve been a part of it in various permutations since 2014—it’s been such a delicious playground, so I’m excited to see what we cook up. I get to rap, sing, dance, conjure, act, tap my innermost, wily clown—gonna max out on some serious play.
I’ll also be guest starring on the season premiere of The Blacklist. It’s always terrifying to see (or not see depending on their edit) yourself on-camera, but with those episodics in particular. As a guest star, you just roll in, do your takes, and you never know which one they will use until you see it broadcast. Such an agonizingly ecstatic vocation this is.
Also, I am trying to find more ways to diversify the landscape, to support and cultivate underrepresented voices and stories. As I said, I don’t feel like my presence as an actor is enough, so I’m looking for more opportunities to produce and teach, and really earn my multi-ethnic multi-hyphenate FiliRican actor-singer-educator-activist-producer identity.
