Q: How did you become involved in the performing arts?

I was in 6th grade, and we were all supposed to pick a class in the morning to do before our academic classes. I wanted to go to Visual Art, but all of the slots were filled so I had to go to Theater instead, and I really liked it. That same year, the teacher decided to put on a production of the Princess and the Pea. She made me be the prince. I was all for it and that is where I began. We didn't have a big budget so the stage and costumes were worn out, but the students loved it. I had so much fun in it. I decided to go to high school for acting.

I was born in Mexico and lived there until I was 7. Over there, I had no idea I wanted to do theater. When I was 7, we came to America and I have been here ⅔ of my life so far. My mom was struggling financially in Mexico. She couldn't really find a good job to take care of me and my sister, so she made a plan with my step-dad to come here.

Q: What has the performing art taught you that you have applied to your everyday life and how you engage in the world?

I think the main thing is that art has helped me get out of my head daily. I used to be very anxious all the time and i didnt know how to escape that. Ever since I started learning about really being in the moment with acting I applied it to everything I do, including working on music and hanging out with people. I try to be completely there with the activity that I am doing and it brings me out of my head.

Q: Has the performing art helped you overcome any hardships in your life?

Yes. I used to struggle with the stigma of being an immigrant. My family and i were undocumented and growing up I was so anxious and it was hard for me to trust people. When I got into theater, I started making more friends and it was easier to be around people. I eventually learned that there were a lot more people like me through theater and going to college. That made me feel better about what I was. If I didn't do theater and I didnt meet these people, I might still be living with that fear and stigma to this day.

Q: What other interests and passions do you have outside or inside of (performing art) that influence and inspire your artistry?

When I was in BMCC (Borough Manhattan Community College) I got this hunch that I wanted to do music. I went for it. I started to study hiphop more and write rap and eventually I was able to work enough to buy the equipment to make and record music. I feel like I am just as passionate about music as I am about acting. These passions help me through any struggle I am going through.

Q: What have been some challenges in your pre professional and professional career?

I used to be very shy and it was hard to break out of my shell. When I went to auditions or talked to professors the conversations wouldn't go well or I would back out of them. I have always needed to work to help my parents pay for rent. Sometimes, because of that, I wouldn't be able to go to auditions or be in shows I wanted to be in.

Q: How can the performing arts be a platform for social justice issues?

I feel like I want to stay true to art when someone shares something they lived through. When someone shares their story, someone else can connect to it and that brings so many people together. I feel like without knowing it, we all go through the same things. Everyone has a struggle and sometimes we have the same struggle. The world has made it hard to come together and talk about problems and how we feel, but in the arts there is a vulnerability and a place to bring up issues together through art. It also inspires people to go beyond what they think life is right now.

Q: How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you as a performing artist?

My shows in school got cancelled. We were working with Small Mouth Sounds and we were on the brink of opening in Brooklyn College. I was really excited for it since last semester, when I was cast. I feel like it really hit me once I learned it would be cancelled and then the rest if the semester would be cancelled. Acting and staying busy keeps me out of my head. Not having that craft makes me really anxious sometimes because I feel I am stuck and I don't like feeling that way. Being stuck at home, I can't communicate with others how I should. Online communication through web chats is not the same. I am a Senior in school and this is my last semester at Brooklyn College.

Q: What were your initial reactions and emotions to the shutdown especially as a senior?

I couldn't believe it. I didn't think it would be this serious. My mom went out and stocked up on items for the house and I thought she was being ridiculous. Then school was cancelled and quarantine kept getting longer. The more we were told we had to be home, it started hitting me harder. Eventually, I started to feel depressed and did my best to stay motivated and write things. Sinc I was in school and in theater for so long, I got so used to constant connection and energy with people.

Q: How do you feel about not having an in person graduation?

I was really excited. I wanted to wear a cap and gown. Not everyone has supported me getting a BA in acting. My mother has supported me. The rest of them [my family] think, “you don't want to change majors? How will you do something with that?” Just showing my family I could compete would give me more hope for my dreams. I am still graduating, but them not seeing it will not be the same. It feels like I was rushed to get started with my plan after graduation. I was going to do two shows before I graduated and I was still planning how to handle them after graduation. I feel like I need to start planning sooner now, but we can't plan because everything is closed down.

Q: What social changes and responsibilities have you seen the performing arts community make during the pandemic?

In music and acting, I see people making funny videos and also people sharing a lot of organizations that are helping those who do not have resources. I also see some casting agencies asking for audition tapes specifically for projects that will be taking place online through webcam.

Q: Using the idea of “worldmaking” how do you imagine the performing arts world after the pandemic? (Worldmaking: How you can re-imagine the world in your own terms, the way you want it to be. Using this tool one can construct new worlds and write themselves into narratives that have excluded them and systems that have disabled them.)

I guess I am hoping more people really take in what they are watching. There is a large part of the audience that goes to the show and isn't there to take it in, but just there to watch and say something about it. I think theater is more of the stories we share and I feel like people take for granted that they are watching someone’s life and hard work. I hope this pandemic causes people to stop criticizing and start supporting one another. If anything, artists are the ones keeping peoples’ hopes up right now. Artists are the ones making people happy.