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About Me

“Everybody has a story to tell, and when we listen, magic happens.”

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I am a biracial actor, director, and theater-maker, shaped by my Japanese-American heritage and my childhood in Santiago, Chile. Growing up amid stories of injustice - from my grandparents’ incarceration in U.S. internment camps to life under the Pinochet dictatorship - inspired me to create spaces and theater projects that explores identity, resilience, and social change.

Theater, for me, is truth-telling. I collaborate with ensembles to bring stories to life through process-driven rehearsal, embodied exploration, and attention to the full ecosystem of performance. I aim to hold space for complexity, challenge dominant narratives, and amplify voices often sidelined, blending humor, honesty, and the belief that joy can be revolutionary.

I began performing in community theater at a young age, but after seeing the San Francisco Mime Troupe, I recognized the power of political satire and storytelling to challenge the world while entertaining it. In 2004, I joined the Mime Troupe as a collective member, principal actor, director, and theater-maker. Since then, I have performed, directed, and created satirical musical comedies addressing pressing social issues such as gentrification, immigration, inequality, and civil rights.

I have also collaborated with companies including American Conservatory Theater (ACT), Magic Theatre, Berkeley Rep's GroundFloor, Colorado New Play Festival, TheatreWorks, and California Shakespeare Theatre. Beyond the stage, I am passionate about supporting emerging artists of all ages and backgrounds through workshops, residencies, and teaching, believing that everyone has a story worth telling.

When I’m not performing or directing, I love exploring new corners of the world - from the Galápagos to Cuba to Siem Reap - always returning with inspiration for my next project.

 

Affiliations & Training

  • Core Company Member, Actor, and Director, Word for Word at Z Space (2018–Present)

  • Collective Member, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2004–Present)

  • Actors’ Equity Association & SAG-AFTRA

  • MFA in Acting, USC; BA in Latin American Studies and Literature, Smith College

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Awards & Recognition:

  • Nomination, Best Production, Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, The Strange Library (Word for Word/Z Space, 2025)

  • Winner, Outstanding Ensemble Performance, Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland, San Francisco Mime Troupe (2015)

  • Nomination, Outstanding Female Actor in a Principal Role, Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland (2015)

  • Nomination, Outstanding World Premiere Musical, Theatre Bay Area, Freedomland (2015)

  • Nomination, Best Ensemble, Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Posibilidad (San Francisco Mime Troupe, 2010)

  • Nomination, Best Ensemble, Bay Area Theater Critics Circle, Too Big To Fail (San Francisco Mime Troupe, 2009)

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