Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Maya Malan-gonzalez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Maya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Most of what I’ve learned in my profession has been through experience- jumping in, reading acting methodologies and scripts, observing elders, learning from my failures, and learning from my successes (which is obviously way more fun than learning from failures- but it’s all necessary).
I had a unique childhood, growing up in a theatre family. My parents, Dañel Malán and Jose González, founded Milagro, a Latino Theatre company in Portland, Oregon- so really when I say a theatre family, I mean a Teatro family- if you know, you know. I began acting at 5, and by 10, I was touring nationally with the company’s educational bilingual theatre program run by my mom. I’d take off from school for weeks at a time, balancing school work with performing; those seven years on the road with my mom are the core of who I am today.
Eventually I began taking classes; singing, dancing, and working with acting coaches for my college auditions. My first mentor, Olga Sanchez, who was the artistic director at Milagro for many years often dedicated her time to helping me prep for auditions, which for a young actor is invaluable.
I started off at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle- learning some great tools, but after a year, that grant money wasn’t flowing in and returning was looking pretty iffy. During that time some books offered me inspiration on what the heck to do next. One of my favorite acting books, Uta Hagen’s “Respect For Acting” ultimately guided my decision. Early in the book, she emphasizes how actors need to experience the world- travel, talk to different kinds of people, eat new foods, go to museums and imagine yourself in the art, etc. I translated this to my situation and dropped out of college to go backpacking through Europe.
That was a learning experience for sure! I travelled alone, hitchhiking, staying on stranger’s couches, having some spicy experiences and some really scary adventures- if you want the full tea, I tell that story in the Audible Original “Talking While Female and Other Dangerous Acts”.
When I returned to the states, I knew I wanted to get my degree and I was accepted into The Theatre School at DePaul University- but I found myself conflicted. At the time, I was working with Teatro Vision in California, alongside veteranos from El Teatro Campesino; this brought me back to my roots of learning from my elders. I imagined an opportunity to train with the legends at El Teatro Campesino and the prospect of going back to school, didn’t feel as time sensitive.
It wasn’t long before Noe Montoya brought me to San Juan Bautista to see “Victor in Shadow” by Lakin Valdez and co-directed by Lakin and Kinan Valdez. With an introduction from Noe and his advocating for my work ethic and Teatro background, Kinan, the producing Artistic Director at the time invited me to join their housed interns.
That time with El Teatro Campesino changed my life. Kinan became a mentor and I met my now-husband, Lakin. The following year, I reapplied to DePaul, hoping they would accept me a second time… And they did! Lakin and I moved to Chicago, where I spent four years majoring in Acting and minoring in Latino Studies.
The biggest obstacle I would identify that has stood in the way of learning more would be that money, honey. I’ve been fortunate to receive scholarships and grants, but I also worked late nights in college as a server to pay my bills. I remember my college advisor pointing out how unusual it was for a first-year to be so tired in class because they had a job. But I look to my girl, Uta and while I might have been tired in class and not always as receptive, those late-night shifts were a necessary part of my journey.
While at DePaul I started working with Teatro Luna (now Studio Luna) under the direction of Alexandra Meda. After my first gig- which included performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!- I was hooked on their style of ensemble generated work. Like my time with El Teatro Campesino, this experience changed me. Now over a decade later, I am still an ensemble member and also a creative producer. Alex is not just an incredible friend, but also an incredible mentor.
After graduating, Lakin and I moved to Los Angeles. Since then, I have worked in equity houses across the country, expanded into film and television, and became a produced playwright. Like my acting, I’ve taken a learning from experience approach to writing. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll formally study writing, but for now we’re just going with the flow and learning from those successes and of course, those failures.
My journey’s been a balance between the path of “formal” classes and just jumping in. Both roads have been necessary for me. Life experience deepened the lessons taught at University, and my technical training has saved my body in challenging moments on stage and screen- since graduating I’ve performed going into labor more times than I can count and boy was I happy to have the vocal training to not shred my voice night after night.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Storytelling runs in my blood. My father and mother met at UCLA, he was studying scenic design and she was studying costume design and together, they started a Teatro. They wrote plays, directed, designed, and did whatever needed to be done to get the show up on its feet- true Teatristas. I was raised in the world of Teatro, where it’s common for the kiddies to grow up alongside the stage, attending rehearsals, watching performances, and eventually jumping into the spotlight. I was no exception—at five years old, I performed in a play about César Chávez and that early experience ignited a lifelong passion for theatre, not just as a form of entertainment but as a powerful tool for community, education, and social change.
As an actor, my work is physically driven, deeply rooted in movement and ensemble storytelling. I’ve performed on stages including Denver Center for the Performing Arts, South Coast Repertory, Seattle Rep, and Portland Center Stage. My experience also extends to groundbreaking Teatros such as Milagro, Studio Luna (formerly known as Teatro Luna), Cara Mía Theatre, and El Teatro Campesino.
In addition to acting, I am a storyteller, playwright and librettist. My writing often explores identity, history, and a little wacky magic, while centering strong Latina women. I’ve written educational and biographical plays such as “Huelga” (about Dolores Huerta) and “Blast Off” (about Ellen Ochoa). My love for Christmas has led me to create works like “A Xmas Cuento Remix”, a modern musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol that had a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere and I also write short stories, like the ones found in “Not so Merry and Bright: A Christmas Mixtape” by Studio Luna. Regardless of the topic or genre my work weaves humor and heart together in a way that is both entertaining and socially relevant.
Whether on stage or in the writing room, I create work that resonates across different mediums and I’m committed to crafting stories that are bold, inclusive, and really funny. I am most proud of the way my work connects with people—whether it’s young audiences seeing themselves reflected on stage for the first time, a community recognizing their struggles and triumphs in a story, or simply an audience laughing and crying in equal measure.
For those discovering my work for the first time, I invite you to follow my journey—whether through an upcoming performance, a new play in development, or an audio project. My hope is that my work not only entertains but also deepens our understanding of one another and the stories that shape us.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
At the core of everything I do is Latine representation. Period. My work isn’t afraid to dig into the hard stuff— mental health struggles, sexism, resilience—but I refuse to lose humor in the process. Because let’s be real, even in the toughest moments, we laugh, we joke, we find joy to continue on. That balance is what makes our stories real, what makes them human.
I want Latine audiences to see themselves fully through my work—not just as side characters, but as leads, as heroes, as flawed, messy, powerful people. I want Latina artists to step into roles that give them confidence, that challenge them, and that make them feel seen. This isn’t just about storytelling. It’s about taking up space. It’s about making sure our voices don’t just get heard—they get celebrated. My goal is to continue creating stories that spark conversations, cultivates empathy, and reminds us of the transformative power of storytelling and theatre.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I graduated from DePaul with my degree in Acting, playwriting wasn’t on my radar. I had spent years performing, analyzing scripts, and immersing myself in storytelling, but I had never considered stepping behind the scenes to write one myself. That changed with a single phone call while riding the ‘L’ train in Chicago.
My father, who had written a Latino adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” in the ‘90s, casually asked if I’d be interested in writing a fresh, updated version. Milagro was looking to commission a new take on the story and he thought I might be the one to do it. I had never written a play before, but I figured—why not? I had spent my whole life in theatre, performing in more shows than I could count, reading more scripts than I could ever keep track of. Plus, holiday stories follow a pretty tried-and-true formula, so I had a solid blueprint to work from.
I ended up creating “A Xmas Cuento Remix”—a very millennial, Chicano-fied holiday spectacle. I flipped the script by reimagining all the traditionally male roles as women, centering Latinas as the heart and humor of the story. I have known countless older Latinas who have not had the opportunities to play lead roles in the way older white men have, and so it was crucial for me that Scrooge was a woman. The show is rich with cultural, weaving in iconic figures like Ixchel and La Catrina, and packed with music—there’s a mix of original songs, parodied, and remixed holiday classics- it’s a bilingual bop!
I took a stab at it, not expecting much beyond the production at Milagro. But as I was writing, Milagro shared the script with members of the National New Play Network, and suddenly, things started moving fast. “A Xmas Cuento Remix” caught the attention of The Cleveland Public Theatre and 16th Street Theatre (formerly based outside of chicago). Before I knew it, my very first produced play became part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere in 2019—the first holiday show to ever receive that honor.
That moment changed everything. In 2020, Milagro commissioned me again, this time to write two educational plays—one about Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina astronaut, and another about labor activist Dolores Huerta. By 2021, Cleveland Public Theatre was reaching out with another commission for a short holiday piece, and the opportunities kept coming.
Currently I’m in development for two projects, the first is Worry Dolls, a play that explores mental health in youth with some magical worry dolls battling a young girl’s worry monster, which will premiere in Portland in September 2025, directed by Alexandra Meda. And the second, is a very exciting new endeavor and commission from The Portland Opera to create the libretto for their 2026 Portland Opera To Go program in their “Our Oregon” series, which features unsung women of color in Oregon history.
I will never stop acting, but my career has evolved into something I hadn’t planned for—a balance of writing and performing. What started as a one-time challenge turned into an expansive creative path, one that allows me to tell the kinds of stories I always wanted to see growing up and create roles that I have longed to bring to life. And I have my father, a casual suggestion, and a Christmas play to thank for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mayamalangonzalez.com
- Instagram: @mayamalangonzalez
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maya.malangonzalez/
- Other: https://newplayexchange.org/users/32018/maya-malan-gonzalez
Image Credits
Photos by: Alexandra Meda, Brandin Shaeffer, Russell J. Young, & Jingzi Zhao