Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Shoham.

Hi Maya, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

My name is Maya Shoham, I’m an actor (mostly on stage, but a fan of the screen nonetheless), a writer, and a producer. I love red wine (especially when paired with an elaborate cheese platter), I love baking, and I love Conan O’Brien (so, so very much).

I grew up in Tel Aviv and moved to NYC five years ago to the day (Jan 1st, 2020). Being an actor and a creative has been something I’ve been chasing since I can remember, and taking the big leap of moving to a different country in order to do so – wasn’t easy. But I found myself learning how to adjust – to the language (acting in a different language is a challenge and a blessing! I’ll talk more about it later), to the culture (the fast pace, the abundance), and to the artist community (which is vastly more rich and diverse than the community I came from).

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Smooth road? Never heard of her.

As actors, we often hear more no’s than yeses. Rejection in this industry is unbearably hard. You try to convince yourself that you weren’t right for the part, but you can’t help but take it personally – since you just poured your truth in that small audition room. Or, if you get the part, it doesn’t excite or challenge you the way you had hoped. We wanted to play the femme fatale, not the crazy woman in Act II (although I once did play a role called “Crazy Woman,” and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had on stage… but you get my point).

During my time at school (the Atlantic Acting School in NYC), I was inspired by the ‘do-it-yourself’ approach. Don’t wait for the perfect role to come – create the perfect role for yourself. Don’t wait for the opportunity – be the one creating the opportunity, for you and for others. This approach, of course, has challenges of its own, but it’s oh so rewarding when you find other creatives who want to join you. Theater is a team sport, and once you find a squad, it doesn’t just become easier; it becomes more fun.

I mentioned in my past interview with Canvas Rebel two of the projects I created (“Midnight Cannoli” – a short film I created with Max Cattana and “The Ultimate Manic Pixie Dream Girl Speed-Dating Competition” – a play I created with Miranda Renee) – the collaboration on both projects were all about making sure we’re creating something that we’re both excited about, find funny, interesting and entreating. I remember before the Off-Broadway premier of our play, Miranda whispered to me backstage ‘what if now one laughs?’. Even though I was sharing the same fear, I reminded her that at least one other person besides us found this funny – the other one. We created something specific that at least one other person in the world enjoys! And with that energy, we went on stage. We were very happy (and honored) to discover we were most definitely not the only ones who found it funny.

Another clear obstacle I faced, as I mentioned, was acting in a different language. Initially, it was overwhelming, especially the technical element of memorizing texts. But I quickly realized it was an opportunity. I once heard actor Riz Ahmed talk about learning sign language for “The Sound of Metal”, describing how people who sign have to express themselves fully with their body and face because they don’t have words to hide behind. Every day we hide behind words. How are you doing? I’m fine (and by fine I actually mean I haven’t slept in days, I don’t have time to see my friends and family, and the last season of ‘Survivor’ just ended, and now I don’t have anything to binge on).

In acting, I discovered that using words that aren’t my own – and in a language that isn’t my mother tongue – actually gave me more freedom. It was like having an extra layer to hide behind, which allowed me to be even more truthful and vulnerable in my work. Does this sound too pretentious? I hope not. I’m very fascinated with languages, so much so, that the current play I’m creating is revolved around languages and words. But I won’t say more – don’t want to jinx it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Back in Israel, I was deeply interested and fascinated by the theater of the absurd. I’m a fan of things that don’t appear to make a lot of sense. When I moved to NYC, I didn’t initially find a lot of absurdist shows or like-minded artists, so I had to rethink what drew me to the genre in the first place.

What I realized was my passion for creating conversation. If a piece of art doesn’t make a lot of sense, or doesn’t give you all the answers, or challenges you with its themes or its performance, it makes you talk. Even if it’s just “What the fuck did I just watch?”. If art inspires dialogue, it lives on.

I talk more about this in my first interview, so to avoid being repetitive, I’ll add that I’ve learned this passion can manifest in many different ways, not just in absurdist theater. For example, I recently starred in a horror play, “Phantasmagoria”, written by the magnificent Jack Horton Gilbert and directed by the incredible Tom Costello. It’s the first time I ever dabbled in the horror genre (I personally avoid watching scary movies or plays, I’m absolutely too sensitive and entirely prone to nightmares…). But the reactions of pure fear and shock we received while we performed and after, were truly inspiring to me. People jumped and screamed to what they saw – which created conversations like “how did they do it?” or “I knew none of this was real, so why was I still scared?”. To me that’s exactly what I mean by challenging the audience and inspiring conversation – from the theatrical elements of lighting and sound to the story and the performance itself. What a thrill!!!!!!!!!

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?

My number one piece of advice is to put yourself in the shoes of whoever you’re asking for mentorship. I truly believe that if every artist in the world were approached by an aspiring artist asking for help and guidance, they would say yes. Yes to sharing their story, yes to sharing all the advice that helped them get where they are.

Of course, time constraints or access might make it hard, but starting with the belief that people want to help is key. If I were in their shoes and someone asked me, I know I’d want to help them, too. Wouldn’t you?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayashoham.com
• Instagram: @mayafeba

Image Credits

1st, 2nd images – photos by Keppie Coutts
3rd, 4th images – photos by Aya Bogod (from the show “The Idealist”, where I played the ‘Crazy Woman’)
5th, 6th images – photos by Ahron R. Foster (from the show “Phantasmagoria)