We recently connected with Angela Reynoso and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I always knew I would be an artist since I was in the womb. But like, really. All the time I heard stories about how I would dance to music in my mami’s belly. I guess I was so excited to get out in the world, I was actually going to arrive before schedule. I must have gotten stage fright and missed my cue, and decided to arrive after my mami’s due date. Mi gente, I like to make an entrance.

Since I was a little girl, I was always singing along to Disney music, teaching myself the choreography from different musicals, like “High School Musical” or the “Cheetah Girls.” As I was growing up, watching my older sister perform was always something I looked forward to. She was my role model growing up, and still is. I told myself that one day I would be on a stage too, sharing the same passion as her.

In middle school, I had my first taste of what acting was when cast in an original show, inspired by many fairy tales. I played Grumpy and Grandma from Little Red Riding Hood and when I got my first laugh, from there, it was history. I started to take my craft seriously and auditioned for Talent Unlimited High School, where I was accepted and from there, went on to Lehman College, where I starred in many shows and even with a pandemic, I didn’t let my time go to waste and so I started up again the college’s theater club.

After college, I jumped into auditioning, performing in play festivals and readings. In 2023, I was cast in the off-Broadway play “Vámonos” by Julissa Contreras at INTAR, during a time where three AfroLatinas had their plays running at the same time. Immediately after, I had my regional theater debut, accepting the role of Maria in “La Gringa” by the legendary playwright Carmen Rivera, at American Stage in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Today, I’m continuing my education as accepted into INTAR’s Unit 52, an acting program led by Nancy Rodriguez, for Latinx theater artists.

If you ask little old me in the womb if I think I would get this far, I can’t say I thought I would but I’d definitely say it sounds like a rollercoaster of fun.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The main thing I want people to know about me is I am a DominiYorker artist from the Bronx. To explain, a DominiYorker to me is a Dominican living queen, being badass, and just being a New Yorker. I strive to always be a part of telling a story about my communities, especially as a Latina woman from The Bronx. I am an actor, writer, director, photographer, film editor, visual artist but most importantly, I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, a lover, and a mentor. I enjoy storytelling through all these lenses, because there are so many different perspectives an audience can learn from.

In 2023, I gained a new love for writing. Writing plays about Latinx people from the Bronx brings me closer to my own heritage and shines a light on my community, while I complete the love I have for mastering these new skills. One of my proudest moments last year was being a recipient for Bronx Council on the Art’s Bronx Cultural Visions Fund Concept Development Grant, supported by the Howard Gilman Foundation, for writing my first full-length play, “Lambs of The Bronx.” I have to admit, although I was happy to get the grant, I realized it was time to deliver. At the time, this was a project I did not think I had the potential of fulfilling. I felt overwhelmed and almost had moments of giving up because I couldn’t figure out parts of my play idea. I wanted to tell a story about the young men and women in The Bronx who struggled to believe they could break out of the existing stereotypes that we are nothing but poor, uneducated and talentless people, so making sure my play succeeded with this goal was important.

Thankfully, I had a solid support system and my dramaturg, Juan Ramirez, Jr., was by my side, asking informative questions about my play and making sure I pushed through my insecurities. I’m glad I did because I fell in love with my play, “Lambs of the Bronx” and as a playwright, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. This play taught me what it means to discipline myself on a whole other level. I’ve been acting for years and with that experience I have gained so much confidence in myself, so it was nice to share that same feeling with writing. And to keep that promise, I wrote and directed my short play “Ready or Not”, part of the Reframing the Female Gaze play festival at the Lehman Art Gallery. I promise to write more.

I want the world to know I’m a working artist and a hard working collaborator. Whether you wish to collaborate or support my artistry, visit me at www.TheAngelaReynoso.com or follow me and my dreams on Instagram @AngelaMReynoso_

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is seeing how the project I was part of has positively impacted the audience, whether it’s the loud laugh from everyone watching, or a shed tear from one person. Whether that means from my performance, the play overall, the film overall, my photography, a prop, or even a costume piece. I love to hear about people’s own personal connection to what they’ve seen because it brings more insight to my future projects. I love having people feel seen, and I guess, I can say for myself, that if my audience feels seen, then I feel seen too. If I can do this with all of my projects, then I have fulfilled my purpose in life.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a point in my early career where I felt completely lost and afraid because I had no plans for the upcoming year. I doubted myself, felt like I was wasting time and losing control and thought maybe I should find a more stable career for a more stable income. I pivoted to digital marketing. I had a friend who had completed a certification in marketing and advertising and recommended me to do the same. It was an interesting switch for me, as I did enjoy what I was learning. I ended up receiving a job offer in this field and was elated because I planned to save so much money with my 9 to 5, while hopefully being able to attend rehearsals and performances at night. It didn’t last three months. The audition for “Vámonos” came to my attention and I went for it with the intention of not getting a callback, especially as it was a high demand role with plenty of great competition. I was offered the role, and there I was, finding myself propelled back to doing theater full-time. The words, “I’m not gonna make you choose between your job and passion but you have to make a decision” was loud and clear. And they were right. I had to make a choice. And I did. Since then, I follow my instincts, and as the calls and emails keep coming in, I’m happy I listened to what the universe has planned for me.

The industry isn’t always easy, but if you’re going to take a big bite out of this, my advice to you, chew slowly and enjoy every crumb.

Contact Info:

• Website: TheAngelaReynoso.com
• Instagram: @angelamreynoso_
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/V8nd3d6E1Q0?si=snWjF_mM28tcZLDS

Image Credits
Anphez Portraits Lev Gorn Photos