We were lucky to catch up with Luis Herrera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Luis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I was in the 6th grade at a magnet performing arts middle school. They were having auditions for Grease the musical and I was torn between wanting to be in it because I grew up watching and loving Grease, but was also afraid of failing and not getting in. I told my mom about the audition and how scared I was, and she gave me the simplest and what now feels like the most obvious advice; the worst thing that can happen, is they say no, and then nothing changes. Thankfully, they didn’t say no, I got the role of Sonny, and I’ve been involved in the theatre ever since.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Currently I am a South Florida based Colombian-American
playwright with a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of Florida and an M.F.A. in
Playwriting from The New School. The majority of my work explores the epidemic of loneliness and seeking connection to get out of it. My full-length plays include; Poolside Glow, SAA(not that one), AS I EAT THE WORLD, and All The Women I Love Have Died and At The End Of The Hall. My solo show, AS I EAT THE WORLD has been presented at the New York Fringe Festival, Atlanta Fringe Festival, GableStage, Theatre Lab New Play Festival, and had its world premiere at The TANK in New York City as part of their 2023-2024 season for a 12 performance run. I am also a two-time O’Neil Semi-finalist and was most recently a part of the LatinX Playwrights Circle 2022 Mentorship Intensive, a member of the 2022-2023 HOMEGROWN Playwright Residency with City Theatre, and my play Poolside Glow was an official selection for the 2023 Valdez Theatre Conference Playlab. I am currently a cohort member of the Play Development Program as part of the Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center.
Along with those things I am also a theatre educator that coaches and teaches students ranging from 6th grade all the way to the university level in acting and writing. I have directed student productions of shows like A midsummer nights dream, complete works of William Shakespeare abridged, 365 days/365 plays and Daisy Violet the bitch beast king.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal as an artist is a simple one. Or, at least I like to think of it in a simple way. I hope to help others feel seen with the stories I tell. That’s it. With each new play I write, the films I create, and the pieces I direct, I am trying to make someone out there who has felt overlooked finally have a chance to be heard. Whether it be an audience member, or someone within the piece itself.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding and what can sometimes feel selfish is seeing the effect my work has. To hear from people how the words I write, the story I tell, reaches them in a way that I didn’t know it would. It fuels my creative energy and gives me reason to keep moving forward as an artist because it means I am doing something right.
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