MAKING ART

My passion for acting, directing, design, movement and visual arts have defined who I am: a multidisciplinary artist. Out of all of these it was, however, directing that drew me in and became the avenue to express my love for collaboration, captivating stories, visual storytelling, and devised theater. My work is a reflection of my life experiences.    

As part of my collaboration process, language, architecture, improvisation and movement are the primary tools I use to communicate the magnificence of life to the audience. Being a native Spanish speaker from Puerto Rico, I am committed to immersing myself deeply into the text to understand the world the playwright has created. With my architectural knowledge I learned how to create a visual storytelling that is both functional and beautiful through form and space. A great tool when it comes to expressing my ideas to the design team, inspiring a fluid and creative communication.  Improvisation, which I have developed thanks to my training in this discipline, has given me the mental agility to say “yes and”, allowing me to create unexpected and spontaneous moments within the rehearsal process. This provides the opportunity to open a dialogue with the actors to explore the possible interpretations and approaches to the text. Lastly, as a trained actor in movement, I find expressive ways the human body can embrace space to connect emotionally and visually with the story. Applying these tools, I can achieve a productive and successful collaborative environment.

upcoming projects

Company: Teatro 220

Artists: Andrés López-Alicea, Braulio Basilio, Ursula Tinoco and Gilberto Gabriel Díaz.

Teatro 220's mission develops theatrical work that combines disciplines that lead to innovative ways of storytelling. This exploration, informed by our own experiences as Latinos in NYC, allows us to create authentic and relatable art that transcends cultural boundaries. We offer our community presentations that reflect our ideals, sharing different perspectives within the diverse Latin cultures. Founded in 2016, we focused on developing innovative work using improvisation as the core of the creative process. We believe that art has the potential to break down stereotypes and misconceptions, fostering empathy and understanding among people from all walks of life.

Artistic Residency at La MAMA Experimental Theatre


MY FIRST MOVIE!

A PICAFLOR ENTERTAINMENT & FILMES CASA PRODUCTION

A MOVIE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MARIANA M. EMMANUELLI

Lead Cast: Gretza Merced Cruz and Andrés López-Alicea.

Till Jail Do Us Apart is a movie about a couple of thieves defy the convictions of love and the law to achieve the wedding of their dreams.

FEBRUARY 2025!

PROJECTS