Meet Mikaela Rae Macias | Actor, Singer, & Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikaela Rae Macias and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikaela Rae, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Creating community has been the most essential factor to why I have been able to find the success I have accomplished. Whenever I have moments to sit down with creatives with different experiences and forms of expression, I feel the most inspired to create the art I want to see. I truly believe prioritizing collaboration in my career has not only helped me become a better artist but also a better human. I have been working in the San Diego theatre community for three years now. During this time, I have been blessed to share spaces with people who have experienced so much life in and outside of the theatre world. Seeing how their lives have transcended beyond themselves for a bigger purpose, whether for better or for worse, truly reminds me to take it all in for what it is. To make space for these artists to share and voice what’s really on their minds. To feel comfortable with being wrong. To receive these experiences and remember these are sacred to SO MANY people. Collaboration has led to many opportunities, relationships, and awareness beyond success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
A huge issue I’ve noticed in San Diego is the lack of transparency about how to get more involved in the theatre community. I’m currently in my senior year at San Diego State University. And I’ve had a variety of conversations with students who struggle with putting themselves out there. It’s rooted in the issue of not seeing themselves reflected in the professional theatre happening in San Diego. So, creating more community within the new wave of performers has been at the forefront of my mind right now. To initiate this change, my close friend and fellow theatremaker, Kailey Agpaoa, and I created The Playground. The Playground is essentially a play reading club that meets once a month to read a play. As we read, we have discussions revolving around ideas, themes, analysis, and structure. We also created this space to cultivate more conversation with young theatremakers in San Diego while decolonizing our ideas of what theatre is or needs to be. We need to have access to classical and new works to be able to define and ground ourselves in the theatre we see today. Art cannot exist in a vacuum. The Playground was created for us to be able to put our brains together and find ourselves in the human experience displayed in this work. Having these meetings has shifted my perspective on how we can help people feel safe while sharing their opinions and experiences. The excitement and pride I feel toward being a part of these moments are indescribable.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The first place I would take my bestie to is Barrio Logan. What I love most about Barrio Logan is how rooted they are in the history of their Mexican community. And how active they are in uplifting their voices for the future. The first thing we would do in Barrio would look at the huge art murals painted underneath the Coronado Bridge during the Chicano Movement. Then from there, we would walk down Logan Avenue to explore the many small-owned businesses there. Some spots that I would take them to are Libelula, Church of Herbalism, Luna Bloom, and Sew Loka. These spots specifically have always made me feel welcome. The people who work in these businesses are always more than excited to share how they got started in Barrio Logan and how you can get more involved in the community too. An event that happens in Barrio Logan once a week is called Future is Color Studio Sessions. This gathering is where people can come together and enjoy art, some good burgers from Haye’s Burgers, sip on some wine, and enjoy great live jazz music. Also, this event is a great opportunity to vibe with fellow creatives to discuss more about what creativity looks like today. Another spot I would take my best friend is Balboa Park. If you’re going to go anywhere in San Diego, Balboa Park is one of the main attractions to hit. There are so many sites to explore there from the Botanical Garden, the Museum of Us, the Old Globe, and the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. And there are always events happening around the park that are worth exploring. You can never run out of things to do in Balboa Park!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to dedicate my shoutout to the one and only, Moxie Theatre. This theatre has been and will always be a place I call home. One of my first professional acting jobs was with Moxie Theatre in their production of Mother of the Maid. I was given the privilege to play the role of Joan Arc. At first, I was worried about not meeting their levels of expectations. Overall, I was scared of not being good enough. However, I was proven wrong. The only expectation they had of me was to show up unconditionally myself. It was an amazing experience to be able to watch not only the women onstage but also the women behind the scenes being completely immersed in the love of their work. This ignited a fire in me that has not gone out since. Moxie Theatre stands on its mission statement “to create more diverse and honest images of women+ for our culture using the intimate art of theatre.” I recently got another opportunity to be in their production of Chronicles of Kalki. Words cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for everyone on that team. Desiree Clarke Miller (Artistic Director) held so much space for us to have open discourse about the power we have as people representing these characters onstage. I was also privileged to work with two of San Diego’s finest actors Kailey Agpaoa and Farah Dinga. These people have made a huge impact on how important it is to be intentional when moving through theatre spaces as a Queer Woman of Color. They’ve inspired me to stay grounded in my beliefs while embracing change with open arms. I have never felt so excited to share and discover how to invite other theatre makers into this creative space.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikaelaraemacias?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== https://instagram.com/mikiauditioncorner?igshid=MWZjMTM2ODFkZg== https://instagram.com/__the_playground__?igshid=MWZjMTM2ODFkZg==

Image Credits
– Maya Tomasik – Sarah Marie Hernadez – Daren Scott – Chris Nyugen – Oceanside Theatre Company