FIU Theatre alumna and New York City director Victoria Collado visited the BFA Performance seniors in their Acting 7 class on Monday. She watched their contemporary monologues, gave them feedback on their auditions, and shared her thoughts on making the transition from FIU to the professional world.
“Speaking to the current graduating class was surreal,” she said. “Coming back still felt like home, but a home with a bunch of different faces.”
Collado graduated with a BFA degree in theatre performance from FIU in 2012, but her career has led her to focus solely on directing – a passion she discovered during her time at FIU. Her most recent project was assistant directing John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons, running on Broadway through February 25th.
Professor Wayne E. Robinson, Jr. finds great value in having alumni come into his Acting 7 class to share their professional experiences and work with students.
“Vicky’s knowledge and experience are a great source of insight and inspiration for our current students who hope to follow her into that world,” said Professor Robinson. “She was a talented artist and student leader while she was with us, so we are not surprised by her success.”
She was impressed with this year’s group of seniors. “I truly see a bright future for all of them. I remember what it was like to be on the verge of your last semester and I hope I was able to give them helpful information about transitioning out of school into the ‘real world.’ I can’t wait to work with them professionally.”
Collado is in town to hold auditions for a workshop of a new play by fellow FIU Theatre alum, Michael Leon that is currently in development. The play takes the “great American play” and infuses it with Cuban-American characters. She will be auditioning actors from a pool of FIU Theatre alumni and students and then workshopping the play in late December.
For more on Victoria, visit her website.
