Check Out Brit Baltazar’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brit Baltazar.

Hi Brit, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m Brit (they/she/he).

I’m a proudly mixed-race Filipino, genderfluid, and gay storyteller and entertainer. I’ve always been artistic, eccentric, a lover, a big dreamer, a bit of an anarchist, and yes I’ve always been a naturist…

But I actually used to be a scientist!

I grew up in Arizona where I went to a magnet school called the Center for Research, Engineering, Science & Technology (CREST). There I studied biotechnology, earned a competitive internship as a researcher at a neuro-oncology (brain cancer) laboratory, and was finally awarded Most Outstanding Graduate of the school in 2017. Believe it or not, I actually used to be REALLY practical, haha! And soft-spoken! Shy, even!

Everything changed when my father died the summer after my HS sophomore year, while I was working at that internship… My dad was abusive to me and my mom my whole life. He was an asshole. Violent, racist, homophobic – His death added a whole new layer of trauma to my life. Then one of my best friends, the same age as me, died as well. Their deaths changed the trajectory of my whole life. I realized how short it could be.

At the same time, I discovered the performing arts while in the Speech & Debate club at my school. I won acting competitions in the National Forensics League, started writing and acting in plays, and found myself falling deeply in love with it all. I found an outlet for all my BIG emotions. It was incredibly healing. Teachers in CREST didn’t know my dad died, but my acting coach did. I didn’t know that we as humans could be allowed to express our emotions so freely! Playing a character made me feel safe to do so because I could achieve catharsis without always having to think about my own problems…

Throughout all of this, my mom raised me completely on her own. She’s an immigrant from the Philippines. We have a special bond, but we’re also opposites in a lot of ways. It’s stereotypical and traditional for Filipino kids to stay with their parents through adulthood and become a doctor, so you can imagine my mom’s surprise when I told her one day that I wanted to go to the University of Southern California and become an actor instead. Eventually, she gave in and accepted me. Then I got accepted into the school with financial aid, said “Goodbye, suckers!” to all my science colleagues, and moved to Los Angeles!

I felt like I was achieving the impossible! I used to be really caught up in this idea that you had to be a blonde, blue-eyed white kid in order to make it in Hollywood. And here I was, a queer and Brown child of an immigrant low-income family, ready to carve out my own destiny!

I moved to Los Angeles on a mission. USC was like a playground to me. I acted in plays, directed, signed with two managers, auditioned for outside projects, and took every opportunity I could. In 2021, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Theatre – Acting Emphasis and a Minor in Education & Society. That minor was so important to me because I learned more about Equity, Diversity, Inclusivity, and Accessibility (EDIA) and became extremely passionate about human rights and political advocacy. I taught kids at a local non-profit theatre for five years throughout college and after, and I encouraged all of them to embrace themselves and pursue their dreams, no matter what they are. I wanted to tell stories, my story, and prove to the world that “atypical people” like me could find success in entertainment — whatever that means to us.

Right after college, I discovered my specialty in theatre. Now I’m obsessed! To do the work, I have to constantly problem-solve, follow step-by-step instructions, and think experimentally. It’s actually very formulaic. Very scientific!

I’ll always have the heart of an actor and the brain of a scientist. And now I feel like my work ties these parts of me together perfectly!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The COVID-19 pandemic was a big one. In 2020, I was in the middle of my junior year, acting in a play, auditioning with my old managers, and then everything was canceled. Suddenly, I was doing Shakespeare on Zoom. Then I was getting all of these exciting auditions for film projects still shooting, but then my managers got divorced and I lost my representation. I lost access to those opportunities.

Then I lost my job working with kids. Turns out the company was really white savior-y and fake “woke.” After 5 years of working at this non-profit theatre and rising to the position of Executive Assistant, I had a fight with my boss because I asked him to take a COVID test. He told me that “millenials” (I’m Gen-Z…) like me “care too much about people’s feelings,” and he called me racist for saying that it wasn’t okay that we were producing a play about the Black experience with no Black playwright, director, designers, or even just people of that identity working at our theatre on the team. I wasn’t making very much there either, but I was carrying the company. It’s been my dream to own a theatre someday, and even they started talking about passing the theatre down to me one day. But that fight made me realize how toxic the environment was. So I quit and never looked back!

One of my biggest flaws and strengths is that I cannot hide myself. I cannot grit my teeth and bear it. But if I’m doing something I love, I even get off on the suffering. I dedicate myself fully, see the light in every situation, and do everything I can to resolve conflict and make things work. If something doesn’t feel right to me anymore, the situation has gotten toxic for me. I can recognize that in myself and move on. I don’t look back. We only move forward.

I’ve never felt like I’m here on this earth just to play. I have really strong core values. I am on a mission to radically love in a world that’s full of joy but also sick and cruel. Especially now.

Honestly though? Because of this stubborn authenticity of mine, I’m actually struggling the most right now.

This year, I was really vulnerable. I took a lot of risks producing my own show for the first time. I’ve gotten a lot of backlash for some of the choices I’ve made trying to juggle raising funds, battling unexpected obstacles, and pleasing people. Ultimately, I’ve lost friends, collaborators, and a lot of money trying to stay true to myself and manage everything. But I also gained life-long lessons. We only move forward.

Most of all, everyone in the arts is really struggling right now. Millions of dollars in grants are being rescinded by the current administration. My show this year wasn’t a financial success, and I have to keep telling myself and everyone else that it was a success because of the lessons we’ve learned. But honestly that positivity can only get you so far. If things don’t start looking up, like many others, I may have to change course. I may have to think “practically” again. I’m definitely scared of taking a break and losing momentum, but I have to support my family and myself. I just FIERCELY do not want to give up.

So now I’m really looking for new opportunities to further develop my unique career and acquire the funding I need to actualize my grandiose, high production dreams. I’m looking for other QTPOC collaborators and community who “get” me and want to embrace unconventional, high-quality, deeply impactful, and especially daring art. I do really intense work. It’s not for everyone. But I literally cannot imagine living or working any other way!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I act, I direct, I write, now I produce, and I’m a host for in-person events and virtual escape rooms! Buuut –

Have you ever watched the show “Food Wars”? That show is so me. Throughout it, the main character is trying to figure out his “specialty,” the dish that encompasses who he is. The dish that only he can make.

I do choose-your-own-adventure immersive, interactive theatre – or I like to call it RPG theatre. It’s an emerging, novel format that’s like a combo of role-playing games (RPGs) and live theatre. Think Netflix’s new, live experiences like “The Stranger Things Experience,” “The Brigerton Experience,” and “The Arcane Experience,” except I hear the work I’ve done is even more interactive. The audience is the player, a character of their own, the hero of the story; and all of the actors are improvisational NPCs who give the audience quests and guide them on their journey. The audience gets to play games, solve puzzles, and most importantly make choices that decide the ending of the show. Every show has multiple unlockable endings the audience can achieve, making them extremely replayable. I create, write, produce, direct, and act in these shows. I’ve worked on eight full productions total over the last three years. A pirate show on an actual ship, a salem witch show, a mafia show, a sci-fi show, a post-apocalyptic show, etc. etc. Again, I’m obsessed!

This year, I produced my first show ever, under my own company that I started called What’s Up BB LLC, more commonly known now as WUBB Media. It was a workshop of a show my team and I created from scratch called “URTV: Passion Mansion,” in my choose-your-own-adventure format where the audience plays Production Assistants on set of an over-the-top reality TV dating show à la Love Island meets The Sims. I’ve always felt really connected to my sexuality and freedom, so I decided to explore that more in my art, career, and specifically through this show. Passion Mansion is raunchy. Scandalous. GIRLS, GUYS, AND NON-BINARY BEANS GONE WILD! It depicts improvised drug misuse and overdose, extreme bloody violence, and it has an unlockable secret ending that I like to call the “Orgy Ending.” Does it actually end in an orgy? Toss some money at me so I can actually produce the show fully, and you’ll find out!

To be honest, Passion Mansion was really controversial this year, but it’s not nearly as graphic, triggering, or unregulated as other shows I’ve seen. Safety is so important in immersive spaces. And I wanted it to be more accessible to general audiences, to open their minds to the issues the show explores. It’s actually highly political. My concept for the most titular character was “What if Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went on Too Hot to Handle, had a career-ending sex tape leaked, and then realized she was non-binary?” The show also exposes dark secrets behind the making of reality television, and it tackles issues in the entertainment industry that ignited the SAG-AFTRA strike! Classism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, commodification – It addresses so many issues because I wanted the audience to go somewhere to escape reality, only to find out that there’s no escaping reality. So we have to do something. We have to try and make a difference.

And my dream is to make this show a full-day live, immersive event where the audience gets to “work,” drink, and party in an actual mansion – THE Passion Mansion – in Southern California!

But I don’t think “URTV: Passion Mansion” is my specialty dish. It’s just one of my first steps to getting there.

My big dream now is to do RPG dinner theatre. I love the culinary arts so much. I’d love to partner up with a restauranteur or restaurant, put on my shows, and feed tummies at the same time. Maybe even explore arts education again and invite students to eat nutritionally rich food from around the world and learn about different cultures. Something like that!

That’s what I want to be my specialty: RPG Dinner Theatre. I’ll probably begin by partnering up with a chef or restaurant, but I’d love to one day own my own venue. I dream about owning somewhere like Clifton’s Republic. But after this year, I’ve realized I need to stop biting off more than I can chew (pun intended) and take things step by step. I need resources, funding, and collaborators.

Connected to my Filipino ancestry, I also come from a long line of healers, aka lightworkers. I believe I’m here on Earth to heal others through my art. I feel the most connected to being Filipino when I feed people, entertain them, and open their minds to things hidden away because of shame or power struggles. Because I believe we are all interconnected. Look up the meaning of “kapwa,” and you’ll understand why I am the way I am.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the community of Los Angeles. This city is rich with story and history, and the people who live here embody that.

I don’t have a car or a driver’s license. I ride metro, and I’m super proud of it. I love talking to people, and the metro is the perfect place to meet “real” people, the actual community of Los Angeles. Not the Hollywood influencers. People who grew up here, who struggle here, but can’t get enough of this city either. I’m talking about Black and Brown people. I’m talking about unhoused individuals, or really, homeless people. I’m talking about members of gangs. I’ve hung out and smoked a joint with all of them!

Most people I know don’t get it. They think riding public transit is dangerous because it is. Again, I’m a radical lover, and being radical means doing extreme or dangerous things sometimes. I desperately want to connect with other humans and learn about them because it helps me learn more about myself and the world I live in. Plus, I’ve learned how to toughen up and hold my own!

I actually have an idea for a “metro immersive show” that I plan to be a character-guided tour of Los Angeles so I can share everything I love about Los Angeles with other people… Stay tuned for that.

But what do I like least about LA? Those Hollywood influencers I mentioned. I can be performative too, of course. And I respect the grind enough. But I hate fakeness, and I often find that people here would rather network and use you for your connections and talent rather than actually see you as a person. I’m not into that. I also don’t like TikTok. It doesn’t do well for my pockets, but it does well for my soul. These are things that I think are issues with this world at large, but I think Los Angeles is like a hub for it. It’s Hollywood, baby!

But I love her for everything she is, including her flaws. Los Angeles is home to me.

Pricing:

• www.vortexevents.online – Use the discount code BRIT10 at checkout to have me host a virtual escape room, murder mystery, or other events for you and your team/family!
• www.gofundme.com/f/supportpassionmansion – Support Brit’s show Passion Mansion!
• www.venmo.com/thebritbaltazar – Donate to support Brit’s art and career!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebritbaltazar
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/britbaltazar
• Youtube: Watch “Pirates Wanted” (2024) directed by Brit Baltazar and produced by Last Call Theatre: https://youtu.be/72phlMPBXFA?si=k4nW8ADTCHIaHcmk
• Other: https://resumes.actorsaccess.com/BritBaltazar

Image Credits
Angela Chapman Riley Cole Charly Charney Cohen