Check Out Donio’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Donio.

Hi Donio, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started off studying pre-law, because I thought it’s what everyone wanted from me. After asking myself what I found joy in and what I could offer the world, I realized performance was the path for me. From joking too much in class, to singing “grenade” by Bruno mars in my room, it was undeniably something that I loved. From that realization, I began craving knowledge around the world of performance and how to improve at it. Some people have natural talent from the start, but unfortunately for me, everything I have now is from obsession and perseverance. Even then, I’m nowhere near where I’d like to be skill wise.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anyone’s road is smooth – especially not in the theatre world. I think the most challenging aspect to the entertainment industry for me has been isolation. In order to get into a lot of the spaces I’ve been grateful enough to be a part of, I often felt like I had to isolate myself from community and work on my craft in a way that was not very healthy. On days where I craved community and friendship, I took lessons instead or practiced alone. I’ve always looked at getting into certain rooms as a way to build community, but recently, I’m finding that connection to community is more important than what any lesson or book could offer. Please don’t be like me and isolate yourself to achieve things. It can get you places, but until you find balance with community, you’ll never be happy. Plus, I’d say community building will get you in rooms a lot faster than skill refining (though, both are important). Ask for help, build community, and support your mental health before anything else or you may not make it long enough to enjoy what you’ve built for yourself.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I just play. I’ve tried to find some interesting way of describing my work, but at the core, I’m just doing what most children do naturally – play! Of course, it’s to a different degree and higher stakes, but I find when I focus on those aspects, I lose all meaning behind my work and everything begins to crumble. I’m a professional player of life!

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Find who speaks to your humanity before you look at their accolades. Then, look at their credibility and if that matches what you’re looking for/want to do. Once those things are figured out, you’ll find out shortly if they’re the right fit for you or not. For example, an acting mentor of mine, Sebastian Arboleda (Iron Butterfly Studio), approaches his coaching in a very spiritual/therapeutic way that speaks to me and builds trust. This allows me to feel brave enough to make creative choices. He also holds his MFA from Yale Drama, so his acting knowledge is also valuable in that regard. Being able to relate to him on a spiritual level allows deep exploration to feel more comfortable, which is something I need. Some people don’t work in that way, which may be helpful for you, so I’d say the first step of finding a great mentor would be this: figure out what you want.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/donioisah

Image Credits
all image credits: Neftali Barrios