Daily Inspiration: Meet Richard Via

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Via.

Hi Richard, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hailing from northern Illinois, I grew up deeply obsessed with storytelling and narrative. My mom instilled the love of books in me at a young age. I would tear through as many books as I could get my hands on and I took no prisoners. I was a total fiend! A monster! I finished all the released Harry Potter books by the second grade and I would reread them yearly in anticipation for the next part of the saga. I shared this love with almost everyone in my family and I have so many fond memories of books being passed through the house, each of us going on the adventure one by one.

Speaking of childhood, I was in a kid in the early 2000s when adults hadn’t yet started transitioning into the more helicopter style of parenting that would begin to emerge in the following decade, so I truly was left to my own devices. My best friend Wayne and I would create our own fun, wading through the creek in our backyards or climbing through the trees in the woods. I genuinely believe we thought of any and all activities that could entertain two kids in the Midwest.

As I slowly trudged through the education system, other passions of mine started to arise: theater and acting. When I was 12, I was cast in “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” as the Cheshire Cat and, while it may sound cheesy, I think my life instantly changed for the better. I came from a very working-class (i.e., poor, broke, impoverished, etc.) and finding that community in a rehearsal room was so incredibly important for my development. It was here I realized that stories didn’t have to exclusively exist on the page or on the screen; I didn’t have to be on the Hollywood A-List or win the Pulitzer to share stories with other people.

From then on out, it was a slippery slope. Any opportunity to perform or act, I took it. I then applied to college which brought me to LA. I attended Occidental College from 2015-2019 and earned my Bachelor’s in Theater. I fell in love with writing and I had one of my plays read at a festival. I also had a brief stint in a collegiate Glee Club, but that’s neither here nor there.

It was at Oxy where I discovered my love for autobiographical stories. I had the honor of learning under one of the most excellent (and hilarious!) autobiographical storytelling teachers and he helped me develop my solo storytelling show “Working Class: The Unofficial Gay Agenda” which doubled as my senior thesis.

After I graduated, I moved to LA permanently. I moved to East LA and was introduced to some wacky characters from Eugene, Oregon: Joey, Zoë, and Drew. We now make short films under the guise of Retro Grime Studios. We actually recently filmed a pilot. I’m super excited about that we plan on releasing in February/March! It’s nice to have found an artistic home in them for the time being, especially as the pandemic seems never-ending. Which is what I’m doing now: waiting for the pandemic to end! In the meantime, I’ll just keep binging Survivor and Big Brother.

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?
Oh, geez. I think my life and the word struggle are synonymous! How annoying is that to say? Everyone says it. But really! How many kids have you met whose house has been raided by the police twice before they were 13? My dad also passed away when I was 9, which is definitely a bummer. I was also super gay, which isn’t a bad thing but it definitely adds a layer of complexity to the whole ordeal. However, I think the most difficult part was the whole “being super poor” aspect of my upbringing. It truly blowed and I don’t wish my family’s level of brokenness on anyone. I’m very fortunate I turned some lemons into lemonade and deep dove into school and extracurriculars because if I hadn’t my life would’ve been a nightmare.

My whole life is a David vs. Goliath brawl and I’m definitely the David. I’m so unbelievably lucky my mom is a badass and taught her kids to go after what they want. I owe everything to that woman! My mom (Marsha as the people call her) engrained in her kids that working hard equals a whole lot of payoff. She taught me to be a David with full body armor: a Goliath can definitely still win, but they’re going to have to work a whole lot harder.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
While I’m still early in my career, I focus on autobiographical storytelling, writing, and performing. I LOVE comedies, but the funny can only be as good as the tragedy that accompanies it.

What’s so fascinating about autobiographical storytelling is that it’s on the cusp of being stand-up, but it never fully dives into comedy territory. Storytelling is all about “punching people in the face and then immediately hugging them” because it’s such a delicate line you have to walk! With my storytelling, and I’m pretty sure most storytelling is like this, I want the audience to see themselves in my life. I want them to latch onto a specific portion of who I am and have that resonate with their own journey. That’s my primary goal.

I’m mostly known for my solo-show “Working Class: The Unofficial Gay Agenda” which is an hour and a half of me telling stories about my upbringing. From my sexual awakening to starting my house on fire to shattering my four front teeth with a large metal pole, NOTHING was off limits in that show.

I’m also the “script reader” in my network and I pride myself on understanding narrative and story structure and how scripts can be amplified and improved. While I think I have a keen eye for the objective details, I also think I’m excellent at providing solicited feedback and suggestions when it comes to the more subjective aspects of a script. Keyword: solicited. Don’t give unnecessary suggestions, kids, it never ends well. Finally, I do some production and I recently helped produce a pilot that’s hitting the internet in the next couple of months! It’s a medium I’m new to but I’m having a blast learning.

I think what sets me apart from others and what I’m most proud of is my ability to connect with people. I tend to do really well with people, especially in large groups. However, I’m really sensitive to what I like to call “the vibe exchange.” I always think I know what I need to say which is really refreshing. Of course, I’ve been wrong before, but I think I’ve hit the nail on the head more often than not. I also think I have a firm understanding of what certain people need to hear which is a superpower in itself!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think my unrefined nature is why people resonate with me and why I continue to find success (whatever that word means). I find I do better when my product isn’t entirely polished. Of course, I don’t deliver a half-baked show, but I think people respond positively to the rough around the edges. I think it makes the product more human, more relatable, and, ultimately, more accessible. I want the audience I interact with to feel like we are the only people in the world, that we are engaging in a conversation between friends. It also doesn’t hurt that I make them laugh, obviously, but I am not perfect and to attempt to emit that message into the world would be foolish and disingenuous.

Contact Info:

• Email: richardhvia@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardhvia/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/richardhvia
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@richardhvia?

Image Credits
Dahlia Theriault, Zoë Mae Hughes, Marc Campos