Today we’d like to introduce you to Rianny Vasquez.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started doing theatre about five years ago now, but oh man does it feel like I’ve been a part of it my whole life! I’ve loved performing for as long as I can remember but I didn’t do any shows and what not until I was a sophomore in high school. My first director told me that I was for sure bitten by the theatre bug and I was in no way looking for a cure. Gosh it was magic when I first started out and to be completely honest, it still is to this day and I think always will be. Before theatre, I was a cheerleader for most of my life believe it or not. I remember when I was getting ready to start another year of peppy cheers and uniforms, there was a mix-up with paperwork and I wasn’t able to re-join the squad. I was pretty upset, it was all I knew! But very shortly after, my mom got home from work and told me about auditions for a Shakespeare play in the community. She suggested that I audition but I was way too nervous.
After a bit more convincing and a feeling in my gut, I decided to go for it. I was lucky enough to get the part and I’ve never stopped performing since. I truly feel like it was all meant to be. Had that sparkly cheerleading door never closed, the beautifully creative and life-changing door of theatre may have never opened! Everything changed so suddenly I barely had time to catch up with myself, but the exhilaration of it all was so inviting I just couldn’t stop and hey, I don’t plan on it stopping anytime soon, fingers crossed:) Once I graduated high school having already got some experience in the LA theatre scene, I packed my bags and moved to Los Angeles to begin my studies at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, or better known as AMDA. I am still currently enrolled as a BFA Music Theatre Major now entering my junior year and I am loving every moment of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not always. But there’s nothing fun about a ride with no loops, turns, or even drops, right? Not to get all deep and such buuuut, life and any career really is a crazy rollercoaster ride, so expecting it to be easy I knew just wasn’t in the cards. Not to say it was all a struggle though, I feel I’ve been incredibly blessed and lucky with how it’s going so far. I think the most daunting thing of all of this, something I wasn’t as prepared for as I thought, I guess would be the toll it can take on your mental health. Going into a career in performing arts of any kind, you must prepare yourself for anything that comes your way. Naively, more often than not, I would take on more than I could handle. I had this mentality of ‘if my heroes, idols, and mentors could do it, I owe it to them and myself to do the same and work just as hard’. In most cases, I found myself enjoying all the magic around me but in some others, I found myself developing a little being in the back of my brain questioning every part of who I was. I’d be smiling backstage and then suddenly get hit with a wave of overthinking and exhaustion. I’d always shake it off when it paid me a visit but it wasn’t until I began welcoming it and accepting it did I feel like myself again.
I learned that taking my time and taking on a little less sometimes was healthier in the long run and didn’t make me any less of a hard worker. It was okay to feel this way and I was not alone 🙂 This opened my eyes to so much more. Performing was no longer just a fun and exciting passion of mine. I developed an unbelievably strong relationship with it. It became an outlet of love, sadness, joy, heartbreak, and every other sacred emotion. It was like therapy. It was real and raw in every sense of the words and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. I fell in love with the idea of being able to give so much to an audience and whether or not I received anything in return, that didn’t matter. Just knowing that someone else might be feeling these same things, going through hardships in life just like the characters we play, can identify with it and heal in a safe space left me in awe. Finding this inexplicable beauty in performing ensured me that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I guess just little ol’ me, I’m an actress! Hahaha, I sing, dance, act, write music, play some instruments! Ya know how it goes. At the moment I’m working on multiple original projects including a play and an adapted musical! It’s a blast so far and I can’t wait to continue working. I couldn’t have done any of this without the absolutely wonderful support system I have in my life. As cheesy as it sounds, I’ll say my family and my friends are what I am most proud of. Their love and support is the greatest form of recognition or award I could ever hope to receive. And something that sets me apart from others, I guess I could say is how I look at my opportunities in this industry as limitless. I try not to put myself in a box. I am open to learning new skills, trying new methods and techniques, and I like to think I stay pretty positive through it all!
Looking at everything in a positive light and seeing the best in even the toughest situations has gotten me through a lot in life and I think of it no differently in my career. Being inclusive, kind, and curious has always stuck with me through everything and I find it so important. Any part that comes my way, I take it on 110% no matter how big or small it may seem because in this business, there really are no small parts. We’re a community of creatives working together to make something that’s bigger than all of us. So, doing my part in it the best that I can, all the time feels like the least I could do. And supporting fellow artists! We’re in it together and I’ll always bring the support wherever I go for anyone and everyone.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Short and simple, to me, success is finding serene happiness in what you do. Not just in a career sense of “what you do” but just in a daily sense of what you do for others, what you do day by day to live and get by. All of that good stuff. I still can’t believe how lucky I am to wake up every morning and do what I love to do everyday. I’ll be forever thankful.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @riannyvasquez
- Facebook: @riannyvasquez
- Twitter: @riannyvasquez
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