Hi, I’m Maria!

I’m a quintessential Virgo, native Queens gal, and elephant enthusiast.

Many moons ago, at the ripe old age of 6, a half Puerto Rican, half Italian girl from Queens made her impromptu vocal debut at her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. A star was born. “I want to sing ‘A Whole New World’ from Aladdin!,” I exclaimed. A fan of the Disney classics, and this being my absolute favorite of the bunch, I proceeded to sing both Aladdin and Jasmine’s parts into the mic as my dad held a napkin he had hurriedly scribbled the lyrics onto. 

This little songbird’s spark grew even bigger as I sang my way into LaGuardia High School. Being surrounded by some of the most innately talented students in the country was an unforgettable experience. Even after 9/11 during my first week of sophomore year, with so much fear and devastation, I decided to stay. I’ll always remember Ben Vareen serenading us at graduation with “The Impossible Dream,” a cappella, in its entirety. I’m glad I stayed.

I chirped on to earn a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from SUNY Fredonia where I studied both classical and jazz. After graduating with an additional bachelor’s degree in business, I returned to my native NYC to start my journey as a professional actor. When I returned home from my first Equity national tour, directed by John Tartaglia, my father sat me down and gently explained that he was dying. I spent the next two years helping to take care of him, and witnessed his spirit leave his body the moment he passed. It was then that I understood our souls are separate from our physical bodies, and went on a deeper search. Seeing my father whither away from being the vibrant life of the party that he always was to taking his last breath after suffering so much for so long was...tough. I no longer had a song in my heart. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the song hadn’t died, it had merely transformed. 

After quite a bit of grief counseling, and with a deeper well to draw from, I decided that it was time to enroll in the William Esper Studio. It changed my life. Oftentimes I felt like a warrior walking through the forest alone, when I spotted a pond, took my armor off piece by piece, and floated bare in the solitude and freedom I had so desired. 

Lupita Nyong’o articulates it well: “It’s so funny, you go to acting school thinking you’re going to learn how to be other people, but really it taught me how to be myself. Because it’s in understanding yourself deeply that you can lend yourself to another person’s circumstances and another person’s experience.” 

This is what I strive to do; to share other people’s stories in an authentic way. Every person’s story matters, just like every person matters. 

Ready to work together?