Manny Maldonado graduated in 2023 with a BFA in theater and a BA in communication studies. In his time at URI, he was a TA for URI Theater 100* and has continued teaching incoming students acting, improvisation, management, and introduction to tech and design. He will continue his well-rounded experience by working as an Education Apprentice at Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence.
Why did you choose to study theater at URI, and what was your focus?
It was close! And after visiting campus and checking out the scene, it felt like the right fit. Originally I came in undeclared even though I knew I wanted to do theater, so I got my start with the department by taking Theater 100 and from there I declared my major. My focus was in acting and stage management.
What drew you to the theater?
I’ve been doing theater from a very young age. I think my first experience was when I was 8 years old; it was a School House Rock production. It’s funny because I really got my entrance into theater because of my older sibling. They were doing plays and my parents suggested that I try it, too. It kinda just stuck!
What is the internship at Trinity Rep?
I was accepted as the Education Apprentice and it will last just about the length of the school year. I’ll be teaching acting classes and assisting with arts education in local schools; mostly high school aged kids which is super interesting because I’ve worked with a variety of ages at this point in my career. I also work at the Theater at Saint Michael’s camp in Newport where we teach kids ages 8-13 for five weeks where we write and develop an original musical, in addition to producing an adaptation of a Shakespearean play.
What do you hope to gain from the internship?
I’m super honored to be apart of a theater like Trinity Rep where I can continue to hone my theater education skills, see amazing shows that can inform my own acting, and collaborate with and learn from the other apprentices whose interests intersect with my own as an actor and stage manager. I just want to soak it all up.
If you could tell freshman Manny anything, what would you say?
I was very afraid to fail. I would tell myself to declare theater as my major from the start. And I would say let yourself mess up, but then pick yourself back up from it because that’s a skill you need in theater. You get used to sort of shooting your shot and then seeing what happens. And no matter what happens, keep it moving.
Special thanks to Paula McGlasson, David Howard, Bonnie Bosworth, Tracy Liz Miller, Rachel Walshe, Jeff Church, Tony Estrella