Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Molano.
Hi Melissa, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey is so very hard to summarize but I will give it a try. I grew up in Houston and fell in love with the arts at a young age. I loved to draw, sculpt, sing, dance, play instruments, and write. When I was in high school I joined a theatre production class. I soon recognized how through theatre people can learn so much about one another and themselves and how it can connect us all. Musical theatre was an obsession. When I experienced doing a musical for the first time I felt it was such an incredible collaboration and combined multiple passions of mine: music, dance, art, and storytelling. I was and can still be on the shy side sometimes so I admired the bravery and strength it takes people to take the stage and give their heart and talents. This ritual of making something out of nothing and sharing it for people to take or leave. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in college and when it came time to it I decided to follow what lit me up and see where it would take me. Long story short it stuck and I graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre major and landed my first professional Houston role my senior year at Stages. After that experience, I decided to instead of going to NY or LA I would stay in Houston and explore the theatre scene here. From there, I explored and failed and rose and failed and rose and so it goes. I worked all sorts of random jobs while auditioning or when I did book- performing. Now I’m proud to say I’ve gotten to a place where I am a full time actor. Currently, I am one of nine Resident Company actors at the Alley Theatre, a theatre I grew up seeing shows at and playing with people I was watching from the audience since I was a kid. Booking anything over there was in itself a dream. People I have looked up to are now my coworkers and friends. There have been and there still are a lot of “is this real life?” moments. To anyone wondering I’m pleased to report the awe factor of it all hasn’t been lost. Outside of my theatrical pursuits I’ve done a couple of commercials and independent films and also got into voice acting and have worked on various shows, movies and games which all definitely lights me up as well. I’m extremely grateful to be doing what I love to do. I still totally fangirl over people and the things they or we get to make. I just love it all.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Heck no! How much time do we have? I’ve been very broke at times. At one point I was working 3 jobs at the same time and changing uniforms in my car. I booked a show right out the gate after graduation and then didn’t book anything at all for over a year or so. There’s been so many times I’ve been like oh god I feel like I’m going to throw up right before strolling into a room full of people I didn’t know. Some of the best advice I’ve gotten is to just show up, fail forward, feel the fear and do it anyway. But even outside of the auditioning grind I’ve lost people I loved or who mentored me and navigate grief, identity and major life changes while still trying to show up as my best, most energetic self. I’ve dealt with harassment, micro-aggressions, bullying, feeling isolated and of course rejection… It is not an easy pursuit. Even if you don’t believe in God I think just accepting that there are things out of your control is very important when pursuing anything. It’s also important to check in with yourself on if you still really want what you’re going for when you face the difficulty. For me, the answer has still been yes but it may not be the same for everyone and that is totally ok. It’s that whole “life is hard, where can you choose your hard” thing. Booking a show isn’t a magic wand, the journey still continues and life can be messy. At this point I’ve learned I can’t do it all on my own and am grateful for the people who have shown up for me or even just done simple kind things like buying me lunch when they had no idea how much stressful math I had been doing.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a resident company actor we perform plays all season over at the Alley Theatre. My job is largely to bring visions to life and collaborate with writers, designers, directors and as the actor to embody/breathe the emotional life to a story. The collective hope is to take audiences on a journey and move them in some way. As for what sets me apart I’d say that it is a little tough for me to answer since what I do onstage is so subjective to whoever is witnessing it, what character they are seeing me as, their personal lens and/or when they saw “me”. That’s a cool and a tricky thing about anything or anyone artistic- we can look at the same thing and see something totally different. Some people may cry at a monologue I perform or find me irritating because maybe I remind them of someone else. At the same time that’s also just life and the way it goes. So I don’t know. I can say I give my best and convey the most truth I am able to with the given circumstances. I can say I’m enthusiastic and passionate about the work I do. I can also say that I believe in creating more equity in the art form and advocate a lot for that. My directors and scene partners would probably agree that I’m a very emotionally available and thoughtful actor. I also love engaging with audience members and hearing their experience. The moments I’m most proud of are the moments when someone has watched my work on stage or screen and felt seen, represented, moved or understood or said “I hadn’t thought about it that way.” In my voiceover work, I’m proud when someone can get swept away in the stories and feel connected to that character and excited or empowered by it. Offstage I’m proud of my resilience, authenticity, and my courage to stay true to myself. So anyway I know I’m saying a lot here but to me acting is about a lot of things: Connection. Relationships. Growth. Commitment. Diversity. Grace. Generosity. Inclusion. Vulnerability and being absolutely ridiculous at times. Strength of spirit. Exploring our humanity. Also knowing personal boundaries while keeping the curiosity to further explore.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I like things that either uplift me or inform me. The books that I would say have had the biggest impact on me personally are ones by Don Miguel Ruiz and I think everyone should read Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed. I also love the writings of Matt Haig and Jaiya John. Specifically from the pandemic, I have to say Amanda and Anna Kloots’ book “Live Your Life” gave me a good cry and inspired me. There are so many more writers I could probably name, I read a lot of nonfiction and poetry but after Midnight Library am trying to get back into fiction so recommendations are welcome! Podcast-wise I like to listen to the news because it helps me know what’s happening in the world or funny conversations because they make me laugh. If I had to name one I most frequent when I’m busy it would be Betches SUP as it really has a great balance of humor and important issues. I listen sometimes when I’m doing my makeup, cleaning or driving. Also, shout out to Oprah- I love her. She has multiple podcasts and they are all very insightful.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @melissacmolano
- Twitter: @melissacmolano
- Other: www.Alleytheatre.org | https://www.colorworldlive.com/melissamolano
Image Credits
Main photo by Gerardo Velasquez
Alley production photos by Lynn Lane
Book of Maggie photo by Bruce Bennett
The River Bride photo by Amitava Sarkar
Photo with anime characters: photo by Lawrence Knox and image by Colorworld Books
