SHARE THE LIVE STREAM! WHY YA TU SABES?
Join NOSOTROS for our 4th Annual Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam presented by NBC. Witness engaging and immersive stories written and performed by emerging Latinx talent!
Help us spread the word and share this on your social media! #YATUSABES22 #FORUSBYUS
Our founder Ricardo Montalbán wanted Nosotros to serve as an influential collective voice and a facilitator of resources, dedicated to enhancing the image of our Latinx cultures, stories, and communities in the entertainment and media industry.
Recent studies continue to demonstrate that there is still a severe disconnect of proper representation in Hollywood; along with the commonly used excuse: "It's hard to find Latino talent" and because of this, we partnered with NBC Universal to create the Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam!
What makes Ya Tu Sabes different from other writer/actor competitions is that we give our finalists a true Lights, Camera, Action experience! Each monologue is professionally produced as a stand alone scene, shot on real sound-stage, with a professional production team. Resulting in each finalist leaving with an elevated piece of material that showcases their talents, and best of all, the combined reels are then shared industry-wide allowing for the opportunity to be recognized by networks, studios, streamers and industry executives such as yourselves!
YA TU SABES DIRECTOR
HECTOR FELIX
zzyzxdigital@gmail.comAfter years of honing his craft as an editor, visual effects specialist, colorist and cinematographer; Hector Felix has been recruited by various music video production companies producing for high-level music labels such as Sony Music Latin, serving as their go-to Cinematographer and Post-production specialist. Hector has been visually developing and elevating the Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam both visually and dramatically since its second year in production. He most recently served as Director of Photography for the BETOriginal THE LIFE OF ME, starring Brian White (The Black Hamptons) and Danielle Nicolet (The Flash), and is attached to direct the physiological thriller DARK DAYS:BRIGHT NIGHTS for the Untold Content Group.
Nosotros is excited to have Hector Felix lead the charge on the 4th annual Nosotros Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam as we continue to elevate our finalists so that they are recognized with a professionally produced piece of material that truly highlights their talent as rising Latino writers and actors.
MEET THE FINALISTS
PLAY THE SUN
WRITER FINALIST
Ana Verde
Looking For RepresentationAna Verde is a Puerto Rican and Venezuelan writer and director. As a playwright, she has shown work at Ars Nova’s ANT (All New Talent) Festival with her project Your Changing Body and at the Playlight Theatre Company with her play RADIOBABY, or Nice Girls Don’t Listen to Usher. As a filmmaker, her fiction short script Happy Birthday Daisy was selected as Best Short Script by the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival and she is currently in post-production for her first short film, Te llaman las olas, which she wrote and directed. The film was shot on location in Puerto Rico, co-produced by Filmes Casa, a local Puerto Rican production company. Ana is a 2022 Orchard Project Episodic Lab fellow, a recipient of the 2022 Wavelength Productions WAVE Grant, and a finalist for the Ya Tú Sabes Monologue Slam presented by Nosotros Org and NBCUniversal. For the past four years, Ana has worked at the Sundance Institute in new play development, artist support, and granting.
ACTOR FINALIST
Rachel Rohatgi
Rachel Rohatgi is a Latina and Indian actress based in Los Angeles. While growing up in Texas, she started acting at a young age doing theatre. She took a break from acting to go to law school and has been an attorney for 12 years. She recently made the decision to come back to acting and is so honored to be a finalist in the 2022 Nosotros Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam!
SOY GAY
WRITER FINALIST
Victoria Villarreal
Victoria Villarreal is a first generation Mexican-American actor/writer/producer based in Los Angeles, CA. She is fluent in Spanish and originally from Houston, TX where she received her BFA in Musical Theatre with an acting emphasis. She began writing after seeing a lack of representation for latinos in film & TV and specifically as a way of creating her own acting opportunities. She is an active audiobook narrator and loves to make films with creative friends whenever she can.
ACTOR FINALIST
Ricky Herrera
Ricky Herrera is a Film and Television actor, first generation Cuban-American from South Florida. He began acting in independent films and local stage productions before relocating to London to study at Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts. After finishing the program, Ricky relocated to New York City where he attended the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) for improv from 2018-2019. More recently, he has studied at Howard Fine acting studio and The Groundlings in his short time in LA. You can catch him on Investigation Discovery's "Shattered" as Al Bodnar.
HOPE. SCARCE.
WRITER FINALIST
Mark Marquez
Looking For RepresentationMark is a Los Angeles native primarily creating out of New York City. It wasn’t until moving to the east coast that he realized his passion for filmmaking. His stories, filtered through an LGBTQIA-BIPOC lens, aim to be a vehicle for mass distribution of marginalized folks focusing on love, and community. Mark is a graduate of the Made in New York Production Program and when he is not writing, he is putting out fires for Locations over at WB. or discovering a new Vegan spot.
ACTOR FINALIST
Lucas Calzada
LUCAS CALZADA is a queer Latino actor, writer, and director who hails from the great state of Alaska. He fell in love with acting in high school, making his stage debut in a production of Oliver! as part of the chorus— or rather "Townsperson #3," as he liked to call his character. From there, Lucas quickly stepped out from the chorus and into the spotlight, taking on a variety of lead and supporting roles over the years. His creative work is heavily influenced by his Alaskan upbringing, as well as his extensive background in theatre, love of classic cinema, and embrace of intellectual exploration. He holds an MFA in Acting from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory, and a BA in Theatre from University of Alaska Anchorage. He currently lives in Los Angeles, and has way too many books on his nightstand.
HORNY LITTLE TREE FROGS
WRITER FINALIST
Daniela Gonzalez y Perez
Looking For RepresentationDaniela Gonzalez y Perez is a queer Puerto Rican playwright, actor, and teaching artist from Brooklyn, NY. Their writing explores the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion through fantasy, "magical realism", sci-fi, and that “Brooklyn shit” to confront/reject societal norms, barriers, and the displacement of peoples. They’re currently in Clubbed Thumb’s Early Career Writer’s Group and being mentored by David Henry Hwang, and a finalist writer and semi-finalist actor for the Ya Tú Sabes Monologue Slam presented by Nosotros & NBC. In 2022, they wrote short screenplays in collaboration with Fortway Media, a monologue for The 24 Hour Plays: Viral Monologues with INTAR, were a fellow of The Latinx Playwrights Circle’s Intensive Mentorship Program mentored by Migdalia Cruz, which resulted in an industry reading of ÁNGEL Y CHUPI (The Reinvented Queer Tale of the Puerto Rican Chupacabra), and had work shown at Fucked-Up Play Fest! and Gi60: International One-Minute Theatre Festival. As an actor, they’ve been in two world premieres (Rattlestick Theater, INTAR Theatre), a workshop production (The Tank), just closed The 38th Marathon of One-Act Plays (Ensemble Studio Theatre), and holds a BFA in Acting from Brooklyn College. They’re a member of INTAR’s Unit 52 and The Latinx Playwrights Circle and a teaching artist for Manhattan Theatre Club. They’re represented by literary managers Daniel Seco and Derrick Eppich from Empirical Evidence and acting manager Sana Hanible from Steinberg Talent Management Group. Pan, mantequilla, y cafecito; we can change the world cada día un poquito.
ACTOR FINALIST
Maria Fernanda Diez
MARIA FERNANDA DIEZ is an actor, singer, producer, director and podcaster based in NYC and Atlanta. She is a trilingual, first generation American born to Mexican parents. Maria Fernanda is a graduate of Columbia University. While growing up mostly in the midwest, she sang with the Minnesota Opera from 10 to 18. As an actor, she has worked with various companies including Two River Theater, The Lark, Teatro LATEA, The Latinx Playwright Circle, and The Hangar Theater. The short film DIVR, directed by Zoey Martinson, which Maria Fernanda co-produced and starred in, has been in over 20 festivals across the globe and recently won Best Futuro Webseries at the New York Latino Film Festival (2022). As a writer/performer, director, designer and producer she’s worked with local musical artists, GirlBeHeard, Spotify, and more. Additionally, as creator with a pension for sharing untold stories, she is the creator and host of the podcast "When You're Invisible", iHeart Radio and My Cultura Podcasts Network production. When she’s not creating, she is teaching kids, learning languages and new activities like archery and dancing. Thank you to her family and communities for their love and support. Thank you to Nosotros for this opportunity.
A FOUNTAIN DRINK STORY
WRITER FINALIST
Joaquin Ticonderoga
Looking For RepresentationJoaquin is an actor/writer living in Los Angeles. He spent some of his childhood in San Antonio, Texas before moving to a small town in northern California you’ve probably never heard of. After high school Joaquin moved to LA and earned an A.A. in Theater Arts from Santa Monica College. He then transferred to the University of California - Berkeley where he received a B.A. in Theater and Performance Studies. Being a graduate of both iO West and UCB, Joaquin has improvised with various indie and house teams. His acting credits include commercials and most notably the role of Pedro on NBC’s The Good Place. As a writer Joaquin has written for indie sketch teams as well as for the Second City Hollywood sketch revue First Generation. Co-Star Master Class, a short film Joaquin wrote and produced, will be out later next year. Joaquin enjoys “LA Hiking” at Runyon Canyon, chilaquiles and diner food, as well as mid-day couch naps.
ACTOR FINALIST
Juan Francisco Villa
Juan Francisco Villa-is a trained bilingual Colombian-American actor with New York roots. You can catch him on TV with recurring Guest Star roles on BLUE BLOODS (CBS), The Set Up with Hannah Stocking, Chicago PD (NBC), Madame Secretary (CBS) and Betrayal (ABC). An accomplished voice actor, he’s most recently featured in the new hit animated series LITTLE DEMON with Danny Devito and Aubrey Plaza. He’s also used his voice acting talents to work with Ethan Hawke, Judy Reyes, Vivica Fox, Dania Ramirez and Minnie Driver. He has graced the top stages across the country such as The Public Theater (NYC), Steppenwolf (Chicago), Goodman (Chicago) and Geffen (LA). He is also a published writer having made “Best of Lists” in Chicago with his award winning solo play EMPANADA FOR A DREAM which chronicles his life growing up with his Drug Kingpin uncles in the Lower East Side of NYC. He is a graduate of the esteemed Maggie Flanigan Studio (NYC) and Improv Olympic (Chicago iO).
“EMILIO” IN THE WILD
WRITER FINALIST
Graham Galloway Chapa
Looking For RepresentationGraham Galloway Chapa (she/her) is a writer and actress based in NYC. Her first screenplay, featuring her monologue for Nosotros, continues to win awards for excellence in writing. As a performer, Graham has been seen everywhere from Off-Broadway to a theatre in the corn fields of Iowa.
ACTOR FINALIST
Juan Hernandez
Juan Hernandez Jr. is a Hollywood-based actor and writer born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started cutting his show business chops as a local sports anchor and host in LA. As an actor, he’s appeared in musical theater productions and on film while studying at the Lee Strasberg Institute, a deep dive into comedic acting at Scott Sedita Studios, and now being honored as a finalist in the 2022 Ya Tu Saves Monologue Slam presented by NBC Universal and Nosotros.
THE FIRST BREAKFAST
WRITER FINALIST
Sergio Osuna
My name is Sergio Osuna, and I was born and raised in Mexico, in the city of Hermosillo, Sonora. I’ve been in this industry for over 15 years. Studied acting in Vancouver, Canada and then after a failed year where I couldn’t get a work permit, went back home to Mexico to start my career. While in Mexico City, I worked on tv projects, lots of theatre but mostly commercials and in 2013 I moved back to Canada now, as a permanent resident and have been working nonstop on Television, recurring on shows like: Colony, Dirk Gently: Holistic Detective Agency and 4 Seasons of The Magicians, to name a few. Storytelling is my passion, I love telling other people stories but the ones I connect with the most of course, are the ones that are closest to my heart and my own personal experience, as a gay latin immigrant man.
ACTOR FINALIST
Jhonattan Ardila
Jhonattan Ardila was born in the city of Cali, Colombia and grew up in NYC. He is an actor that has been grinding in the film industry for over a decade. After being cast in the theatrical production of "Den Of Thieves", Jhonattan fully committed and dove head first into his acting career. Being a trilingual and versatile performer has led Jhonattan to accumulate credits in numerous award-winning films, various network and streaming shows, as well as, lending his voice to several video game characters and performing his own stunts. Noticing the lack of diversity in roles for minorities in roles of prominence, Jhonattan took it upon himself in creating the content he wanted to see. His most recent production, "Dreams", which he wrote and directed, made its premiere at the NY Shorts Film Fest. The film touches on the issues of a young immigrant growing up in urban NYC. The passion to portray characters of diverse backgrounds and tell stories that show the real struggles and needs of people are what continue to drive his career. Jhonattan's most recent credits include roles on Reacher (Amazon) and Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft), amongst others. He is represented by The Characters Talent Agency in Toronto.
LA LLORONA
WRITER FINALIST
Bianca Singer
Bianca graduated from the Music Theatre program at AMDA College and Conservatory. Since graduated she has performed theater all over Southern California. She is also a writer and creator where she wrote and produced a short film “Que Eres?” Which was inspired by her years in middle school. Bianca recently closed her one woman cabaret at the Hollywood Fringe Festival this past summer called “The Quarantine Diaries” where she sings and talks about finding herself in uncertain times. Bianca is most known on TikTok as Miss B @missbsinger where she is a comedic content creator and gives advice to young actors.
ACTOR FINALIST
Camila Rodriguez
Camila Rodríguez was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. She moved to The United States in 2005. Camila completed a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing in 2013 while simultaneously following her passion for acting in 2014. She has participated in numerous plays in Miami, Fl, where she resides. Her repertoire includes: “Romeo and Juliet”, “Hamlet”, “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, “Iphigenia in Aulis”, among others. Camila graduated from Adriana Barraza Acting studio in 2017 and has participated in several acting workshops in South Florida. She began her career in film in 2017 and has taken part in multiple short-films. Her feature film debut was “Huracan” in 2019 which premiered at the Miami Film Festival and is now streaming on HBO. Her first lead role was in “The Welder” a feature film that has been selected in numerous festivals around the world. She also was awarded “Best Actress” by the New York City Horror Film Festival in 2021 for her portrayal as “Eliza” in the Welder. Her biggest aspiration as an actress is to proudly represent Colombia and Latin America in The United States and around the world. She also hopes to have the opportunity in keep on acting in film productions, TV, and Theater.
WAITING FOR FORGIVENESS
WRITER FINALIST
Samantha Villarroel
Looking For RepresentationSamantha Villarroel is a SoFlo actor/writer with a passion to tell latinx matriarchy stories that deserve to be told. She has participated in Sundance 2020, WOCunite mentorship program under Ted Zizik's (BUNK'D), The Latinx Writer's Initiative, and TV Structure Eric Kaplan (Big Bang Theory) and Jeff Howard (Haunting of Hill House) to name a few. By day, she works as a Production Coordinator with credits in NBCUniversal, Apple+, and Comedy Central. Be on the lookout for her first Producer credit. By night, she writes comedy sketches and plays for local theatres, attends musicals, and supports women’s rights. Most recently, she was named writer finalist for NBC's 4th annual Monologue Slam. Samantha desires to be staffed on HBO's Sex Lives of College Girls. Mindy call me. I'm ready for you.
ACTOR FINALIST
Alizae Powell
Alizae Powell is a 25 year old Black and Puerto Rican woman. Alizae moved to San Diego from Brooklyn NY in September of this year and is excited to branch out into the film and tv industry. Alizaes previous work is in the theater world with many new works under belt such as “The Command Center Outside Of Angel Grove” by SMJ, “Fora” written by Jae Broderick and composed by Matt Cohen, etc. Alizae is an excited kind of nervous to finally be able to show the work that has been done on this monologue and is overall thankful for this gift of an opportunity, as well as looking forward to many more opportunities to come. Because “I was born for this
CUARTA PARED
WRITER FINALIST
Bryan Torresdey
Looking For RepresentationAs anyone who was raised by immigrant parents knows… Being the first generation born in America is a lot of pressure. Throw in family dysfunction, three brothers, and a Mexican mother from Juarez, and you have the perfect recipe for Bryan Torresdey’s comedy. His parents divorced when he was young, so he found solace in these hard times with his babysitter - AKA reruns of Seinfeld. That’s when Bryan knew what he wanted to do. As soon as he could, he jumped into his check engine light edition VW and three tow truck hitches later he was out of Texas! He was recently a stand-up comedy finalist for the 2022 Kenan Thompson Ultimate Comedy Experience and is currently filming a comedy pilot based on his parents' lives growing up in El Paso TX in the 80's . When he’s not ready to throw his laptop out the window writing/producing his latest project, he can be seen around NYC trying to keep up with his two spoiled dogs or performing nightly at various clubs turning childhood trauma into adult laughter.
ACTOR FINALIST
Priscela Izquierdo
Priscela Izquierdo is a bilingual first generation Ecuadorian actress born in Los Angeles. She wanted to be a professional actress at 5 years old, but didn’t actually begin until she was a young adult. After graduating from California State University of Long Beach on the Dean's List with a B.A. in Business Management, she realized it was time to pursue her dream. She made her television debut on Mayans MC (2018) and since then, has been in the running for many shows and films, in addition to making it into the callback rounds for the Disney Television Discovers Talent Showcase (2021), and the WarnerMedia Access Talent Spotlight (2022). More recently, she is an Actor Finalist for the National Hispanic Media Coalition Showcase (2022), is 1 of 12 Actor Finalists chosen by NBCUniversal for the Nosotros Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam Showcase (2022), and is working on a new Netflix series as a Dubbing Actor (2022). As an up and coming Latina actress, she strives to open the door for the LatinX community in Hollywood.
TWO FOR ONE
WRITER FINALIST
Franco Gonzalez
Looking For RepresentationFranco grew up in Southern California, an immigrant and eldest of four children. He attended the University of California San Marcos where he majored in Criminology and Sociology. His affinity for performance led him to take part in school plays and consequently gain an interest in acting as a profession. A lover of risk and adventure, he decided to abandon job prospects in law enforcement and pursue an opportunity to train as an actor in London, England. After an initial failure, Franco tried again and succeeded in gaining acceptance into the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, making him the first Mexican to ever gain entry. After earning his BA Hons in acting and having a go at the London acting scene, he opted to move to New York City and try his hand in the American market. He is now based in NYC where he’s done multiple film, T.V. and stage productions as well as writing and co-writing shorts and features. He constantly seeks to use acting and writing to tell the story of genuine human experience, storytelling as a vessel for connection.
ACTOR FINALIST
Caleb Cruz
My name is Caleb Cruz and I'm extremely grateful to be a part of the showcase this year! Born and raised in Orlando, FL basketball was always my first love up until senior year of high school. I can honestly say being an athlete first in my life has shaped the way I approach story-telling as an actor. Aside from performing, my love for writing has blossomed recently; and I'm looking forward to self-publishing my first poetry collection early next year. Gracias mi gente!
TIME TRAVEL
WRITER FINALIST
Stephanie Mazariego
Stephanie Mazariego is a first-generation Salvadoreña-Americana who grew up with the stars in her eyes and an inherent need to connect to the world through stories. Raised by immigrant parents, she saw the sacrifices they had to make to give her a better life than they had, so she earned two Undergraduate Degrees and a Masters Degree while simultaneously chasing her creative dreams along the way. In 2015, Stephanie completed her first web series, Wait Crimes, which went on to win Best Web Series at the Independent Filmmakers Showcase Film Festival. With an ever-expanding and perpetually persistent drive, she continues to pursue telling stories from the most authentic parts of herself in the hopes of moving the world toward a more empathetic existence and becoming the representation that drives Latinx youth of all shapes, orientations, and walks of life to pursue their own voices through their original works of art. As her abuelita always used to say: "Con orgullo, voz, y corazón, ¡échale ganas, amor!" — “With pride, voice, and heart, give it all you got, love!”
ACTOR FINALIST
Martha Duque
Martha Duque has gained much success in the commercial and film market, with bookings like Wendys, Not Your Mothers Haircare line, Dental Plan with Suze Orman, and more. Having worked on Telemundo and being a lead on a TV Pilot "Subclass", she has also won "Best Actress" and "Best Acting Ensemble" in 2 festivals for 2 separate films. Currently training at Nick Conti's Professional Acting Studio, she has also trained using the Uta Hagen method With Marc Durso, trains at Dance 101 for Hip Hop and Heels, Jiu Jitsu Martial Artist at Odyssey BJJ, Stunts at ATL Stunts, and sings (Mezzo Soprano) Prepared to transform into any role, from the sweet girl next door in a TV Series, to the unsuspecting villain in a Major Motion Picture.
NOSOTROS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the oldest Latino Arts Advocacy program in existence, founded in 1970 in part by Ricardo Montalbán. It has been working for over 50 years to enhance the image of Latino in Television and Film and to increase the opportunities given to those actively seeking careers in entertainment. Nosotros provides a diverse and accessible range of Arts, Education, and Networking programs that prepare and enrich the lives of our Latinx creative community.
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