Theater Spotlight: Juanita’s Pride
Your “warm and fuzzies” for the day are just a TikTok away!
“Last week I was walking into club before the students got there. And I bumped into a new student, she just moved from Bangladesh two months ago and this was her third day in school. I said hi to her and I introduced myself. I told her a little bit about the drama club.
I remember when I moved to, the United States and I didn't speak any English and when I saw her I was like, oh my God, I know what it is to be in her position.
I was very hesitant to introduce her and like have her talk because I didn't also wanna put her on the spot but it was the students who were asking the questions
they were eager to know a little bit more about her culture and the things she liked and they were asking to pronounce her name properly, which was really beautiful.
My students are currently working on. A scene from euphoria And it was so nice because the students invited her to participate and they were giving up their participation in the scene so she could be part of it.
At the end of the club she walked with me out of the school and the girl was so grateful. She was saying that she was very happy to be able to be acting with us. And I love how my students took the initiative to be the ones making this space such a welcome space.
So later on that night, I texted them all and I said how proud I was of them, we have been able to create a very safe space, even for students who just moved to the country and they don't know anybody in school. I was very proud of them. And this week the student came back.”
Juanita Castro-Ochoa (she/her/ella)
Juanita Castro-Ochoa is a Colombian NYC-based actress and teaching artist with an MFA in acting from the Actor Studio Drama School. She specializes in teaching and coaching in the non-profit sector with students in the New York City area. She has been teaching with BAE for five years in different programs including Urban Assembly Drama Club, Shanti Bahavan and Tomas de Berlanga. She has also acted in various plays, short films and commercials. In her free time she is training to become an amateur boxer."
