Interview: Theatre Life with Alina Collins Maldonado

Today’s subject Alina Collins Maldonado is currently living her theatre life at Folger Theatre where she can be seen as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. The production runs through November 10th.

Alina returns to Folger Theatre having previously performed in their production of King John. Other select DC stage credits include Everybody and Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare Theatre Company, BLKS at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Native Gardens (Helen Hayes nomination), El Paso Blue, Mariela en el desierto, and Los empeños de una casa at GALA Hispanic Theatre, and Something Moving at Ford’s Theatre.

Alina has also performed in a number of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) productions around town. Credits include Where Words Once Were and Digging Up Dessa at Kennedy Center, and The Smartest Girl in The World and Robin Hood at Imagination Stage.

She is currently a Resident Artist at Eaton DC.

Alina Collins Maldonado is one of those actresses that commands the stage no matter what show she is performing in. Her superb acting and passion for her craft is awe inspiring to be sure. Her performances connect with audience members of all ages and let’s face it, if your work leaves an impression with your audience, then you definitely are doing something right.

Grab your tickets to Romeo and Juliet at Folger Theatre and see for yourself why Alina Collins Maldonado is living her theatre life to the absolute fullest.

At what age did it become apparent that performing was going to be your chosen profession?

Report cards were sent home as a kid noting me as too talkative and spending too much time trying to make classmates laugh. So, although I never actually performed on a stage until late high school, I always wanted to entertain. I distinctly remember the moment I did desire to be an actor, was when I was sitting by myself, 10 years old, in my family’s living room having just rented West Side Story on VHS. Rita Moreno’s performance of Anita had me mesmerized and I was hooked.

Where did you receive your theatrical training?

I received a BA in Theater and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.

What was your first professional job as a performer?

One of my very first professional jobs as a performer was as the Selector in How We Got On by Idris Goodwin at the Forum Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland. It was directed by Paige Hernandez and had dramaturgy by Raymond O. Caldwell.

Shakespeare can interpreted in a million different ways. Can you please talk about the concept for Folger Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet?

We are in a metaverse, somewhere in the distant (or near) future. A presidential campaign is at the forefront of our story. Our two houses of Montague and Capulet are in political warfare. This world is encompassed by substance abuse. Those substances can be and not limited to drugs, alcohol, cell phones, technology, the 24 hours news cycle, and violence. Amongst these substances that we are enraptured in, will the promise of love between two opposing sides be possibility?

You are playing the role of Tybalt in this production. For those that need a refresher, can you please tell us a little bit about your character?

Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is known for his fighting finesse and in the streets of Verona his title is “The Prince of Cats.” He is undeniably loyal to his family. He delights in using violence to prove his loyalty and honor his family’s name. Tybalt is a die hard, “Family Over Everything.”

Romeo and Juliet is not the first time you have performed in one of Shakespeare’s plays. Is there a particular role you would like to tackle from his canon?

Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Titania. Fire and vulnerability excite me.

Why do you think it is important that Shakespeare’s works continue to get performed and reimagined for modern audiences?

I have a deep appreciation for language and poetry. When an audience engages with a reimagined Shakespeare or other classical works, they can transform what may initially seem foreign or distant into something relatable and relevant to their own lives and the modern world. This connection serves as a powerful means of understanding timeless themes and characters.

You have performed in a bunch of Theatre for Audience (TYA) productions at Kennedy Center and Imagination Stage. As we all know, kids are totally unfiltered in their responses. What is the most memorable response/encounter you have had with a young theatregoer?

I have had the blessing to be able to play righteous, determined, rebellious young women characters for TYA productions. Most have been for world and regional premieres and for some I have even been speaking in Spanish. What has been most memorable is having young people come up to me after the show and say, “You look like me.” “You sound like me.” I have directed my career to make sure that I am representing people, representing Latinas, multicultural women, I would have wanted to see growing up. And of course, another best part of TYA is during live shows when kids cheer your character on or console your character out loud. You don’t get that with audiences of adults.

After Romeo and Juliet finishes, what does the rest of 2024 and into 2025 hold in store for you workwise?

I have created my own original work with artist residencies in the DMV area. I am currently an Artist in Residence at Eaton House DC and will be sharing a new one woman show this December 2024. I don’t want to share the title yet because I’m still wrestling over two options that haunt me daily. At the start of 2025, I will be directing a world premiere touring production at Imagination Stage, titled The Last Martyr by Malik Work as part of their Theatre for Change programming.

Special thanks to Folger Theatre's Senior Communications Manager Colleen Kennedy and Events Publicity and Marketing Manager Peter Eramo for their assistance in coordinating this interview.

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