Maria Leal

Hola! I’m Maria Leal. (** cue West Side Story Music **)

I was born in Colombia but was raised in what I like to call South America’s Backyard: Miami. At a young age I fell in love with singing in my car, dancing in the kitchen, and putting on plays in my bedroom. I fell in love with making people think, feel, and find a voice while on stage. Apart from acting I spend a lot of my time baking, re-watching Hamilton, and lesson planning. I am fortunate to have had amazing educators and mentors throughout my life that showed me how amazing being a teacher is. They gave me a passion for theatre education, as well. I want to help people find their spark. I have a drive for teaching imagination- creativity, curiosity, and growth through acting. Now that I graduated from Chapman University, with a BFA in Theatre Performance and a minor in Educational studies, I have a plan to change the world through art.

I truly do believe art can heal the world – watch me.