CREATIVEMORNINGS WELCOMES LOCAL PRODUCER VICTORIA COLLADO TO DISCUSS ‘REVERIE’

Victoria Collado speaking at June’s CreativeMornings Miami held at Moonlighter Fab Lab on Miami Beach. Photo credit VACO Studio.

It was a fun-filled morning recently at the Moonlighter FabLab space on Miami Beach where a second consecutive in-person CreativeMornings Miami networking for creatives event was held.

The crowd settled in for another of what has become a gathering of creatives, ready to listen to Producer Victoria Collado drop knowledge, in her own unique and refreshingly transparent way on what “Reverie,” the morning’s topic, means to her.

Collado is a Cuban American director whose credits include Assistant Director of John Leguizamo’s “Latin History for Morons” on Broadway as well as directing for local theater groups, Miami New Drama, Juggerknot Theatre Company, and several others. After collaborating on “The Amparo Experience”, a Miami immersive theater project written by Vanessa Garcia, she went on to direct the production. Their successful teamwork and mutual inspiration led to the creation of Abre Camino Collective.

Taking her spot up front, microphone in hand, Collado quickly let everyone in attendance know this would be no ordinary event.

“As a child, I was diagnosed as an overthinker,” said Collado. “My mother took me to therapy and after just two quick sessions that was changed to ‘a child with an overactive imagination.”

In attendance at CreativeMornings Miami was playwright, and Collado’s Abre Camino Collective co-founder, Vanessa Garcia. Photo credit VACO Studio.

That would be one of the many times Collado’s talk that morning drew laughter and smiles from everyone. She went on to say that as a child she was always creating imaginary worlds, going as far as to act out scenes from television shows when she was walking into her grade school classroom.

Collado labels her overactive/overthinking as “sitcom brain” which she describes as “ways that I figure out how to create magical moments in the middle of conversations.”

Andrew Ruiz listens attentively to Victoria’s talk during the June CreativeMornings Miami at Moonlighter Fab Lab on Miami Beach. Photo credit VACO Studio.

At the start of her professional journey, she wanted to be an actress, but after time spent auditioning in New York City, something changed.

“My move to New York City after college was not what I expected, I was going to auditions but it wasn’t for me,” she said. “Then came a turning point in New York City, while I was sitting there waiting to audition that I realized I wanted to create as a director.”

This disillusionment at the beginning of her career she blames on “not giving my brain time to think.” But now as a director, her process includes looking for prompts that will get the creative juices flowing. Oftentimes, Collado uses music as prompts, even dancing, something she grew up doing.

Audience volunteers act out speaker Victoria Collado’s improv prompt with scenario suggestions from those in attendance at CreativeMornings Miami. Photo credit VACO Studio.

At one point during her talk, Collado asked two volunteers to join her and she quickly created an improv situation for them. As they went through the motions, those in attendance shouted out scenarios and situations for the volunteers to act out. The immersive, impromptu act resulted in rousing laughter and applause.

Collado closed her talk by encouraging all in attendance to see GableStage’s latest production “Native Gardens,” which Collado directed. Click here to read the Artburst Miami preview of the play.

CreativeMornings Miami take place on the first Friday of the month. The next CreativeMornings Miami will be on Friday, July 7 at 11 a.m. at Moonlighter FabLab located at 1661 Pennsylvania Ave., Miami Beach. Click here for more information.

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