calista olivares

You Found MePerformance

Acting ReelVideo of Monologues

Bio

Calista Aeron Olivares has been a friend and help to whoever she meets - whether it be as a fellow high school student at CAST Tech, a theatre kid of the ALAS (Activating Leadership through Arts and Service) Youth Theatre Company in the SAY Sí program, or a mentor to the creative youth in the WAM program. Even though she wasn't in the WAM middle school program herself, she still enjoys offering guidance from her own theatre experiences. Most of what she learned in theatre was from her instructors in ALAS. From climbing tall ladders to changing the light grid for events being hosted such as Muertitos Fest, to character development and acting techniques for community shows such as Mi Barrio: Enough is Enough. The connections made with her SAY Sí peers led her to attending and graduating as the first inaugural class of 2021 at CAST Tech High School. In her time at CAST Tech she had the privilege of having a handful of great mentors to guide her studies and ambitions. For instance being able to participate in internships, both in school and off campus, at the sophomore and junior level. Given all the opportunities and knowledge gained over the years, she hopes to further her education in psychology and major in social work at Our Lady of the Lake University here in San Antonio, TX.

Artist Statement

Since I was young, I had been known for the small doodles I’d leave on the edge of my notebook or the assignments in art class. I never fully understood that art was more than just being good at drawing. Theatre was a big step for me, especially because I was socially awkward and got embarrassed to stand up to get a tissue during class. I had even said it would be one of the things I would most likely never do. Luckily, I did. I was shown that art could be a form of movement or be engaging with other artists. It could be used to tell a story with music and lights. The connection between the audience and the stage can have the power to spark laughter or even shed a tear. Slowly my interest grew in the magic of theatre.

Most ALAS classes would consist of writing exercises and practicums to help us be better actors. Although I had co-written and contributed ideas to some of our other shows, it was very different from starting with nothing. When given creative space, it's harder to come up with one main idea and stick with it. Your mind is filled with lots of what ifs and ideas constantly change. What I had expected happened, with my senior thesis. I had so much space to come up with something of my own that I was overwhelmed. One thing for certain, I wanted the story to have a strong meaning. For there to be a clear message but still some room for interpretation. Since this year we didn’t have a traditional stage and audience, it was a bit challenging and left most decisions undecided.

However, I paired up with a good friend and fellow ALAS senior, Nathan Daniel Cazares. Together we eliminated ideas, fit the show to the space we would be working in, and slowly but surely wrote our final script. Personally, I have to say the balance between the comedy and seriousness within the show is perfect. Well, decent because nothing is really perfect. But I am happy with what was done. I am proud and thankful of my writing partner, our lovely cast, resilient instructors, hopeful alumni, my supporting family, and the gift to create and share that with others.

EXPRESSIONS oƒ SOLITUDE• • • • Adam Villarreal Andres Gutierrez Andrew Mendoza-Knecht Anna Isabel Hernandez Ashley Barg Brenna Brown Calista Olivares Cristino-Paul Fuentes Giovanna Lopez-Tristan Jonathan Rodriguez Kaitlynn Andrews Kayla Ritchey Kristin Quintanilla Maggie Rose Kolb Madelyn Holveck Nat Lopez Romero Nathan Daniel Cazares Richie Combs Sara Canestaro Sofia Rodriguez Tereza Espinoza