nathan daniel cazares

You Found MePerformance

Acting ReelVideo of Monologue

Bio

Nathan Daniel Cazares is an actor, dancer and artist, as well as a graduate of CAST Tech High School. He has performed on many different stages: danced back up for a local San Antonio artist at the Mala Luna Festival, auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance: Next Generation, danced in a music video for Break My Heart by Angel Cintron, had co-choreographed for the San Antonio spurs Team Energy dance team, and competed at the World of Dance Houston 2019 with a team called “Nightmare” in the junior division, where they placed 3rd overall.

As an actor, most of his experience is derived from being a student at SAY Sí, joining the program as both a Visual Arts and Theatre student in the WAM middle school program. He is now one of SAY Sí’s high school WAM mentors and a studio liaison. As a middle school student in the WAM program, he was challenged to create a variety of plays, skits, paintings, sculptures, etc. all to refine his skills to eventually transfer to the high school thearte program. When he transferred to ALAS in high school, he began to really invest more time in his creative ability and wrote plays/skits more frequently for event showcases such as SAY Sí Night Live, Small Scale, and others.

Outside of SAY Sí, he auditioned for the Las Casas 11th annual JOCI awards where he obtained a $3,000 scholarship for competing and making it through as a finalist to perform a monologue from "Fences" by August Wilson on the stage of the Empire Theatre.

He plans on attending Trinity University in the fall, where he received a full-ride scholarship.

Artist Statement

Learning what it means to be vulnerable is what it means to be an actor. Actors know quite a lot about vulnerability, they're used to breaking through barriers to express their characters' emotions with as much authenticity as possible. An actor's vulnerability is precisely what draws audiences into any given story and, indeed can move them to tears.You need the skill of constant concentration to stay focused in character, no matter what. The thing about vulnerability is that it leads to greater connection. Everyone probably knows that because we've all had vulnerable moments in life with friends or family or lovers that open us to new levels of honesty or communication.

My last four years allowed me to experience what it means to be my authentic self. I was able to write scripts without the concerns of how others perceive me and the art I create. I learned to be myself and simultaneously be others. Having to get into character and become another being entirely allowed me to understand that being our authentic self means being who you truly are as a person, regardless of your occupation and regardless of the influence of others. It is an honest representation of you. It is to be true to yourself through your thoughts, words and actions. I would have to understand the thoughts, words and actions of each person I was portraying.

This piece I wrote in joint effort with Calista Olivares titled “You Found Me” conveys what happens when the mind enters the depths of depravity and explores what it means to unlock your inner vulnerability. After a countless amount of scrapped ideas from a collection of comedy skits, a movement piece, to a series of stand up poetry, I’m very grateful that I am here honoring my creative process with this final product.

Forever alone in a crowd, isolated, bullied and disregarded by everyone around him, Anthony becomes depressed and anxious. Anthony soon unconsciously attempts to harm himself while at the same time fights to save himself. In a split instant, he decides to survive and begins hallucinating and sees a woman named Jessica who saves his life and later on is revealed to be his conscience. He becomes delusional and imagines scenarios with himself and this woman named Veronica, whom he begins to feel fond for. He eventually breaks out of this delusion when he meets the actual Veronica. A fall out between his conscience, Jessica, and himself occurs: she unravels the truth behind his delusions.

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