Debuting Artist: Mya Coca

Colorado State University student, Mya Coca, takes her love for painting to OpenStage’s mainstage for The Revolutionists.

I am currently a senior at Colorado State University majoring in Theatre Design as well as Food Science and Nutrition. While at CSU I worked on various scenic and prop aspects for Rocky Horror, Cabaret, She Kills Monsters, Cosi Fan Tutte, These 7 Sicknesses, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, How I Learned to Drive, A Man of No Importance, and Lysistrata. Most recently, I was the assistant scenic charge artist for CSU’s production of Spring Awakening. I heard about OpenStage when I went to the Student/Educator night for their production of Cabaret. Around that time is when Sydney reached out to me and asked if I would like to be involved in The Revolutionists and I was excited to join.

I have always enjoyed participating in creative/artistic activities. I liked drawing, painting, building, pottery, and other crafts. At CSU I took several set design classes and I also took a scenic painting class with Heidi Larson who is a very talented painter. I also helped build and paint several of our productions at CSU.

My favorite productions I’ve ever worked on were She Kills Monsters and A Man of No Importance because I really felt connected to the characters, and they were both well-written and had compelling stories. The set design was awesome for both of them as well.

I had never heard of The Revolutionists prior to working on OST’s production.

I thought it would be awesome to work on a play about women, with almost all of the production staff being women.

I love how the author brings to light these women from history and tells their story in a fun way. The contribution of women in history has received too little attention, and this play not only shows the power of women but also shows women’s role in social change and how they fought against misogyny and racism. I really enjoyed the support and solidarity that the women expressed toward one another. Like when Marie and Marianne comforted each other after talking about their kids and husbands and when Marianne comforted and encouraged Charlotte before her trial. They truly exhibited the sentiment of Sororité. Their last words were also very impactful because they illustrated the courage they had and the sacrifices they made for their country.

They can look forward to incredible actresses that give passionate and vulnerable performances. It is a thought-provoking show that will make you laugh and potentially cry, as it has both comedic and emotional scenes. There are also vibrant and nuanced characters in this play.

I will be the head scenic artist for CSUs production of Machinal and will possibly work on OpenStages production of Clue: On Stage. Machinal, which will be directed by Debbie Swann, is inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder, and it explores the conformist pressures that patriarchy imposes on women.