Maya Rivera

Maya Rivera recently graduated from Smith College with a B.A. in Theatre and a concentration in Acting. In addition to the theatre arts, Maya studied classical singing, the visual arts, various forms of movement and dance, and more at Smith and the Five Colleges. Maya fell in love with performing Shakespeare when she studied classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the spring of 2015. Some of Maya’s professional acting credits include playing Snail in New Century Theatre Kids’ musical production of A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, Snug/Snout/Cobweb in Hampshire Shakespeare Company’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, Caroline in the Huntington Theatre’s THE HAPPY JOURNEY TO TRENTON AND CAMDEN, and Lauren in New Century Theatre’s CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION. Maya also recently performed in the Live Art Magazine at the Academy of Music in Northampton, an annual pop-up showcase of a variety of acts by writers, musicians, students, and performers in the Pioneer Valley. Recent Smith College acting credits include Hermione/Rogero in THE WINTER’S TALE, Orlando in ORLANDO, and Eurydice/others in METAMORPHOSES.

For years Maya has loved working with children and enhancing their arts experience and education through working as a camp counselor, performer and workshop leader, volunteering in elementary school art classes, and providing childcare at the Mount Toby Friends’ Meeting in Leverett, MA. Maya is absolutely thrilled to be on ECT’s team of Teaching Artists where she can continue to bring enrichment, enjoyment, self-expression, and the powerful magic of theatre to children through an enhanced and intimate arts education experience.

It is Maya’s firm belief that every individual child deserves the chance to not only play and explore, but to be introduced to new activities and experiences that will tickle their fancy, to discover the joy in inspiration, in finding what makes them tick. With technology so prevalent in children’s lives today, it’s an essential job to inspire children to be inspired by new and creative activities, their peers, and engagement through communication and human connection rather than a screen.