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[0:00] Martín Acuña: Hi everyone, I am Martín Acuña and you are listening to Backstage Talk.

[0:10] Martín Acuña: Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Backstage Talk. Today's guest is a proud Mexican-Indigenous actress who made her Broadway debut in 1776 and is very excited to be currently on tour with this show. I have here with me Shelby Acosta. She was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, the border with Juárez, Mexico. Shelby, I am so excited to have you over. Welcome to Backstage Talk.

[0:42] Shelby Acosta: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm so hyped.

[0:46] Martín Acuña: How are you? You just mentioned before we started recording that you're currently in D.C. with the touring production of 1776.

[0:55] Shelby Acosta: Yes, we're in D.C. We're here for three weeks. We're coming up on our last week and it's been pretty insane to be in a place that is known for being very political and doing this show. So that's been wild and really fun.

[1:11] Martín Acuña: Oh, I love that. But let's go back a little bit into who you are. I know that I read just a little bit of your bio, but what else do we have to know about you?

[1:22] Shelby Acosta: Yeah. So I was born in El Paso. There wasn't a lot of theater in the area growing up because it's just, you know, being a small border town, just not the focus. And so around when I was in middle school, one of my best friend's moms, she created this theater company and it was like a community theater. And I started doing theater there and I was like, this is absolutely what I want to do. And so around high school, my mom was like, well, if this is what you want to do, let's focus on it. So I auditioned for a performing arts high school in Michigan and I got in and I went there for high school and then auditioned for a bunch of musical theater colleges and I got into Texas State and I went there and learned a lot, focused a lot on acting and singing. And then after I graduated, I worked on a cruise ship for two contracts and I traveled the world. And then I moved to New York and started pursuing actual musical theater, Broadway stuff.

[2:40] Martín Acuña: I love it. I love it. And like your story is a common one that I've heard about a lot of people that right after school, they go on cruise ships and start doing these productions on there because they pay well. And you can start your savings account before moving into New York. So that is really cool.

[2:59] Shelby Acosta: Yeah. A lot of people are probably better at that than I am because I went shopping all the time and didn't save that much, but you know what? That's okay. I had a lot of great clothes.

[3:12] Martín Acuña: So that's all that matters.

[3:19] Shelby Acosta: Yeah. And you were enjoying it. So it doesn't matter. So why musical theater? Why Broadway? Why theater?

[3:26] Shelby Acosta: Well, I feel like I always, I grew up singing. Like before I could even speak, I was singing. And so music's always been such a close thing to my heart and like in my, in my body. And as I got older, I mean, I was, I was a dramatic little kid. So I feel like everyone who's an actor was a dramatic little kid. And so when I would sing, I would like feel the emotion and like the storytelling of it and just going into a pop singing world or just like acting, it didn't feel like the right combo for me because I wanted to sing and feel and like emote. So musical theater has always been the place that I can do that. And yeah, I just, I fell in love with it. And I, every time I perform on stage, it's, it's just, it feels like a release in my body.

[4:33] Martín Acuña: I love that. I love that. So let's double click on your journey to Broadway. So you just had your debut with 1776, now touring the country. How was that whole experience?

[4:47] Shelby Acosta: It was nuts. They, I mean, they've been trying to, they were trying to put up this production for so long and then it got shut down because of COVID. And then it was supposed to tour first, but then couldn't. So they started on Broadway and then did the tour. Well, they started in Boston at ART and then moved to Broadway and then the tour. And I didn't join until like a couple of weeks before the Broadway rehearsal started. I auditioned, I sent in a video and I didn't hear anything for probably about a month, two months. And then out of the blue, my agent was like, Hey, can you record some callback material for this and send it in ASAP? And I was like, yeah, of course. So I did it that day. And then the next day he was like, they really, they're really interested.

Would you be able to start tomorrow? And I was like, yeah. And so they're like, okay, great. Like you're going to start tomorrow. And so I was like, Oh, I was at my bartending job and I was like, Hey everyone, my last day is today. Sorry. Like, bye. And I got offered a standby contract and I understudied four roles on Broadway. And out of like over 110 performances, I went on for probably 67, 69 of those, which was pretty insane. Yeah. And it was just a whirlwind, so fast and it was incredible.

[6:26] Martín Acuña: I love that. I absolutely love that. So how has your heritage influenced your artistry?

[6:34] Shelby Acosta: Yeah, I am so unapologetically connected to my culture and like how I look and who I represent. And I've never shied away from bringing myself to characters. And so whenever I do something, it's, you're going to see me, Latina, Shelby doing this and like bringing my own flair into the character. I mean, I've played a lot of typically white roles. And I love that because people see me on stage and they're like, Oh, okay. Yeah. Like this doesn't just have to be a singular type of person playing this. And even I'm not a tiny little like ingenue person. I have curves, I have hips, I'm a little thick. And so whenever I do that, I'm on stage with my full body and I'm like, yes, there are all body types and shapes and looks and images and colors can play.

[7:47] Shelby Acosta: Thank you so much for having me, Martín. I'm really excited to be here and share my journey with you.

[8:17] Shelby Acosta: It's been quite a ride, especially being part of a show like 1776, which is so politically charged and relevant today.

[8:47] Shelby Acosta: Portraying a Founding Father as a queer Latina performer has been an incredible experience. It really challenges the traditional narratives we often see in theater.

[9:07] Shelby Acosta: I think it's important to bring our own identities and experiences into these roles, and I feel like that's what I'm doing with this character.

[9:37] Shelby Acosta: The show itself has so many layers, and being able to explore them through my lens has been both empowering and enlightening.

[9:57] Shelby Acosta: I remember the first time I stepped on stage in this role, feeling the weight of history and the responsibility to represent my community.

[10:17] Shelby Acosta: It's not just about performing; it's about making a statement and connecting with the audience on a deeper level.

[10:37] Shelby Acosta: The reactions from the audience have been overwhelmingly positive, and it's amazing to see how people resonate with the themes of the show.

[10:57] Shelby Acosta: I think art has the power to spark conversations, and that's what I hope to achieve through my performance.

[11:17] Shelby Acosta: It's also been a journey of self-discovery for me, embracing my identity and using it to inform my work.

[11:37] Shelby Acosta: I feel like every time I go on stage, I'm not just telling a story; I'm sharing a piece of myself.

[11:57] Shelby Acosta: And that's something I hope to inspire in other performers as well, to bring their whole selves to their work.

[12:17] Shelby Acosta: The support from my fellow cast members has been incredible, and we all uplift each other in this process.

[12:37] Shelby Acosta: It's a collaborative effort, and I think that energy translates to the audience.

[12:57] Shelby Acosta: I love that we can create a space where everyone feels seen and heard, both on stage and off.

[13:17] Shelby Acosta: Being part of this production has truly been a dream come true, and I can't wait to see where it takes me next.

[13:37] Shelby Acosta: I believe that stories like ours need to be told, and I'm grateful to be a part of that narrative.

[13:57] Shelby Acosta: It's all about representation and showing that there are many ways to tell a story.

[14:17] Shelby Acosta: I'm excited for the future and to continue pushing boundaries in the theater world.

[14:37] Shelby Acosta: Thank you for giving me the platform to share my thoughts and experiences, Martín.

[14:57] Shelby Acosta: I hope that listeners feel inspired to embrace their own stories and pursue their passions.

[15:17] Shelby Acosta: Let's keep the conversation going and support each other in this beautiful journey of art and expression.

[15:27] Shelby Acosta: Thank you!