Hi! My name is Ananda Córdova Stuart and as this website shows, Musical Theatre is my passion. I’m currently a senior at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (long name I know.) I want to pursue Musical Theatre and the arts; because of that I had to go through the very exhausting, scary, and exhilarating process of applying to Musical Theatre BFA programs. The very first step to that was college essays. Which at the beginning I thought they would be the absolute worse, but by the end of it they were the easiest. So as an introduction to who I am, here is my first essay that I sent to about 12 colleges. It tackles every single part of me.
I believe that the most integral part of me is my Latina identity; I hug the Ecuadorian part of me tight. The use of Spanish in my world allows me to communicate with the most important people in my life: my family. I come from a biracial, bicultural family. My U.S American mother traveled to Ecuador as a curious college student to pick up a new language. Not only did she pick up Spanish but a cute Ecuadorian as well, my dad. That was the beginning of their love story, and the backbone of the rest of my life. My mother’s curiosity and hunger for new experiences and travel is something that lives on in me.
This summer my close friend and I organized a month long trip to Europe. We went alone, taking only each other and a backpack of belongings. It was the ultimate test for me: trying to figure out what train to get on, which roads to take, which currency to use in each country, all while being surrounded by a multitude of people communicating in so many different ways--through languages, behaviors, and non-verbales. While the experience was a whirlwind, there was something familiar and grounding about it as well. Being on the go and moving country to country for a short amount of time gave me the rush I often crave. It also settled me into my preferred style of staying organized and being aware of my surroundings at all times. It was crucial that I kept my belongings in order because of the constant travel as there wasn't space in my trip to be “forgetful.” It was all up to me, and I loved the challenge. I got to visit friends and family from all over Europe. I learned to enter every situation with kindness, because you’ll never believe how much more willing someone is to help when you approach with a smile.
One of the most important things for my future success will be the connections I have with people and communities in different parts of the world. It’s so important to keep in contact with my international mentors and friends. The cultural exchanges and experiences I have been through have helped mold me into the person I can and want to be.
These experiences have also had an extreme impact on my art. Developing a character involves research. Understanding the time period, the environmental and political climate, and the culture of each individual character is essential to portraying them accurately. Having had the privilege to travel, learn and experience cultural differences across the world has motivated me to seek it out on stage. With that drive, I’d love to see more productions done with the Latinx community highlighted. Keeping world relationships are key factors for that success.
Navigating my own cultural identity influences how I choose to move through the world. Just like my mom, travel has brought her to my father and the rest of her life. For me, travel has given me this conclusion: you can learn so much when standing in the middle of a train station unsure of where to go next. The art of thinking on your feet, having the courage to move on and the curiosity to ask questions are all strategies that have influenced my life on and off the stage. So why me? I intend to live my life through the stage. Theater is my platform; it’s how I best know to express and develop myself as I continue to learn about the world, my art, and myself.