03/13/2026
Meet our Alumni: Paula Brancati! ⭐️
I can confidently say Charactors changed my life. It’s where I first felt at home, understood, and truly comfortable in my skin. I was a really shy kid but immediately felt so safe to play and create thanks to the warm rehearsal space Megan and Wayne fostered. With them I learned how much joy can come from working in a company of actors towards a shared goal at such a young age; they fanned our creative flames with such kindness and care. I can’t say I ever thought I’d be working as an actor when I was a kid- I just knew that when I was on stage I felt freer than I ever had and out of my head in a way I didn’t know was possible for me. Megan and Wayne could see something in me I couldn’t dream up for myself and as I started to work on set as a child actor, they made that transition feel safe and easy for me too; they supported me staying at Charactors (the highlight of my week!) working on the year end show while I filmed during the days and they always made me feel like I was coming home when I was in their rehearsal space. No idea was ever too small or silly or trivial for any of us to offer up in the room- they have always treated young people with respect and dignity no matter the size of role or our age. They set the bar for what leadership in the arts should be like and are still my north star when I think about the kind of leader I want to be after nearly 30 years working as an actor and now, also a producer/director on set. Perhaps the greatest gift of all is that I still get to call the two of them dear friends who feel like family. I also met some of the most glorious friends along the way during my years at CharActors- people I love and adore and see often to this day. And all of us that attended Charactors at one point or another feel like extended family because of the ways in which we got to grow side by side and share our sweet theatre kid hearts with each other no matter where life took us in our later years. What a gift! A lesson learned: prepare! No matter the gig, no matter the opportunity, no matter the field you’re in.
