We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Payton Moledor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Payton below.
Payton, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter syndrome seems to haunt creatives of all types, but I believe the key to feeling like you belong in a room is to truly believe that you have something unique that sets you apart. Nobody can sound exactly like you, tell a story exactly like you, or fill a space exactly like you.
As a musical theatre performer, I often walk into an audition room full of women who look and sound a lot like me. There’s a huge amount of fear in that- and pressure to stand out! When you release that need and just allow yourself to perform in a way that makes you happy, the world opens up for you. I started truly working jobs that fulfilled me when I stopped trying to please the casting team in an audition and just sang music that I know I loved. My voice teacher often tells me that auditions are just about acting as yourself through a song. You’re auditioning you as a person as much as you as a performer, and that’s incredibly freeing to me.
The imposter syndrome for musical theatre performers doesn’t stop in the audition room, though. In such a competitive industry it’s hard to believe you belong even after you’ve gotten the job. But why not? You were chosen because you have a unique story to tell.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Payton, a performer based in New York City. I was born and raised in Mount Airy “Mayberry” North Carolina where I was homeschooled and fell in love with performing on the same stage as Andy Griffith. For me, a career in theatre was never an option. I was hooked from the moment I performed in Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when I was 14.
I’m a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the University of Virginia. I studied acting and Shakespeare in college, and have found most of my professional work as a soprano in classic musicals, many of them Disney shows.
Some favorite projects of late include Ensemble in Evita (The REV Theatre Co.), Madame de Garderobe in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Disney Cruise Line), Pilar in Legally Blonde (Mill Mountain Theatre), and Stephanie Mangano in Saturday Night Fever (Prather Productions).
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Learning to act is incredibly important as a musical theatre performer. I quickly learned in the professional world that people don’t care as much about how you sound if you can truly tell a story.
Learning how to be a businesswoman was also a very important discovery in my journey. I actually worked as the Assistant Artistic Director of a professional theatre straight out of school and I learned SO much that I can apply to my work. You have to view yourself as a business to succeed. That applies to your training, your finances, and the jobs you accept.
Finally, learning that your personal life is even more important than your professional life has changed the way I live and view the world. Pursuing relationships, friendships, and fun is the best thing I ever did for my professional life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paytonmoledor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paytonmoledor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PaytonClare13
Image Credits
Sanjay Suchak, D K Brower Photography
