Meet Emanuel Loarca

We were lucky to catch up with Emanuel Loarca recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emanuel, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?

Generosity and kindness are some of the qualities I admire most in a human being. It makes me feel good and full. It really warms up my heart. I always try to pass it on to others every chance I get. And when it comes to the work/the craft I follow the same principle by honoring my teachers who share their knowledge with me.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am so thankful to wake up every day to do what I love to do. Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be an actor. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would move to New York where everything started. Growing up in a religious home, anything and everything outside of church was prohibited. I was advised against pursing my dream of becoming an exceptional actor more times that I can remember. But I knew I was meant to be an artist. A gift and a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I decided to follow my heart and joined an acting class in Manhattan behind their backs. I had a full-time job, a part-time and I would work in the school for couple of hours to be able to pay for my acting classes, headshots, websites, subscriptions and my dream. I had no contacts, no experience and no idea where or how to start. I only had my will power. And when I found the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater I knew I was home. It was the perfect place for me to grow and learn about myself and the craft of acting. I felt safe from domestic violence and the stigma of been different. The Latino theater community of New York City embraced me and for that I always be grateful. Once I felt ready, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and TV and here was when I was inspired to start my own theater group, to use our voice to celebrate our people, to bring attention to the issues we faced as a community and to advocate for social justice. That’s how Grupo de Teatro Akabal started twenty years ago. As I look back, I am thankful to that young man who despite his fears and shortcoming got me to where I am today. An accomplished actor, writer, director and producer.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

For me, I think it was perseverance, love and believing in my talent.

I would say to follow their hearts. The gut always knows. Never to give up on your dreams no matter what. And don’t listen to those that haven’t had the courage to try.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

My favorite book was giving to me by my dear mentor and acting teacher Alba Oms. The first six lessons by Richard Boleslavsky.

The lessons are explored as a play set up. Eah scene is a lesson. Easy to understand and follow.

To always look for the strongest choice. To have a clear objective in a scene and to know which dramatic actions better serve this objective. To make personal.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: emanuel.loarca
• Facebook: Emanuel Loarca
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=emanuel+loarca

Image Credits

Francisco Calvillo Foto
Alex Garcia Mencos
Billy Aguilar