Drama Queens, a five-star arts journal focusing on female artists

The United Solo Theatre Festival – due to continuing restrictions – has evolved into the United Solo Screen presenting a litany of captivating solo film showings. A featured event there is ELLA Y YO. This deep exploration follows a woman’s journey in search for acceptance and healing of her identity. Written, directed, produced, edited, and starring international stage and film actress Gilda Mercado, Ella Y Yo takes thew audience on a schizophrenic journey through a woman’s psyche to revel power and paranoia in a swirl of imagery moving from the stunningly beautiful to graphic and disturbing. Mercado plays a woman battling herself within herself. Utilizing clever camera tricks, turning a split screen into a balletic dance of the id, ego, and superego.

Gilda Mercado is a Mexican actress, theater maker, and creative. Born and raised in Mexico City, Gilda developed an interest in acting from an early age. Her passion for the arts drew her first to the theater, where she notably participated in the play “Boda en Cirilico.” The show was directed by Ylia O. Popesku, and it was performed at the Torre Latinoamericana, one of Mexico City’s most important landmarks. Gilda subsequently co-starred in a short film and played opposite Ariel Award winning actors Tenoch Huerta (Narcos Mexico) and Cassandra Ciangherotti. (The Ariel Awards are Mexico’s equivalent to the Oscars.) The film, “Elevados”, was invited to several international film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Fest, “One Shot” ISFF, 12 Months Film festival, and the Asiana International Short Film Festival among others.

Ella Y Yo is available at https://screen.unitedsolo.org/.

We spoke with Ms. Mercado on her art and her journey.

Is your work autobiographical?

The work I do is not autobiographical, since my work consists of representing different characters which most of the time are totally different from me. However, I believe that there is a part of me in every character I play as well as them in me. I think every performance and creation offers a small glimpse into the artist’s soul. That’s what makes art soulful. I believe art is a mirror of us. Acting, I believe, is a combination of the writer’s words, the director’s vision, and the actor’s imagination and soul. I think the best artists are those who are full of life, depth, and contradictions. However, now that I think about the question, I’ve been collaborating and creating new work these past two years. A piece I created recently for Rattlestick Playwrights Theater might slightly be based on myself and on my feelings as a woman and a performer. I’m fascinated by the concept of identity, a subject I believe can never be fully understood. This theme keeps coming up in my work and it can definitely be seen in this last performance. ‘Ella y yo” is a bilingual digital piece I wrote, directed, edited and performed which was selected to be part of United Solo Screen. The piece combines text, imagery, music and movement to encapsulate the struggle to find oneself. The short play follows a woman’s journey to healing and acceptance, as she learns to embrace all the parts that make her a complex human being. This solo work is an exploration of questions and thoughts that every human but particularly women – can identify with. I created this piece with the goal of making it entertaining, visually captivating, relatable, and more importantly, raw and honest. It was challenging, fulfilling, and at times, a terrifying process. I feel proud to say I created a piece of depth and vulnerability.

What is it like being an artist in the United States? in your native country?

In my experience, being an artist in the United States, Mexico and the United Kingdom is pretty similar. It is a challenging industry, but also a fulfilling profession. The main differences I’ve noticed are the perspectives of the countries and their expression of art. However, the biggest difference between Mexico and the United States is that the industry is more well-developed and the theater scene is more diverse. There are fewer opportunities for doing straight theatre in Mexico, including classical theater. I feel that the United States offers a blend of different kinds of theaters, from classical to devised, not to mention its diversity of stories.

What obstacles do you face now … as a woman … and an immigrant?

Although there has been a lot of progress made in the industry in terms of inclusion and diversity, there is still a long way to go. There are a lot of misconceptions about the Latinx community. We are a diverse community made up of different races, colors, cultures and accents. I believe there isn’t enough representation in the media, on television, and in the theater. Not every Latina speaks the same, looks the same, and sounds the same. It would be as if we put all Europeans in the same category or say that English, Irish and Scottish are all the same. I feel that the stories are often driven mainly by ethnicity and the fact that the characters are Latino. I want to see more roles in which nationality and race are irrelevant and as an actress, I’m being considered not because of my background but because I am the best to play the role. As many English, Australian and American actors do, where you see them playing complex characters that are driven by their humanity and circumstances.

What’s next?

I have a few projects coming up for next year. Currently, I’m excited to work with The Blind Cupid Shakespeare Company on their upcoming 2022 season. A friend and I are currently working on a script for a western film, and I will be part of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater’s upcoming Global Forms Theater Festival in 2022.