Bio:

Mikael Gemeda-Breka has always been an actor and creative at heart. Though he was a quiet kid who preferred playing in small worlds of plastic dinosaurs and molded clay to social settings, at the first children’s theatre show he went to, his hand was the first to shoot up when the performers asked for a volunteer. After two separate instances where his very intuitive mother made him try out for the acting programs at the schools he attended, Mikael quickly grew to realize that artistry wasn’t just a casual aspect of his being, it formed the very core of how he interacts with the world around him. 

Mikael sees acting as an integral means of inquiring into the human experience, as well as connecting us to the common ground that defines our shared humanity. He strongly believes that artistry is an essential aspect of the human animal and hopes to engage in meaningful and challenging work that broadens our perspectives as we navigate this difficult but pivotal moment in history. 

Mikael enjoys cooking, especially the Ethiopian and Balkan cuisine that is his literal lifeblood; reading basically everything he can get his hands on (at present especially global spiritual/philosophical texts and paleontological journals); spending time in nature, whether that be hiking, camping, or just sitting in a park; and writing everything from plays, to slightly insane essays about the nature of the universe, to cute little poems about blue jays. But–though all of the above finds its way into what he creates–his family is his greatest inspiration, and he hopes to make them proud and thank them for all they’ve given, as well as honor his ancestors through his work.