Maya Pejatta, born and raised in the Peel region, is an actress and vocalist with extensive musical theatre training. From the age of 8, she began learning classical and pop vocal technique. Maya later joined Brampton Music Theatre, and worked with them for a number of shows. She has also dabbled in more interactive forms of theatre, working with Canada’s Wonderland in the fall as a part of their Halloween Haunt. Maya is now working with Crane Creations Company’s Summer Ensemble to move forward into a more professional theatre career.
Education
Maya Pejatta is currently a student at Queen’s university, studying computer science and dramatic arts. She has prior experience training with the Brampton Music Theatre Youth Troupe, taking lessons with the company in all three disciplines: acting, singing and dancing. She also has taken 10 years of vocal lessons with the Carolyn Lykkemark Music Studio, a vocal and piano school in Mississauga.
Experience
Beginning when she was just 6 years old, Maya Pejatta auditioned for the TV show “The Next Star”. After a few failed attempts, she began taking vocal lessons with the Carolyn Lykkemark Music Studio. In high school, she began to expand into musical theatre under the guidance of her vocal and high school teachers. After thoroughly enjoying her experiences, she expanded into community theatre. Maya worked with Brampton Music Theatre’s Youth Troupe for 3 shows, up until the beginning of the pandemic. The company also offered lessons for their youth troupe, training her in all three disciplines: acting, singing and dance. Maya enjoys all types of art. Visual, musical, writing, fashion, and more. In addition to the performing arts, Maya is also a jewellery maker, and is constantly expanding to learn different forms of art.
Summer Ensemble Member 2022
Maya Pejatta is a member of Crane Creations Theatre Company’s 2022 Summer Ensemble. This was Crane Creations Fourth Annual Summer Ensemble. Maya worked as a stage manager.
What is Summer Ensemble?
The Summer Ensemble is an 8 week training program for theatre artists. In this paid working opportunity artists learn skills required to be a professional artist in Canada, and gain valuable insights into the theatre industry in Canada and abroad. To apply artists must be between 18 and 30 years of age.
What is a Stage Manager?
Maya Pejetta is a Stage Manager in the Summer Ensemble. But what is a stage manager?
What is a Stage Manager?
A Stage Manager supports and organizes all the different teams involved in the day-to-day running of a theatre production from rehearsals right through to performances and then post-show. They ensure the smooth running of a production. A Stage Manager is a Director’s right hand.
What does a Stage Manager do?
- Create and set up rehearsal schedules
- Manage set and props
- Create a prompt script compiled with notes on Actors’ cues and requirements for props, lighting and sound
- Make alterations to the set and props between scene changes
- Cue the lighting and Sound Technicians
- Create a risk assessment to ensure the safety of the full company
- Manage the backstage and onstage area during performances
- Call Actors for rehearsals and performances
Who is Maya Pejatta? An Interview with Maya
Where are you from originally?
I’m born and raised in Peel Region, currently living in Brampton. My favourite thing about Brampton is that everything there is a hidden gem. The best food places are behind and between other buildings. The best experiences happen in places that seem innocuous. People complain about the lack of all these things, but they simply haven’t adventured enough to see the city for what it is: a thriving and generally accepting community of many different kinds of people.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
LA. I love the big city of Toronto, I can only imagine what LA is like. The sun, the palm trees, the beaches, the broken dreams of actors, the overpriced food…… it’s like a dream.
Is there a new skill you want to learn?
Dance. As much as I try, I always seem to have two left feet. I enjoy it a lot, but I don’t have the fluidity and body control necessary to be visually engaging while i move.
Do you have any hobbies?
I have a million hobbies; I’m a very jack-of-all-trades type of person. I currently make jewellery, have begun stamp making, and am looking into turning some clothing designs into a reality. I also used to write and paint. Another thing I enjoy is programming; I fell in love with it after taking a class in high school. I loved it so much I couldn’t choose between that and theatre, so I’m currently taking both at Queen’s University. Finding the Computing and the creative arts specialization at Queen’s felt like a lifesaver to an indecisive perso such as myself.
Do you Have A Favourite Food?
I love to eat mangos! They’re so sweet and a beautiful colour, can be cut up and shared with your friends/family, and can help thicken smoothies.
And what’s your favourite food to make?
I like making stir fries of any kind! They’re simple and versatile!
Do you have a favourite restraunt?
Copper branch. I’m vegan so being able to eat anything on the menu is so magical to me.
What are your favourite plays and why?
My favourite play is actually the musical Into the Woods. I have a fond memory of being in the show with the Brampton Music Troupe, and our cast was pretty small, so we ended up becoming very close knit. We genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, and still have a groupchat to send memes in.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
I used to do photography.
Why do you love theatre?
I love theatre because I believe it celebrates the ephemeral nature of art and life. You can’t stop the scene to process, so the more times you experience a show, the more you grasp from it. That means each time you watch something, the experience is different.
How Does Your Theatre Journey Begin?
It began in high school, when I was looking to use my vocal skills for something other than choir. I had been taking vocal lessons for 6 or 7 year at this point, and this would be my first time collaborating with others on a performance since elementary school choir. I was very socially anxious and didn’t have many friends, so joining the school musical was the first time I was in a space that I could express myself more freely and more accurately to myself. After this, I would go on to join my community theatre company and continue to express my love of the arts.
Is there a play or a role you are really proud of?
Scare acting at Canada’s Wonderland was a very interesting experience. When I went into it, I had very little improv experience, and it was mostly to improve on that skill. Like I mentioned previously I can be very socially anxious, so I had a rocky start with it. By the end I had a solid character, tactics I could use to get the best scares, and was praised for my performances by my supervisors.
Why is theatre important? Why Should Someone See A Play rather than watch a Movie at Home?
The experience of live theatre is much different than a movie. When a film actor looks at you, they’re looking at the camera. When a theatre actor looks at you, they are looking AT you. The relationship between the audience and the actor is very different in the two mediums, and even if you aren’t interested in theatre, it is something i believe everyone should experience.
You Are A Stage Manager. What Does A Stage Manager Do And How Do You Become One?
A stage manager does a variety of things, all to help coordinate the production team and the cast together. A stage manager may assist with props, coordinate schedules and zoom calls, or anything else the directing team asks of them. A professional stage manager is also a union representative.
My day as a stage manager looks like this. When the work day begins, I take attendance. I contact those who are not there, and I ask when they’ll arrive. I may be assigned other tasks by the directing team, in which case I will coordinate with the rest of the actors and producers on whatever task is given.
To become a stage manager, it is a huge asset to have been an actor previously. Knowing the ins and outs of theatre is essential to the job. Anyone can get a job as a stage manager if they have the right skills, but fellow actors are able to connect with and manage the cast differently.
Do you have any words of advice for aspiring theatre artists?
It can be very disheartening being rejected left and right, but you have to keep going. It took me a long time just to get my current job. Sometimes you have to do things just for the experience. Sometimes they just aren’t looking for you. No matter how many times you’re rejected, rejection doesn’t make you less than what you were before. It doesn’t invalidate your experience or training, and sure as hell doesn’t mean you’re a bad performer.
What is Summer Ensemble to You?
My favourite part of summer ensemble is connecting with fellow creatives, and learning about what the world of professional theatre is about
