Today we’d like to introduce you to Mextly Couzin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mextly. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m obsessed with people’s stories and journeys; I love asking people about their lives because I’m fascinated with how everything is connected and the joy and serendipity of how things happen. It’s probably why I fell in love with theatre to begin with, it’s the storytelling and the magic of bringing that to life that is so beautiful. So, it’s no surprise that I’m constantly reflecting on my own life and all the steps and people that have led me to the now. The now is always complicated and identity is something I always tie to my heritage and accomplishments. It’s hard to define who I am without saying that I’m a Mexican woman first and foremost. I was born in Baja California and when I was four, we moved to Los Angeles. When I was 18, I moved out of my somewhat traditional Mexican home to study Pure Mathematics at the University of California, San Diego. I finished my degree with the pride of being able to say that I was a first-generation woman in STEM. That was my biggest dream growing up, to be college educated. I didn’t even know that Lighting Design was a thing, let alone a career I could have. Fast forward 4 years and I have an MFA in Lighting Design for Theatre from UCSD.
I feel very grateful to have found a passion for something I want to spend my whole life doing. In the last 4 year I have worked with people that have championed me and my work, that have believed in my abilities and my person, and have really set me up for believing in myself. I’ve had the privilege to have worked at major theatre companies around the country with major artists in the American Theatre. And every time I find myself in a new city working on a new play, I get nervous, anxious, and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude because I still can’t believe I get to do this for a living. And that’s why this current COVID situation is so sad, I graduated with my MFA in March of 2020. I was about to move to New York City and all of a sudden, the industry is shut down. It feels like all the preparation and training I had gone through has been stalled and who-knows-when we’ll be able to create again. Lighting design is a responsive art form, and we need to do it with the company as a whole, being a in a dark room creating magic together.
Has it been a smooth road?
Theatre is a challenge. This industry is hard. Sometime it feels like you need to be a very “lucky” person to succeed. And like so many institutions in the world, Theatre it permeated with institutional racism, sexism, and white privilege. I have been in pretty horrible situations where my self-esteem and self-worth have been challenged by people that should be mentoring me. I also don’t come from a family that is particularly financially well off, and that means I can’t physically afford to take opportunities that I wish I could. I have had many crying sessions where I have had to make the decision to go a different way because I didn’t have the means, and that just sucks. Although they might appear to be, things haven’t been “easy.” I constantly feel like I have to work harder and be “better” in some way. People have told me that I’m not “allowed to fail” and it really feels like if you make a little mistake or take a different route you might not end up where you want to go. However, I have learned that “success” is not the same for everyone, and there are a million ways to get somewhere. Maybe all the struggles that I’ve faced and will continue to face make for a more interesting story.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
The choices I make when I’m designing are going to be different to everyone else, because everyone is different, and everyone’s approach is different. What I love about lighting is that it’s like painting. You can create some beautiful images on stage, with layers of sculpting and colors and textures.
My adopted philosophy is that lighting is in service of the production you’re working on. You have to serve the play in the best way you can. And that means a whole lot of things. I personally love designing with no color, focusing on the artists on stage. But sometimes you really need to make the whole stage green. And that’s amazing too. The objective for me is always going to be pleasing my gut. To trust my taste and my eyes. On the last production I worked on, the director said to me in the middle of rehearsal, “I want this scene to feel like a friendly under water disco inside of the abandoned hotel pool asylum we are in” And I said, “okay.” That’s actually my favorite thing about lighting, the fast-paced creative problem solving. I had two minutes to put the look together, in front of the whole company as they were waiting to move on to the next thing. It’s both nerve wrecking and exhilarating.
In my work, I am proud of so many moments and projects. I’m happiest when I’m believing in myself and delivering work that I’m proud of. Even when the odds feel like they are stacked against me, or when I need to step in for a designer I’ve never met and design a show in a week, or when I have to make magic out of the six lights in the space. All of that is exciting and so rewarding.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
San Diego is just amazing. I mean, the beach? The weather? When you’re having a mental breakdown and doubting all of your design choices, it’s so easy to breath deep and reassess when you’re staring out into the ocean. San Diego has art happening. There are incredible new plays, dance, opera, music and puppetry! The people here are so cool and creative, and nice. San Diego is just a great place to live and be creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mextlycouzin.com
- Email: mextlycouzin@gmail.com
- Instagram: @metztliee
Image Credit:
Jim Carmody, Cory Weaver
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