Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Cuba Cuentas.
Hi Adriana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hi! I was born in Arequipa, Peru, and I spent my childhood in Juliaca, south of Peru. I started acting when I was 9 and soon realized I wanted to pursue a career in film and performing arts. My motivation for creating made me to move to Lima, capital of Peru, in the search of new opportunities. In Lima, I began to act professionally. I went to college for film and marketing and started working on sets and creating my own films. I worked in several areas of the film and marketing industry, and I fell in love with documentaries. My latest documentary, “Proyecto Tinku: el documental,” will soon be released.
I decided I wanted to travel the world, so I took the opportunity to go to Toronto, Canada to shoot a movie. After that, I started traveling alone through all Central America; I ended up moving to San Diego, California in 2018, where I had to start a career in the performing arts from 0. It was challenging, but I’m happy I get to continue doing what I love. I found a family in Camino23 Collective, a Latino theatre collective where I get to create and explore more of my art.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, haha I think starting from zero in a new country is really challenging. Having to adapt to a new culture, learning a new language, feeling homesick, rejected, and alone are some of the difficulties along the road. But I’m really thankful to be here now. All those struggles made me the person I am now, and I feel very happy in my own skin.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m an actress, filmmaker, teaching artist, marketing director, and rock-climbing instructor. I’m a part of Camino23 Collective, a Latino theater collective that’s working to empower and present accurate representation in theatre.
Other than performing, I also love working as a youth teaching artist and rock-climbing instructor. It gives me a purpose, and it makes me really happy to help people overcome their fears and find their truest happiest confident self.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was happy, playful, confident. I also knew I wanted to leave my hometown someday to go explore the world! I grew up in a small town with not much to do. No movie theaters, no malls, no phones, and no internet in the house so I spent a lot of time putting shows with my friends for our parents, singing, dancing on the streets, carnival, learning about plants and their amazing healing potential. I was truly happy with my family and community.
But then I grew up, and life happened hahaha, so I had to face some challenges (death, racism, self-doubt, toxic relationships, culture shock, not-so-good friends, and all those things I know everyone can relate to) that dimmed my light for some time.
But I’m happy to say I did the work (meditation works haha), and now I’m back to feeling as happy as when I was younger. That’s why I’m interested in learning more about holistic health.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @adrianacubac
Image Credits
@leoa..photography
@pamlop6
