Nora Moreno-Jarrell is currently the Fine Arts Coordinator and Theatre Director at John Jay/SEA High School at Northside Independent School District. She graduated from West Oso High School in 1993 and Texas A&M-Kingsville in 1998 with a BA in Theatre and Communications. She has taught for 23 years and has a passion for growing students, leading, and directing. She has directed or been a part of over 90 shows and musicals. She has been awarded the NISD Above and Beyond Award and the John Jay High School Educator of the Year Award. Nora has been involved with Teatro Audaz as an actress in Chimichangas and Zoloft and Aye No! and now as the director of It’s A Wonderful Vida!

Laura T. Garza is the Theatre Coordinator and Faculty Instructor at San Antonio College as well as the Co-Founder of Teatro Audaz San Antonio, a Latinx Theatre Company, and continues to serve as their Executive Artistic Director. In addition to earning an Associate of Arts in Drama from (San Antonio College, a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts (University of Incarnate Word) and an MFA in Directing (Texas State University), Laura has also trained with The Oregon Shakespeare Festival and abroad with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She has worked as a Theatre educator and director for the past 10 years, most recently as part of the Taft High School Theatre team that won the 2021 6A UIL OAP State Championship. Laura has acted in, directed and produced many shows in and around the San Antonio area, winning 3 Alamo Theatre Arts Council (ATAC) awards for her work as both an actor and director, and 25 awards as producer. Laura has directed at Teatro Audaz (Somewhere Over The Border, Pain of The Macho, Curanderas and Chocolate, Frida Vice-Versa, The Taming of The Shrew), San Antonio College (Rumors, A Midsummer Night's Dream), The Public Theater of San Antonio (Aye, No!), The Magik Theater (Tomas and The Library Lady), Wimberley Players Theatre (Canterville Ghost; The Musical), The Overtime Theatre (Portmanteaux), and The Kennedy Center Washington D.C. (MFA Playwright Festival, Asst. Director). Other honors include the 2010 Kennedy Center ACTF Merit Award for directing and sound design Reasons to be Pretty, and the 2011 Kennedy Center ACTF Directing award where she ranked as one of the top 8 collegiate directors in the nation as a National Finalist for directing scenes from Angels in America: Perestroika.

Max Estudillo has had a holly jolly time being a part of this production! Born in Monterrey, N.L., Max is a theatre artist with many production credits as an onstage actor, stage manager, director, educator, artist, and designer. Some of his favorite onstage roles include B Flat in Second Samuel (COM Theatre), Clyde in Hell is Empty (Texas State), and Roberto in The Ghosts of Lote Bravo (Teatro Audaz). As an educator, his favorite roles include being a mentor to the wonderful theatre students of San Antonio ISD where he has taught from 2018 to 2023. As a designer, some of his recent favorite scenic designs include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (SAC Theatre), The Lion King Jr (SAISD), Luchadora!, The Ghosts of Lote Bravo, and Somewhere Over the Border (Teatro Audaz). He holds a Theatre Arts A.A. from College of the Mainland and a Theatre Education B.F.A. from Texas State University where he is currently pursuing a Theatre Scenic Design MFA degree. Max would like to dedicate his work for this production to his family, “you all have always shown me that a home is anywhere where love grows, not just a house. Although the home I designed and built on the stage is for a fictional family, I made sure to include details of the love and culture that parallels with ours. I love you all so much.

Larry Martinez Jr. is a 24 year old theatre designer, performer, writer, artist born in San Antonio, Texas. After spending 4 years in Corpus Christi, Texas pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree at Texas A&M University, he is back in his hometown and excited to collaborate with artists in the city. Larry is currently the Production Manager, Marketing & PR Manager, and has been the Resident Lighting Designer for Teatro Audaz San Antonio for their past two seasons which garnered him two Alamo Theatre Arts Council Globe awards for best lighting design (Mariachi Girl, Bad Hombres / Good Wives). In addition to working with multiple country/rock artists in various venues around Texas, Larry is also a Theatre educator at J.T. Brackenridge Elementary for grades K - 5. He has three sisters and one brother, and he hopes to inspire them to chase their dreams and passion through his work.

Madissyn Zapata is so delighted to be a part of Teatro Audaz’s production of ‘It’s A Wonderful Vida’ as her 9th show with the company. Born in Houston, TX and raised in San Antonio, Madissyn has been involved with theatre at a very early age with credits as an onstage actor, spot/board operator, stage manager, and now sound designer. Madissyn hopes to study theatre in the future and she’d like to thank her friends and family for supporting her through thick and thin.