Nina-Grace Quintanilla
Resident Teaching Artist
Nina-Grace Quintanilla is a NY based actor, theatre maker and teaching artist from Houston, TX. Born to a Peruvian mother and Tejano father, her arts practice is rooted in a fascination with the rhythm and power of language, art as cultural translation and the belief that the arts deserve a place in our nation’s wellness model. Her interest in teaching began while herself a pre-professional student at Theatre Under the Stars, assisting camps in musical theatre foundations under the leadership of accomplished Houston artists. Teaching remained a source of inspiration for her arts practice while at University of North Carolina School of the Arts. There, she earned her BFA in Acting (Minor: Arts Entrepreneurship) performing language driven plays like The Rover, Lydia, and The House of Bernarda Alba and served as a teaching artist for UNCSA’s ArtistCorps, providing her the unique opportunity to meet community need with her skill for voice and text work. She is excited to merge this experience with her love of classical text at Apocalyptic Artists Ensemble. Beyond acting and teaching, Nina-Grace’s passion for storytelling has led her to diverse experiences like interning in the Literary department of Alley Theatre (assisting Alley All New Play Fest), writing/performing Spoken Word, performing new work dramaturgy for peers, directing, and producing.